Some NASCAR drivers don’t just fade into the sunset after hanging up their helmets; rather, they climb onto the pit box and keep making history. Kirk Shelmerdine’s one of those rare breeds. From 1984 to 1992, he was the brains behind Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 at Richard Childress Racing, steering the Intimidator to four Cup Series titles and 44 victories.
At just 25, Shelmerdine became the youngest crew chief to win a Cup race, guiding Ricky Rudd to a 1983 Riverside win. After leaving the pit box, he chased his own racing dreams, scoring three ARCA wins and making 26 Cup starts between 1993 and 2008. His 2023 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction sealed his legacy as a mastermind who thrived on both sides of the garage.
Jimmy Fennig’s story is just as gritty. Cutting his teeth on Wisconsin’s short tracks in the 1970s, he jumped to crew chief duties in 1984, teaming with Bobby Allison before helping Mark Martin rack up 18 wins and the 1986 ASA championship. By 2002, Fennig was shaping a young Kurt Busch at Roush Racing, delivering Busch’s first Cup win that year and a 2004 championship with three victories.
With around 40 Cup wins and a 2004 Sporting News Crew Chief of the Year nod, Fennig earned Busch’s respect as a “father figure.” His shift from driver to crew chief showed how a racer’s instincts can translate to calling the shots.
These transitions aren’t just about swapping roles; they’re about carrying a love for the sport into new territory. Shelmerdine and Fennig proved you don’t have to stay behind the wheel to leave a mark. Their knack for strategy, paired with a racer’s heart, turned them into legends in the pit box, guiding drivers to glory while etching their names in NASCAR’s story.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the latest to join this rare club, and he’s doing it in style. Stepping up as a one-race crew chief for JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch at Pocono’s Xfinity race, Junior called the shots for the No. 88 Chevy and landed in Victory Lane. Zilisch, an 18-year-old phenom, outdueled Jesse Love with five laps left, clinching his second Xfinity win of 2025 and third overall.
Jr., who tossed tires over the wall during pit stops, savored the thrill, walking to Victory Lane with his daughters, Isla Rose waving the checkered flag and Nicole Lorraine in his arms. It was a banner moment for the Hall of Famer, who’s already won as a driver and owner.
Junior’s day job as JR Motorsports owner and Prime broadcaster keeps him busy, but this win, filling in for suspended crew chief Mardy Lindley, hit different. “Lot of fun for me today, I missed the thrill of competition… Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this.”
He said with two Daytona 500s and 26 Cup wins as a driver, plus a 2014 Pocono sweep, Junior’s crew chief debut made him the ninth person in NASCAR history to win as a driver, owner, and crew chief—a feat that left fans buzzing and they aren’t shying away from showering praises and love.
Fans stunned by Junior’s rare feat
A Reddit post lit up the internet: “Dale Jr becomes the 9th person in NASCAR to have wins as a crew chief, a driver, and a team owner.” Fans couldn’t believe it, with one saying, “Dale better get working the jack to catch up to Junior Johnson. Either that or go on the spotter stand and make a category for himself.”
The quip nodded to Junior Johnson, a legend who juggled driving, crew chiefing, and spotting. While Earnhardt didn’t jack the car at Pocono, his hands-on role, tossing tires and calling strategy for Zilisch, felt like a throwback to those gritty, do-it-all days, making the fan’s jest a playful nod to his versatility.
Another fan marveled, “He’s the first person already inducted in the Hall to win as a crew chief too, right? (Come to think of it, he may be the first HOF to win period outside of being a team owner or manager.)” Spot-on as Junior’s 2023 Hall of Fame induction makes his 2025 Pocono crew chief win a first. No other Hall of Famer has notched a pit-box victory post-induction, setting him apart in NASCAR’s record books.
A third fan chimed in, “David Gilliland has a Busch Series win, several wins as a Truck Series and ARCA owner, and the 1997 Winston West series championship as a crew chief.” Not quite as Gilliland won the 1997 Winston West title as a driver, not a crew chief, and his team ownership fueled wins in Trucks, ARCA, and Xfinity, but he never called shots from the pit box. The fan’s mix-up highlights how rare Junior’s trifecta is.
Finally, a fan tossed out, “Someone call JGR and have Bobby Labonte crew chief for Denny or Bell their next Xfinity race.” It’s a fun pipe dream because Labonte, a Cup champ turned broadcaster, hasn’t taken up crew chief duties, unlike Earnhardt’s one-off stint. The suggestion captures the excitement around Junior’s feat, imagining other legends jumping into the pit box for a shot at history.
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