Steve Addington, crew chief of the #18 M&M’s/ Indiana Jones Toyota driven by Kyle Busch, has been named the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following last Saturday’s Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. After starting sixth, Busch and the entire #18 team faced several setbacks throughout Saturday night’s 500-mile race including a loose lug nut in the pits that sent Busch back to 29th only 60 laps in. The newly resurfaced 1.366-mile oval also added new challenges to the already treacherous track, deemed “Too Tough To Tame.” In an effort to improve track position and overall performance, the Addington-led crew continuously made air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments to stay on top of the ever-changing track conditions. His clear and accurate direction led Busch and the #18 team to victory at the historic “Lady in Black.” The 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge is a season-long contest that will determine the best crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, a panel will vote to determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race. It isn’t necessarily the crew chief that goes to Victory Lane, but the crew chief that makes the biggest difference for his team. Representatives from Wypall Wipers, together with FOX/SPEED television analyst Jeff Hammond, and three of NASCAR’s top crew chiefs who represent Wypall, including Todd Berrier of Richard Childress Racing’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team, Bob Osborne of Roush Fenway Racing’s #99 Office Depot Ford team, and Kenny Francis of Gillett Evernham Motorsports’ #9 Budweiser Dodge team, make up the panel of judges. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead, Fla. For more information, log onto www.Wypall.com.(PR)(5-14-2008)
