Veteran NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series crew chief Danny Stockman has been promoted to the same role for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Paul Menard, effective immediately.
Richard Childress Racing announced the change Monday. According to a team spokesman, Menard’s former crew chief, Justin Alexander, will remain with the organization in an as-yet-determined capacity.
Stockman served as Xfinity Series crew chief this season for Austin Dillon in 12 races (including one win, eight top fives and 11 top 10s), Ben Kennedy (one race, one top 10) and five races with Menard (three top fives and four top 10s). He served as Ty Dillon’s crew chief in the Xfinity Series for the 2014 season and for 14 races with Ty Dillon and nine races with Austin Dillon in 2015 .
Stockman’s role with the No. 2 Xfinity Series team will be filled on an interim basis by another veteran NASCAR crew chief, Gil Martin, who will add those duties to his role as RCR’s Xfinity Series director.
Stockman is a two-time championship crew chief in the Xfinity and Truck series, having won titles in each series with current Sprint Cup driver Austin Dillon.
Alexander became Menard’s crew chief on Oct. 1, 2014 and led Menard to his first appearance in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2015. Menard failed to get past the first round and finished 14th in the Chase.
Menard has struggled this season. He’s ranked 23rd in the Sprint Cup standings, has no wins or top fives, and just two top 10s (eighth at Martinsville and 10th Sunday at Indianapolis).
Menard also has an average start of 19.0 and average finish of 20.9.
Stockman is no stranger to Menard, having worked with him the past two seasons in select starts in the Xfinity Series. That includes a race win in 2015 at Menard’s home track, Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Stockman’s first race atop Menard’s Sprint Cup pit box is this weekend at Pocono Raceway.
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