Kyle Larson lands new crew chief one day after Homestead
The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season may have ended Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but plans for the 2016 season were already being laid out Monday morning.
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sebates announced Chad Johnston has joined the organization as the crew chief for Kyle Larson's No. 42 team. Johnston will replace Chris Heroy atop the pit box and comes from Stewart-Haas Racing, where he was Tony Stewart's crew chief for the past two seasons.
Sources told FoxSports.com that Heroy will not return to the Ganassi organization in 2016.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and the opportunity to work with Kyle Larson," said Johnston. "The organization has a great reputation in numerous forms of racing, and I'm looking forward to adding to that reputation in NASCAR. Kyle is certainly a unique talent, and I'm eager to get to work with him and the team as we look to build a foundation of success."
Johnston previously worked with Martin Truex Jr. at Michael Waltrip Racing from 2011 until 2013, when he joined SHR. The crew chief with a mechanical engineering degree from Indiana State University is now tasked with helping Larson find Victory Lane, something the young driver has come close to doing, but has yet to accomplish at the Sprint Cup level.
"We are very much looking forward to having Chad join the No. 42 team, and excited for the fresh perspective that he brings," said team owner Chip Ganassi. "We fully expect the combination of Chad and Kyle to be the foundation of the No. 42 team for years to come. Chad is a race-winning crew chief and has helped steer a team into the Chase, two goals we have each season for our teams. I think his background and experience with veteran drivers will help as we look to continue to build on Kyle and the team's success in the Sprint Cup Series."
Larson hopes working with Johnston will help the long-term goals of the organization, but he also acknowledged Heroy for all he has done over the last two years atop the pit box.
"I'm excited to get to work with Chad and to start doing what needs to be done to get the team to Victory Lane next year," Larson said. "As a team, I think we are very close and the addition of Chad should help move our program forward for many years to come. Lastly, I would also like to thank Chris for all he did to help me grow in my first two seasons in the Cup series."
Prior to the Homestead season-finale, Tony Stewart indicated there would likely be "a lot of changes" coming to the No. 14 SHR team, and Monday's news does more to validate that statement. Daniel Knost, crew chief on Danica Patrick's No. 10 SHR team, told FOXSports.com this weekend he was still working on his plans for the 2016 season.
