In 2015, Greg Ives got one of the most coveted jobs in NASCAR. Rick Hendrick asked him to replace Steve Letarte as the crew chief for his team’s star driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Taking the role head-on despite his impressive resume was bound to bring scrutiny on multiple fronts, considering the pressure of it. However, Ives maintained a positive perspective on it.
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He told inc.com in a 2016 interview, “I don’t think about being Dale Jr.’s crew chief as pressure. I don’t think about doing the job that I choose to do as pressure. I chose to do this. Nobody forced me to be Dale Jr.’s crew chief. I raised my hand and said yes, I want to be Dale Jr.’s crew chief.”
Before landing the job, Ives worked in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports as the crew chief for Chase Elliott. His love for the sport and role in it helped him not see the pressure as a burden. He continued, “I said, “I want to be a crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports,” and Mr. Hendrick decided where to place me.”
“That’s not pressure. That’s opportunity. Sure, I do have pressure to perform…but I wanted the pressure because I want the job. I love the job.” In his time with Dale Jr., Ives secured three wins, 22 top 5s, and 36 top 10 finishes. Notably, he served as the crew chief for the #88 team for eight of the 18 races that Dale Jr. missed in 2016 due to a concussion.
Dale Jr. expresses strong trust in Ives’ abilities in 2025
JR Motorsports will make its Cup Series debut in the upcoming Daytona 500. Justin Allgaier will drive the #40 car, and Ives is set to be his crew chief. Ives’ record in Daytona is impressive, but Dale Jr.’s decision to pick him for the job goes beyond numbers. It was inspired by the confidence that he got from him when the duo worked together.
He told the press, “Me and him are just really great friends, and I just trust him wholeheartedly with his decisions… He’s got a great track record, in terms of qualifying, and that hopefully can be a big assist for us.”
Ives has qualified his cars on the front row six times in eight Daytona appearances. Dale Jr. and Ives finished third in the 2015 Daytona 500. They will hope to recreate some of the magic that they wove together back then, at this year’s Daytona race.
