Crew Chief Chad Knaus is an Integral Part of Jimmie Johnson’s Record-Tying Effort

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, stands on the grid with Crew Chief Chad Knaus during pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Photo - Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, stands on the grid with Crew Chief Chad Knaus during pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images

All Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus wanted was another shot, and when Dylan Lupton hit the turn two wall on lap 252 to bring out the fifth caution of Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400, Knaus clenched his fist in anticipation.

At the time, Johnson was running sixth, trailing the three Championship 4 drivers—Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards—he needed to beat to claim a record-tying seventh title. But the caution with 15 laps left in the scheduled distance breathed life into the No. 48 team.

Three restarts later, Johnson passed Kyle Larson for the victory and earned his seventh championship, tying NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the series record. Continue reading

Johnson, Knaus Can Cement Names atop NASCAR Record Books

Photo - Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Photo – Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson has been there before – more than any other driver in the past two decades.

But this trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at 2:30 pm ET is different. In the first place, Johnson has his first opportunity to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship under the 16-driver elimination format introduced by the sanctioning body in 2014.

Beyond that, in what is the transcendent story of this year’s Chase, Johnson has a chance to win a seventh series title, one that would tie him for the all-time lead with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Continue reading

Inman Created the Role of the NASCAR Crew Chief, Set to Enter International Motorsports Hall of Fame

Editors Note: This is the fourth of a four-part series on the 2013 induction class of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, which will be celebrated during a ceremony on Thursday, May 2, in Talladega, AL. The inductees include Rick Hendrick, Dale Inman, Rusty Wallace and Don Schumacher. For ticket information on how fans can attend the event, call 256-761-4725. The 2013 IMHOF Induction ceremony kicks off Aaron’s Dream Weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Dale Inman, 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, speaks to the media during the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day at NASCAR Hall of Fame on June 14, 2011  Photo - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Dale Inman, 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, speaks to the media during the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day at NASCAR Hall of Fame on June 14, 2011
Photo – Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Dale Inman was a soft-spoken, hard working, natural-born creative leader who basically wrote the book on how to be a crew chief in NASCAR. Prior to his arrival in the sport in 1958, there wasn’t a blue print on how to get the most out of a race car, now how to organize – or get the most out of – a team.

“It was definitely a learning curve because it was all new to us,” said Inman, who will join his cousin Richard Petty and Uncle Lee Petty as a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday, May 2, at the Speed Dome just outside of Talladega Superspeedway. “There wasn’t any glamour to it, that is for sure, so you just did what you had to do. If you had to work all night and drive the truck with the race car to a track the next day, you did it. I can tell you it wasn’t always easy, but we learned something new each day.” Continue reading