Dave Elenz will be Erik Jones’ crew chief in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, Richard Petty Motorsports announced Wednesday (Nov. 10).
Elenz will make the leap to Cup after standing atop the pit box in the Xfinity Series since 2015. He replaces Jerry Baxter who spent the past two years with RPM (Bubba Wallace in 2020 and Jones in 2021).
He spent the last three years with JR Motorsports’ No. 9 team driven by Noah Gragson and led Gragson to the Championship 4 this year.
“In 2001, when I started in NASCAR, my goal was to contend for a NASCAR Cup Series championship-title as a crew chief,” Elenz said in a release. “The past seven years at JR Motorsports has prepared me for the next chapter in my career. Working with champion-caliber drivers like William (Byron), Tyler (Reddick), and Noah (Gragson) has not only fueled my desire to move up to the next level, but has also prepared me to the fullest for that next step.
“I appreciate Noah’s support and encouragement on this decision. I have immense gratitude for everyone at JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports and their continued support over the years. I cannot thank them enough. I am excited to start my next chapter with Erik (Jones) and Richard Petty Motorsports.”
Elenz also was crew chief for William Byron and Tyler Reddick, who won the 2017 and 2018 championships, respectively.
Overall, the Michigan native took multiple drivers to earn 15 victories, 77 top fives and 149 top 10s.
Jones earned six top 10s and ended 24th in the point standings in his first year with RPM.
About the author
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.
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