Richard Childress Racing hasn’t had the start it wanted to the 2016 season, so the organization decided it was time for a change.
Longtime crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe, who has been calling the shots for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team since the midpoint of the 2015 season and has been with the organization since 2011, is leaving to “pursue other opportunities,” the team announced Monday (May 22). Justin Alexander will be his replacement.
Labbe just called his 500th race as a crew chief at Kansas Speedway. The 48-year-old has five wins in his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, most recently the 2011 Brickyard 400 with Paul Menard and the No. 27 team.
Dillon currently sits 22nd in the points standings and has one top five finish this season, coming at Martinsville Speedway.
Alexander had been calling the shots for the No. 2 XFINITY team, but has also previously been a crew chief for Menard in the Cup Series. Alexander visited victory lane twice last season at Bristol with Dillon and Road America with Michael McDowell.
The vacancy of the No. 2 NXS team will be filled by Randall Burnett, who recently left JTG-Daugherty Racing, where he was the crew chief for the No. 47 team of AJ Allmendinger.
Competition changes have been made to our @RCRCup & @RCRNXS programs effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/LrleQMahr3
— RCR (@RCRracing) May 22, 2017