Tag Archives: Darian Grubb

Miscommunication costs JGR’s No. 11 Denny Hamlin race at NHMS

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crew chief
~ noun
1. The head of a crew, especially for maintenance of aircraft or racing cars.
2. Crew chief (auto racing), the head person on a race team who directs both the driver and pit crew

Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR
A miscommunication on a late pit stop between Denny Hamlin and crew chief Darian Grubb dropped Hamlin from the lead to 12th.

Miscommunication can turn out to be lethal during a NASCAR race if it happens between crew chief and driver.

Take Joe Gibbs Racing. During the final laps of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, driver Denny Hamlin of the No. 11 FedEx Camry, who finished second, respectively, and crew chief Darian Grubb had a major miscommunication before the last pit stop of the race.

The miscommunication centered around whether to take two tires or four on the final stop. Grubb wanted to go with two tires, which would have kept them on par with the rest of the field, but he thought Hamlin wanted fresh rubber on both sides — hence, the four-tire call.

“Darian asked me how much of the tires I felt like I used up,” Hamlin said. He said, “I think two’s the call.”

“I said, OK – just give me tires and no adjustments.” Grubb took that as I meant four tires. It was just a little miscommunication that turned a possible win into a second-place finish. You never know what could have happened on that last restart if we had taken two tires. The No. 5 of Kasey Kahne still may have been better, you never know.

The No. 11 FedEx Camry of JGR was the top-finishing Toyota in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Hamlin led the field five times for a race-high 150 laps (of 301) — after starting third.

Hamlin was very disappointed because he had the dominant car for most of the race. “They gave me a new package this time around. We dominated all the practices and it showed in the race what we had. It’s part of it,” said Hamlin. The last pit stop had put Hamlin from first place, back to 12th. The bottom line was they just didn’t have enough laps to catch Kahne and came up short. “It’s days like these that you can just build on,” said Hamlin, “We’re going to be back here in just a few months – when it really counts – and that’s when you want to win — so we know we have something to race with. I would have loved to get win 200 for No.11 team. That part of it is frustrating that we can’t break through and get that. We’re getting close.”

JGR announces Darian Grubb as Denny Hamlin’s new crew chief -

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FULL PRESS RELEASE BELOW. (Racingal.com had confirmed earlier in the week)

 

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Darian Grubb, [former Crew Chief for the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy for Tony Stewart. Photo credit: Sandi Goodall, Racingal.com"

 

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (December 9, 2011) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Darian Grubb has been named crew chief for its No. 11 FedEx Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team.

“Darian is a great addition to our organization and person to lead our No. 11 FedEx team,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Obviously he has proven the ability to guide a team to a championship and we are excited to have him working with Denny (Hamlin) toward achieving that goal here at Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Grubb is coming off an impressive championship run with driver Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing which included winning five of the 10 Chase races en route to capturing the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. He spent the past three seasons as crew chief for Stewart on the No. 14 car after the driver left JGR to start his own race operation. Prior to joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Grubb spent six years with Hendrick Motorsports; rising through the organization’s engineering ranks and gaining invaluable crew chief experience.

“I’m thrilled to join Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Grubb. “The chance to work with Denny is something I’m excited about. When you sit down with Joe and J.D. Gibbs you can’t help but be excited about this opportunity and the team aspects of JGR. There is no question about the level of support you get here and I’m looking forward to working with everyone across the entire organization.”

Over the past three seasons as crew chief for Stewart, Grubb has helped lead the team to 11 victories, while amassing 33 top-five and 59 top-ten finishes over that time. Prior to joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Grubb gained previous crew chief experience while with Hendrick Motorsports. He was crew chief to Casey Mears in 2007, helping to lead the driver to his first Sprint Cup Series career victory with a win that season in the prestigious Coca-Cola 600. The team also won the pole at Chicagoland Speedway that year, while earning five top-five and 10 top-ten finishes. He also served as interim crew chief for Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 car for the first four races of the 2006 season with the team winning two of those four including the Daytona 500.

Emotional Darian Grubb thanks Tony Stewart for opportunity, friendship

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Darian Grubb, winner of the Champions Crew Chief Award, speaks during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon at the Bellagio on Dec. 1, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nev. Photo credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

Darian Grubb spoke for mere minutes at Thursday’s NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon, but the words that tumbled from the champion crew chief’s mouth were a good two months in the making.

 

Prior to October’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Grubb learned that his tenure as Tony Stewart’s crew chief would end after the season. Then, six races and three victories later, Grubb won an improbable NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship atop the pit box for the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet. A few days later, the move was confirmed. Grubb was out, Steve Addington was in as Stewart’s crew chief in 2012.

 

That draining sequence of events framed the highlight of Thursday’s traditional NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon at the Bellagio – Grubb’s acceptance speech as champion crew chief.

 

With emotion in his voice, Grubb thanked Stewart for the opportunity – and his friendship. During the post-event media availability, Grubb explained his feelings from the roller-coaster ride.

 

“It’s just tough,” Grubb said. “It’s just awkward because we want to enjoy it, but we know things are changing. So we’re trying our best to enjoy the championship and everything we’ve earned and deserved and go from there.”

 

Stewart, who filled his expanding trophy case with four more awards on Thursday, continued a dream week. Enjoying the spoils as guest of honor during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week, Stewart picked up the phone on Wednesday morning to speak with President Barack Obama – calling from Air Force One.

 

“It is a huge honor to get a call from the President of the United States,” Stewart said. “I was more nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to hear on the phone very well, being from Air Force One, but they got great service up there. He just congratulated us on a great season. … The First Lady was giving him updates from the track, so I was really proud that he was following our sport and cared enough to call yesterday.”

 

At the event’s conclusion, the top-12 drivers hit The Strip for what has evolved into one of the most hotly anticipated events of Champion’s Week: the NASCAR Victory Lap. For the third consecutive year, thousands of fans lined The Strip to watch the top 12 roar down The Strip. Starting at Planet Hollywood and ending at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, celebratory burnouts smoked the closed streets of Las Vegas.

 

A large crowd also enjoyed a Q&A session with the top 12 at the popular NASCAR After The Lap, held at the Hard Rock. The tell-all format has gained mass appeal, as drivers show fans a more personal side.

 

Day 3 events ended with the presentation of the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio “Stewie Awards,” hosted by Tony Stewart, honoring the best moments of the 2011 season.

 

Here is the complete list of Thursday’s award winners from the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon:

• Myers Brothers Award: Drs. Joe and Rose Mattioli

• NASCAR Foundation Track of the Year Award: Michigan International Speedway

• Wheaties Fuel Most Popular Driver Award: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

• Buddy Shuman Award: Richard Childress

• NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award: Toyota

• Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award: Andy Lally

• Growth Energy American Ethanol Green Flag Restart: Matt Kenseth

• Coors Light Pole Award: Carl Edwards

• Mobil 1 Driver of the Year Award: Tony Stewart

• DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Year Award: Bob Osborne

• MOOG Chassis Part Problem Solver of the Year Award: Alan Gustafson

• O’Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement Award: Tony Stewart

• Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award: Roush Fenway Racing No.99

• Mahle Engine Builder of the Year Award: Roush Yates Engines No. 99 (Doug Yates)

• Goodyear Gatorback Belts & Hoses Fastest Lap Award: Kyle Busch

• Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Tony Stewart

• Goodyear Tires Award: Tony Stewart

• Champion Sponsor Award: Office Depot and Mobil 1

• Champion Crew Chief: Darian Grubb

 

Don’t forget! Tomorrow’s (Friday, Dec. 2) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week activities include the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. Starts at 6 p.m. (9 p.m. ET SPEED).

 

The star-studded entertainment lineup for the ceremony includes country music icon Reba as host, a performance by Grammy-award winning rocker Kid Rock, as well as performances by two recent additions: up-and-coming country artist Ella Mae Bowen and Broadway sensation Jersey Boys.

Source: NASCAR Media PR