Winning NASCAR championships is surely about individual caliber, but winning it seven times is undeniably a team effort. No one knows it better than Jimmie Johnson and his man in command, Chad Knaus. Such has been their camaraderie that both the driver and his crew chief were inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame at the same time. Knaus’ decades-long experience in the world of motorsports has not only placed him on a higher pedestal in the industry, but has also helped him be recognized as an idol by other fellow crew chiefs. Don’t believe us? Just ask Kevin Harvick’s former crew chief Rodney Childers and he’ll tell you all about it like he recently did on social media. 

Rodney Childers reminisces what learned from the veteran Hendrick Motorsports crew chief

Call him a cheater or simply an innovator, Chad Knaus, as a crew chief, left no stone unturned in order to gain an advantage on the track. He has always been attributed for pushing the envelope and finding a hole in the sport’s rule book. Despite his infamous stature, his eyes have always been fixated on one single ambition: Championships. Climbing up from the lower rungs of the race garage, Knaus had internalized the nuances of NASCAR and it is safe to say that the HMS man has been an inspirational figure among his peers.

Further reiterating that point was Kevin Harvick’s former crew chief, Rodney Childers. Replying to a user who wished to see him and Chad Knaus together on Dale Earnhardt’s popular podcast show, the Dale Jr Download, the veteran expressed, “I sure miss it… Chad was the best at it. I watched him like a hawk for years and when I moved to the 4 team I got my opportunity to do it my way. My way, was trying to be like @chadknaus. We pushed every inch of every single thing. It was so much fun.”

But what makes Chad Knaus so impeccable at his craft? The veteran himself revealed the driving factor behind his illustrious career in a recent interview.

Chad Knaus reveals the secrets behind his crowning glory

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With more than 80 wins and seven championships, Chad Knaus only comes second to the iconic Richard Petty’s retired crew chief Dale Inman. However, Chad Knaus still remains undefeated, notching five consecutive championships with Johnson. 

Speaking of determination and its dividends being paid off, Knaus expressed in an interview with HMS, after being inducted into the Class of 2024 Hall of Fame,“I had a plan and I had a desire. I had some goals I wanted to meet when I was young and when you are in your early 20s you always have lofty goals.”

“I always wanted to be a crew chief. I always wanted to win races. I always wanted to win a championship. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to achieve a lot of those goals, but never thought I would be in a position to win seven championships or to get the amount of victories that we were able to get,” Knaus further added.

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Although it’s been a long time since he has been on crew chief duties, Knaus still remains an indispensable part of Hendrick Motorsports and is available for his championship-aiming drivers. As for the request to appear on Dale Jr’s podcast along with Rodney Childers, only time will tell if it is possible or not.