Alex Bowman may have missed out on the Championship 8 due to issues with his car’s weight, but his #48 Chevrolet team do have something to celebrate. Bowman’s support cast won the 2024 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award, given to the team that excels under pressure throughout the season.
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The evaluation of the pit crew hinges on a metric system that takes into account various factors including pit stop speed, positions gained or lost on the pit road, and the effectiveness of each pit stop.
Bowman’s pit crew consists of jackman Allen Holman, tire carrier Brandon Grier, front-tire changer Donnie Tasser, rear-tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth, and fueler Jacob Conley.
Blake Harris, the crew chief, was proud of the strong and consistent showing by his men that earned them the award.
“Really proud of the No. 48 guys for their strong season and taking home the Mechanix Wear MVPC Award this year…,” he said.
“We strive to be the best in this sport every week on and off the track, and to see the No. 48 pit crew carry the banner for Hendrick Motorsports defines why we compete,” added Harris.
The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award was established in 2002. And Hendrick Motorsports have had a monopoly of sorts over it, winning it seven times over the years — in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2021, and 2024.
Last year, the accolade went to Brad Keselowski’s #6 pit crew from RFK Racing. In 2021, it was again a Hendrick Motorsports crew that took home the award — Chase Elliott’s #9 team.
The pit crew performance, of course, is also a reflection of how the drivers fare through the season. And Hendrick Motorsports’ MVPC award victories correlate with the consistency shown by their drivers on track for years.
This year, HMS would have liked to see all four of their drivers in the Round of 8. However, having them all qualify for the playoffs was still a significant achievement. It marked the sixth time in the history of Hendrick Motorsports that all their drivers made the playoffs, and the third time in the last four years.
Three out of the four HMS drivers advanced to the Round of 8, while one, William Byrom, made it to the Championship 4 race.
The team has secured at least one win in each of the last 39 NASCAR Cup Series seasons, which best illustrates its consistency over the years.
