Climbing the career ladder can be quite tough in the motorsports world, and Martin Truex Jr’s former crew chief, James Small’s story is a prime example of the same. He left his home over a decade ago to begin working in motorsports. After years of struggles and juggling through positions, he saw himself become the crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing.

It wasn’t an easy journey for him. He had to leave his home in Melbourne, Australia, and travel all the way to the US to begin his work in NASCAR. While he has been residing in the country for the past 12 years, he finally marked a major personal achievement on his social media.

James Small changes citizenship

Working in a different country across the Pacific can have its challenges. As mentioned, Small has been working in the States for the past 12 years. As he progresses in his career, he recently announced that he has earned United States citizenship with his family. This will not only help him with his career stability, but also allow more opportunities, and for his family to settle down securely as citizens of the US.

“12+ years in the making… today we’re officially U.S. citizens! Beyond grateful to call America home. What a privilege!” He wrote on social media.

This is a major achievement for anyone who wants to keep working in the US. As we know, NASCAR is all-American, and although Small has been working with JGR for a long time now, including his stint with Martin Truex Jr, if he ever wishes to switch teams or job roles in the future, he can do that with ease owing to his citizenship.

It is not easy to climb ranks in motorsports, especially NASCAR, the epitome of stock car racing. One has to prove their worth and competence amongst hundreds of others, and only then do they find themselves in a strong position with a competitive team. And such is the story of James Small.

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From engineer to Martin Truex Jr’s crew chief, here’s James Small’s story

James Small has been involved in motorsports for a long time. He worked in the Supercars Championship back at home, but quickly moved to the States after finding an opportunity with Richard Childress Racing. After juggling between a few teams, Small signed with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019 as the lead engineer for the #19 car and was soon promoted to chief crew chief for the same.

“This is an incredible opportunity,” he once said. “Having the confidence of Coach, Martin and everyone at JGR means a lot to me. I moved to the United States six years ago to work in NASCAR and I wanted to work my way up to become a crew chief.”

James Small proved himself as a crew chief, winning eight races with Martin Truex Jr. The duo worked together until the latter’s retirement at the end of the 2024 season.

Small currently works with Chase Briscoe as his crew chief. Although he has spent a long time away from home, he can now freely call the US his home, as he looks forward to another successful season in 2026 with Joe Gibbs Racing.