tstran17_88
18th February 2010, 01:49
http://www.nascar.com/2010/news/headlines/cup/02/17/mkenseth.crew.chief.change/index.html
CONCORD, N.C. -- Todd Parrott has been named crew chief of Roush Fenway Racing's No. 17 Ford, effective immediately.
Drew Blickensderfer, who has served as crew chief on the No. 17, driven by Matt Kenseth, since the start of the 2009 season, will assume a role in Roush Fenway's research and development department.
Kenseth finished eighth in the season-opening race at Daytona on Sunday.
Blickensderfer had replaced Chip Bolin as crew chief for Kenseth following the 2008 season.
Parrott, who won the Cup Series championship with Dale Jarrett in 1999, has the third-most wins -- 29 -- among active crew chiefs in the Cup Series.
Blickensderfer and Kenseth came out of the box hot in 2009, winning the first two races of the year, at Daytona and Fontana. However, that success was short-lived.
Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, struggled throughout the remainder of the season -- only 10 top-10 finishes in the final 34 races -- and posted a 15.4 average finish and also missed the Chase for the first time since the system was implemented in 2004. He finished 14th in points.
Parrott was given his first opportunity as crew chief in fall 1995, when he accepted a position at Robert Yates Racing to lead Ernie Irvan's team. Parrott teamed up with Jarrett for the 1996 season.
Parrott also served as general manager for Robert Yates Racing briefly in 2003, then resumed crew chief duties for Elliott Sadler, David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil while with Yates.
Last year, Parrott was the crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the No. 96 team. The duo also worked together at Petty Enterprises.
• Blickensderfer wasn't the only crew chief on the move Wednesday. Earlier in the day, a spokesman for Kevin Harvick Inc. confirmed Dave Fuge, crew chief for defending Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, is no longer with the team. No replacement was named.
Fuge, a former co-owner and crew chief at Xpress Motorsports, had replaced Rick Ren, who became the competition director at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Ren had guided Hornaday to the series title in two of the past three years.
Hornaday finished 27th in the season-opening race at Daytona when he was collected in an accident where he had contact with Ricky Carmichael.
CONCORD, N.C. -- Todd Parrott has been named crew chief of Roush Fenway Racing's No. 17 Ford, effective immediately.
Drew Blickensderfer, who has served as crew chief on the No. 17, driven by Matt Kenseth, since the start of the 2009 season, will assume a role in Roush Fenway's research and development department.
Kenseth finished eighth in the season-opening race at Daytona on Sunday.
Blickensderfer had replaced Chip Bolin as crew chief for Kenseth following the 2008 season.
Parrott, who won the Cup Series championship with Dale Jarrett in 1999, has the third-most wins -- 29 -- among active crew chiefs in the Cup Series.
Blickensderfer and Kenseth came out of the box hot in 2009, winning the first two races of the year, at Daytona and Fontana. However, that success was short-lived.
Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, struggled throughout the remainder of the season -- only 10 top-10 finishes in the final 34 races -- and posted a 15.4 average finish and also missed the Chase for the first time since the system was implemented in 2004. He finished 14th in points.
Parrott was given his first opportunity as crew chief in fall 1995, when he accepted a position at Robert Yates Racing to lead Ernie Irvan's team. Parrott teamed up with Jarrett for the 1996 season.
Parrott also served as general manager for Robert Yates Racing briefly in 2003, then resumed crew chief duties for Elliott Sadler, David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil while with Yates.
Last year, Parrott was the crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the No. 96 team. The duo also worked together at Petty Enterprises.
• Blickensderfer wasn't the only crew chief on the move Wednesday. Earlier in the day, a spokesman for Kevin Harvick Inc. confirmed Dave Fuge, crew chief for defending Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, is no longer with the team. No replacement was named.
Fuge, a former co-owner and crew chief at Xpress Motorsports, had replaced Rick Ren, who became the competition director at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Ren had guided Hornaday to the series title in two of the past three years.
Hornaday finished 27th in the season-opening race at Daytona when he was collected in an accident where he had contact with Ricky Carmichael.