Hearing that Robert Yates Racing has released crew chiefs Tommy Baldwin and Slugger Labbe.(7-30-2006)
UPDATE:Baldwin supposedly is headed back to Bill Davis Racing (nothing about Ward Burton) and Labbe is looking at options.(7-31-2006)
UPDATE 2: Robert Yates Racing told its organization on Monday that its two Nextel Cup crew chiefs, Tommy Baldwin and Slugger Labbe, would no longer be with the team, a source has told NASCAR.COM. Baldwin and Labbe were brought to RYR amid great fanfare by team manager Eddie D’Hondt, but D’Hondt was fired on May 23. With Baldwin and Labbe gone, RYR has experienced a complete turnover of its top personnel. Veteran crew chief Butch Hylton is rumored to be Jarrett’s crew chief for this week’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.(NASCAR.com)(7-31-2006)
UPDATE 3: Robert Yates Racing announced today that veteran crew chief Butch Hylton will assume crew chief duties for the #88 UPS Racing Team in an interim capacity beginning with this weekends All State 400 at the Brickyard. Hylton has been with Robert Yates Racing since the end of June and served as crew chief for development driver Stephen Leicht at Pocono Raceway two weeks ago.(RYR PR)(7-31-2006)
UPDATE 4: Baldwin will be replaced by Charles “Cully” Barraclough as crew chief of the #38 team and Elliott Sadler. Baldwin’s departure was by mutual decision as he left for an opportunity to become a team manager at another team, an RYR spokesman said. That team likely will be Bill Davis Racing, where Baldwin was crew chief from 1998 to 2002.(SceneDaily.com)(7-31-2006)
