A key component of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team’s championship formula is the performance of the over-the-wall crew. In the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson’s performance on the track was matched with near perfection on pit road by the pit crew. The result was a third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship for Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports team which equaled the 30-year record established by Cale Yarborough (1976-1978). For their effort on pit road, the #48 crew has earned the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award for the third time and second consecutive year. The #48 Hendrick Motorsports team, led by crew chief Chad Knaus, swept fourth-quarter honors last year en route to its second year-end award and $100,000 bonus. The team also won in 2004. In the 10 races that made up the Chase, the 48 team had only two finishes (15th at Texas and Homestead-Miami) outside the top 10. Johnson had three wins and a pair of seconds and finished the season with seven trips to victory lane, 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. The #48 Lowe’s Chevy team: Greg Morin – Pit Crew Coach; Kenneth Purcell – Jackman; Mike Lingerfelt – Front-Tire Changer; Art Simmons – Front-Tire Carrier; Jeremy West – Rear-Tire Changer; Ron Malec – Rear-Tire Carrier; Rick Gutierrez – Gas man; Mike Knauer – Catch Can; Chad Knaus – Crew Chief. The first-quarter winner was the #18 M&M’s over-the-wall crew from Joe Gibbs Racing while the #9 Budweiser Dodge team from Gillett Evernham Motorsports prevailed in the second quarter. Third-quarter honors went to the #99 crew from Roush Fenway Racing. The #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team emerged the fourth-quarter winner.(Mechanix Wear/C4 Explosive Communications PR)(12-4-2008)
