Bill Davis Racing has promoted Chris Rice to the position of crew chief for Scott Wimmer’s 2003 NASCAR Busch Series team. Chris Rice enters the 2003 season as crew chief for Scott Wimmer, and the #23 NASCAR Busch Series operation. Prior to being named as Wimmer’s crew chief, Rice worked as a shock specialist for the #23 NASCAR Winston Cup team at Bill Davis Racing during the 2002 season. While this is his first crew chief title in the upper ranks of NASCAR competition, Rice has been around auto racing almost his whole life. Born and raised in South Boston, Virginia, Rice’s racing career started in 1985 when he worked as a mechanic for Jeff Burton’s late model stock team, while attending school. Rice worked with Burton from 1985 through 1989 and in the final year, Burton attempted running a limited Busch schedule with Rice’s father as his crew chief. Burton owned the team, but the operation was run out of Allen Rice’s shop. From 1990 through 1993, Rice worked with Hermie Sadler at Sadler Motorsports.. For the first three years, Sadler ran part-time in the NASCAR Busch Series and Rice’s duties included mechanic and spotter.. Rice graduated from high school in 1992 and in 1993, Sadler went racing full-time in the Busch Series.. Rice continued with Sadler while attending college in 1993, and the same year Sadler won Rookie of the Year honors. In 1994, Rice graduated college with a two and a half year Associates degree and went to work with Elliott Sadler and his late model stock team as crew chief. The duo scored their first win together at Ace Speedway in Burlington, N.C. in 1994.. The following year they won the South Boston Speedway championship, scoring six consecutive wins, a record that still holds today.. They also finished second in the Mid-Atlantic Region championship the same year.. In 1996, they ran a limited Busch schedule together before Diamond Ridge Motorsports hired Sadler mid-season.. The remainder of 1996 and 1997, Rice went to work for Speedway Engineering and also drove late model trucks for his father, A&E Racing. Rice resumed his crew chief duties during the 1998 and 1999 seasons for two late model stock teams, working with drivers, Frank Deiny and R. D. Smith.. In 2000, he was hired as a shock specialist for Buckshot Racing and when Petty Enterprises hired driver, Buckshot Jones, for the 2001 season, Rice went with him.. Rice remained at Petty Enterprises through June 2002, when he left to join the Bill Davis Racing operation.(BDR PR)(12-10-2002)
