November 11, 2020 | By Lee Spencer

Fennig to oversee Roush Fenway Racing's competition department

Jimmy Fennig is the new executive vice president in charge of competition at Roush Fenway Racing. 

Fennig has been a fixture at RFR since 1993. He was enlisted as Mark Martin's crew chief four years later to oversee the flagship No. 6 team.

The 67-year-old Milwaukee native was an integral part of the organization’s glory days, including as a championship-winning crew chief for Kurt Busch in 2004.

“I’m certainly humbled at the opportunity provided to me by Jack (Roush) and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing,” Fennig said.  “I’ve been a part of this organization for a long time, and during that time we’ve experienced a lot of highs and lows, but I believe in the team, I believe in Jack and I believe in the people we have here to help us get back to the top.

“Make no mistake, our goal is to get these Roush Fenway Fords to the front. We know we have a lot of work in front of us, but I believe we owe that to Jack, and we owe that to ourselves as racers, and I know the entire team embraces that challenge.”

Fennig won the prestigious Smokey Yunick Award for his lifetime impact on the motorsports industry. Throughout the course of his tenure at RFR, Fennig guided NASCAR Hall of Famer Martin to 14 wins and three finishes of third or better in the standings over five seasons. Working with Martin, Busch, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, Fennig amassed 38 victories over 18 seasons.

In 2016, RFR named Kevin Kidd and Tommy Wheeler competition director and operations director, respectively. The following season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., won races at Talladega and Daytona and qualified for the Playoffs. At the time, Fennig was overseeing Roush’s superspeedway program.

Kidd and Wheeler will remain in their roles and report directly to Fennig.

“Jimmy Fennig has been a key part of our organization for over two decades,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Roush. “Jimmy is a real racer and his record and accolades as a championship level crew chief speak for themselves.

“His passion and drive have played an important role in our success as a race team. He is one of the most loyal and dedicated people I’ve ever known and I’m confident that he is the right man for the job. I’m certainly excited to work with him as we continue to build our program back to the level that will see us compete on the track each week for wins and championships.”

Roush Fenway Racing will celebrate its 34th NASCAR season in 2021. RFR has amassed 325 wins among NASCAR's top three tours and multiple championships.