The contributions of the crew chief behind a race car driver’s performance are immense. It is the crew chief who conjures strategies and plans out the course of the entire race, which goes a long way to determine the success of the team. NASCAR has never failed to recognize the contributions of these unsung heroes over the years by conferring to some of them, the prestigious title of Hall of Famer.
Advertisement
Two of these crew chiefs were closely acquainted with two of the winningest drivers in NASCAR history; 4X Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, and 7X Cup king Jimmie Johnson. Perhaps, longtime NASCAR fans have already guessed the names. Yes, it is indeed Ray Evernham and the most recent recipient of the title, Chad Knaus.
Interestingly, Knaus’ NASCAR start came as an assistant at the Hendrick Motorsports body shop, working under none other than Ray Evernham. Fast forward to the year 2002, Knaus was paired with Johnson, who was just a rookie Cup Series driver back then. Shocking the world, the duo won seven championships together, five of which were consecutive ones. Currently, the NASCAR vet holds the office of the Vice President of Competition at Rick Hendrick’s team.
His mentor Ray Evernham’s career is no less impressive when it comes to his achievements as a crew chief. The Class of 2018 inductee pioneered Jeff Gordon to three of the latter’s four championships. Moreover, he also led the entire field with 49 wins amassed by the #24 Chevy team throughout the 1990s.
However, none of them even equals Dale Inman in the number of championships by a crew chief. This legendary mastermind was best known for his career as Richard “The King” Petty’s crew chief. Additionally, he also set the record for the highest number of wins (193) by a crew chief.
Other crew chiefs who were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame
Leonard Wood
Besides being a former crew chief, Leonard Earle Wood is also known as the co-founder of the Wood Brothers Racing team. Inducted into the prestigious room back in 2013, this 89-year-old man is celebrated as the brain behind the modern pit stop.
Maurice Petty
The main engine builder behind the garage of Petty Enterprises, Maurice Petty, was inducted into the Class of 2014 of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. Many say he is the man who worked from behind the scenes as his brother Richard Petty bagged his record-setting 200 Cup Series wins.
Wendell Scott
Scott was the first African-American driver to participate full-time in NASCAR’s top-tier racing series. He was also known for being a World War II veteran. Scott was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Robert Yates
The one man behind the entire engine power of the Mustangs was Robert Yates. He was also the former owner of the team Yates Racing, which is now owned by his son Doug Yates. In 2010, he partnered up with his son-in-law to form a new company, Robert Yates Racing Engines. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.
Waddell Wilson
Wilson holds the reputation for being that one car builder who built the first engine that was capable of breaking the 200 mph threshold. The entire community was dumbfounded when Benny Parsons pulled off a 200.176 mph speed in the qualifying round at Talladega. The Bakersville native was named a Hall of Famer in 2020.
Kirk Shelmerdine
The chemistry between Shelmerdine and Dale Earnhardt is one widely spoken of down the alleys of NASCAR, and for good reason. This man has four championships to his credit as the crew chief for the great “Intimidator” in his infamous No. 3 Chevrolet. Besides Earnhardt, he also guided veterans like James Hylton and Richard Childress to bag a total of 46 races in his 16-year stint as a crew chief.
