Recently, Chad Knaus had to change roles from crew chief to Hendrick Motorsports team executive. Speaking to Fox Sports, he confessed that he felt a number of emotions since he had been doing this for a long time.
He said, “It was a tough decision to figure out what I wanted to do, but it’s the right decision for everybody. I feel like, at HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) we need to continue to grow the leadership, which Jeff Andrews has done a great job. He’s got a lot on his plate, he needs to be elevated that opens up a void.”
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Knaus admitted that it was time for him to make a change in order to spend more time with his family. At the same time, he can still make a positive impact on the company.
Why did Chad Knaus want a change at Hendrick Motorsports?
He revealed that due to his time in the pit box, he has been traveling since he was 16. As a result, he felt that it was time for him to slow down a little bit. The Hendrick Motorsports executive confessed that that feeling would probably hit him by the time the paddock heads to Phoenix.
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Richmond, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) races during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
He also revealed that it was not a spontaneous decision, but he put a lot of thought into it. So in the last few weeks, all that he has been doing is taking in the atmosphere at the tracks.
To get into the specifics of Knaus’ role, he will become Hendrick Motorsports’ vice president of competition. So his duty will be to oversee the organization’s personnel four-car group. In addition to that, he will also supervise the team’s technical development. Finally, he could play a crucial role in implementing NASCAR’s new Next-Gen car in 2022 and helping HMS adapt better.
He also said, “Mr. Hendrick and I have been talking about this for quite some time. I’ve talked about it with Jimmie for quite some time. Jeff Gordon and I have talked about it for probably three years, maybe four, in that area. So we’ve been talking about it for quite some time. Everything has to be right on timing, and Mr. Hendrick is a master at putting things together at the right time. We feel like now is the time.”
