On the heels of Jimmie Johnson‘s historic fifth consecutive championship, Hendrick Motorsports has announced a major shakeup in their organization. Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will each have a new crew chief for the 2011 season while the No. 48 team remains unchanged. The following personnel changes are effective immediately:
No. 5 Chevrolet
Driver: Mark Martin
Crew Chief: Lance McGrew
No. 24 Chevrolet
Driver: Jeff Gordon
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
No. 88 Chevrolet
Driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte
Along with the crew chief changes, HMS announced a shop realignment. Now, the No. 5 and No. 24 teams will be housed in the same shop while the No. 88 and No. 48 teams will be paired up.
“This will improve us as an organization, across the board,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “We had a championship season (in 2010), but we weren’t where we wanted and needed to be with all four teams. We’ve made the right adjustments and I’m excited to go racing with this lineup.”