Jimmie Johnson and longtime crew chief Chad Knaus are breaking up.
Beyond being possibly the greatest driver-crew chief duo in NASCAR history, they’re one of the most accomplished combinations in all of sports. But Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) announced Wednesday that after 17 years, 81 wins and record-tying seven Cup Series championships – five of which were consecutive from 2006 to 2010 – they’re splitting up but remaining with the team.
How big is this? It’d be like if Tom Brady and Bill Belichick went their separate ways.
But the difference here is Johnson and Knaus will still be distant teammates since they’re both under contract with HMS through 2020. Next season, Knaus will take over as soon-to-be-21-year-old William Byron’s crew chief with the No. 24 Chevrolet team, while the No. 48 team’s new crew chief will be Kevin Meendering, who currently works with Elliott Sadler’s team in the second-tier XFINITY Series for JR Motorsports – which is co-owned by Rick Hendrick.
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