UPDATE: Gary Cogswell has tendered his resignation as crew chief of the #12 FitzBradshaw team and driver Tim Fedewa and will take a similar position at Richard Childress Racing working with its part-time Busch and Cup teams, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Cogswell will work this weekend’s race at Talladega with Fedewa before he leaves. Fedewa is currently ninth in points. “While we wish Gary the very best of luck, we feel the team can continue to build on the positive momentum it has built so far,” said team co-owner Armando Fitz.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-22-2004)
UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing announced today the hiring of veteran crew chief Gary Cogswell to head up the #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Monte Carlo of driver Kerry Earnhardt in the NASCAR Cup Series and the all-star cast of the #29 Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Chevy in the NASCAR Busch Series. Most recently, Cogswell served as crew chief for the #12 Chevrolet and Busch Series driver Tim Fedewa. Last season, Cogswell called the shots for Todd Bodine in NASCAR’s premier division with the #54 Ford.
“It’s an honor for me to be able to join RCR,” said Cogswell, a 13-year NASCAR veteran. “Most of the racing world, whether it be people who work on race teams, the casual fan or the serious fan, recognize RCR as one of the cornerstones of NASCAR. I was very flattered to be considered for this position and to be honest it really didn’t require much thought on my part to accept. This organization has been here so long and is so solidly planted into the sport that I feel like I’ll never have to look for another job.” Cogswell owns 14 NBS victories as a crew chief, as well as seven poles, 51 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes. A native of Holt, Mich., Cogswell began his professional racing career after moving south in 1991. “Gary has been a winning NASCAR crew chief for 10 years. We’re very excited to have him at RCR working on our ESGR and Bass Pro Shops programs,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “We’ve put together a strong team for those two programs and I know Gary will work very well with Bobby Hutchens (RCR’s general manager of competition team manager for the ESGR and Bass Pro Shops programs) and the crew. This move will only make the team stronger.”(RCR PR)(4-28-2004)