Ren led Ron Hornaday and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. truck to the truck title two of the last two seasons.
Not a bad track record for a little less than three years on the job. But Ren, who holds the truck series record for crew chiefs with 27 wins, was ready to start the next chapter in a 34-year racing career.
In 2010, Ren will manage Kyle Busch Motorsports' new truck venture, which is expected to field as many as three teams -- depending on sponsorship.
Although Ren, 53, is grateful for the experience that Kevin and Delana Harvick offered him with Hornaday, the ability to spend more time at home and attempt a new challenge was impossible to pass up.
"I have the opportunity to build a stellar organization and be just 10 minutes from my house," said Ren, who lives in Mooresville and was commuting 68-miles each way to work. "This is a brutal sport as we all know and I've been on the road for many years. I love being a crew chief, but this is a step up. Now, I'll be the guy that gets to hire the crew chiefs. And I'll get to improve my home life in the process."
Ren said the "best part" of working for the Harvicks was the relationships he was able to build over the last three seasons, particularly with Hornaday. Ren says he hopes Hornaday believes that the pair was able to "revive each other's careers". And while the move is "emotionally tough to walk away from a championship caliber program" -- especially after the teammates amassed 16 wins, 10 poles, 42 top fives and 60 top 10 finishes.
"But there comes a time when I have to look out for me and my family," Ren added. "Kyle Busch is in a position where he can build a dominant force in racing and I will be on the ground floor for that. There are a lot of good people out there that have recently lost their jobs so I'm certain we'll be able to build three strong teams."
