The only people concerned about Chad Knaus re-upping with Hendrick
Motorsports were his competition.
There was never a doubt Knaus would remain the crew chief of
the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet.
“Chad and I made a promise a long-time ago that if
I’m driving, I’m driving his race car,” Jimmie
Johnson said.
However, the stark reality that Knaus will continue leading
the four-time championship squad for the next five years will lead
to many sleepless nights among the other crew chiefs in the garage.
Under the Knaus’ leadership, the No. 48 team has not
just been competitive, they’ve been dominant.
He’s smart as he can be,” says team owner Rick
Hendrick. “But his attention to detail -- he’s just so
focused. It can be 11 o’clock at night and he’s in
there working. He’s smart. When you have those kind of work
habits and you’re never satisfied with not winning.
He’s puts a lot of effort into it. He has a lot of
talent.”
From the No. 48 team’s rookie season in 2002, the Knaus
led squad has never finished worse than fifth in the point
standings. The following two years, Johnson finished second in the
point standings and the team’s performances seemed effortless
-- although things were far from perfect behind the scenes. During
this current nine-year stint Knaus has enjoyed with Hendrick,
he’s had to learn to entrust others with a variety of
responsibilities. Lightening his load has enabled Knaus to
concentrate on building better race cars.
“Chad has been able to really work on his people skills
and getting people involved with him,” Johnson said.
“With the opportunities he had as a crew chief beforehand, he
was one guy doing a lot. At Hendrick Motorsports and in today's
world of being a crew chief, you can't take on all the roles
yourself.
“When we first started, he did a lot more than just
calling a race and trying to lead his guys. He was in there
building shocks and working on the surface plate and helping with
bodies and doing a lot more than he really needed to. It really
wasn't until 2005 when we had that milk and cookies meeting, part
of the conversation in that was for Chad to let go of some of the
control and bring guys in around him that he trusted, and
delegate.”
By 2006, it was game on. The No. 48 team won its first of
four titles and under the Chase for the Sprint Cup format, no other
squad has been as consistent. Despite NASCAR suspending Knaus for a
total of 10 races in 2006 and 2007, he’s still responsible
for calling 47 of the teams wins in 290 starts -- including 18 in
the postseason.
“The people he has assembled around him are no
different than the people I had surrounding me in ’99,”
said crew chief Todd Parrott of his magical championship season
with Dale Jarrett. “I know because I’ve been there.
When you have a team that is as dedicated and a driver who is on
his game as much as Jimmie Johnson, that’s an amazing
combination.”
Knaus’ decision to stay the course with HMS secures
that organization’s domination for the near future. Despite
the No. 48 team sharing quarters with the No. 24 team, Knaus has
established himself as the alpha crew chief at HMS. With the
one-team concept at Hendrick Motorsports, solidifying the No. 48
staff will continue offering residual rewards to the other squads.
“They’re a successful team,” says Steve
Letarte, crew chief of the No. 24 team who shares a building with
Knaus. “Any time you can keep a successful team together
it’s a step in the right direction.”
For Knaus, the future is clear. He’ll continue building
his dynasty at Hendrick Motorsports.
“I’d have a hard time thinking I’d ever go
somewhere else,” said Knaus. “This No. 48 team and the
No. 24 team are very important to me and I’m glad to be a
part of that and I want to stay here for a long time to
come.”
