NASCAR Cup Series

I’m no rocket scientist, but I do know chemistry

Published Jan. 17, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

Darrell Waltrip

You can have all the schooling there is to have, but the one thing you need in NASCAR is chemistry. But let’s be clear, I am not talking about mixing up some chemicals and brewing up anything. I am talking about mixing and matching the right personalities together.

Obviously the biggest and most important chemistry any team can have is between the driver and the crew chief. I asked a crew chief not long ago: What is the difference between a crew chief's job now versus, say, 20 years ago when I had my team?

He likened a crew chief’s job today to that as one of running an adult daycare center. They spend the majority of their time problem-solving with folks. They are putting out fires and anticipating problems. That’s where the majority of their time goes now since our sport has gotten to the point where the teams hire specialists for about everything.

My favorite guy on any team is the generalist. I always tried to hire guys that could do a little bit of everything. Back in the day that is what you had to do. Back then your tire changer was a fabricator or your gas man was your hauler driver. So things sure have changed a lot in that area.

What hasn’t changed nor will ever change is everyone has to get along. You have to have a strong leader to make that happen. The bedrock or foundation is you have to have a driver and crew chief who believe in each other. There can’t be any doubt. I think this year that chemistry will play a huge success or failure with the teams.

I was going down the list the other day of driver and crew chief combinations and I have to say, I was shocked. I counted no less than 20 new driver/crew chief combinations going into the 2010 season. I am hard pressed to ever remember starting a year with that many changes. It is up and down the line. Kurt Busch, for example, will start the year with his brother's crew chief from last year, Steve Addington. Martin Truex will have Pat Tryson as his crew chief and the list goes on and on.

It’s clear as we head to Daytona in two weeks that owners are trying to shake things up and make things happen. Obviously you have to say it’s because of the last four years of success by that #48 car. That is what everyone is shooting for, especially when it comes to the driver/crew chief chemistry they enjoy. They are willing to try anything and everything to try to catch up with Hendrick Motorsports.

Chemistry will always be the key to success. If you can get your driver and crew chief on the same page, you will find yourself in Victory Circle a heckuva lot more times than if you have a driver and crew chief who are always fighting or bickering.

I have always applauded change. It is interesting to see how the changes either work or don’t. A good example is the changes Richard Childress made toward the end of last year with his driver/crew chief combinations. They seemed to make his teams better. That now gives them momentum and high hopes going into the season. That change and the 19+ others will be a storyline we will follow here on NASCAR on FOX when we roll into Daytona in a couple weeks.