Darien Grubb, engineering manager for Hendrick Motorsports’ #5 and 88 Chevys, is the lead candidate for the crew chief position for Tony Stewart’s #14 Chevy in 2009, sources close to Stewart-Haas Racing told ESPN.com on Saturday. Grubb, those same sources said, has been offered a contract. Stewart-Haas officials declined to comment Saturday. If Grubb ultimately opts to accept Stewart-Haas’ offer, it would add yet another layer to the Hendrick/Stewart-Haas relationship. SHR will run Hendrick chassis and engines — as Haas/CNC Racing currently does — and having an established Hendrick disciple in-house would only increase the crucial line of communication between the two organizations.(ESPN.com)(8-16-2008) UPDATE: Tony Stewart says he has signed a new crew chief for his Stewart-Haas racing #14 Chevy for next season but could not yet reveal who it is. Answering questions from race fans at Texas Motor Speedway Tuesday night, Stewart told the crowd the deal was done Monday evening. Stewart also says he has a verbal commitment from a sponsor for his second car and driver Ryan Newman, but the deal is not quite ready to be announced.(PRN’s Garagepass)(8-28-2008) UPDATE 2: Tony Stewart took a big step Friday toward upgrading the personnel at Stewart-Haas Racing next season. Darian Grubb will move from his role as engineering manager at Hendrick Motorsports to crew chief for #14-Stewart. “This is another key step in the equation of us getting on our feet next year and getting pointed in the right direction,” Stewart said from the infield media center at Richmond International Raceway. “We’ve got a team leader now, somebody I feel very confident and comfortable with.” “It’s a very huge moment for me, everything I’ve looked forward to in my life,” said Grubb, a native of Floyd, Va. “Just to get the opportunity with Tony, the capability he has as a driver and past champion, the future heading forward is very bright.” Stewart has yet to name a crew chief for teammate #39-Ryan Newman. He declined to comment on whether Jay Frye, the general manager at Team Red Bull, would be coming to his team in a similar role. “When we have something to tell you, we’ll tell you,” he said.(ESPN.com)(9-5-2008)
