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NASCAR WCUP: Crew Chief Club Adds Youth to Experience

25 January 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

CHARLOTTE, N.C., - After two successful years, the Crew Chief Club welcomes four new additions to double its membership.

Tommy Baldwin, crew chief on the Caterpillar Pontiac; Jimmy Elledge, crew chief on the Square D Chevrolet; Ryan Pemberton, crew chief on the Jasper Engines Ford; and Greg Zipadelli, crew chief on The Home Depot Pontiac, represent the younger generation of NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chiefs in the garage area and the future of motorsports.

Together with founding members Jimmy Makar, Larry McReynolds, Todd Parrott and Robin Pemberton, these new members will continue to build on the foundation set forth in the Crew Chief Club principles: performance, reliability, leadership, teamwork and vision.

"I'm honored to be associated with these guys," said Ryan Pemberton who began his Winston Cup career in 1988 as a crew member before his first season as a crew chief in 1997. "I've been participating in some Crew Chief Club programs the past couple years and I'm looking forward to building this organization with the other new guys."

Zipadelli, crew chief for 1999 Rookie of the Year Tony Stewart, shares Pemberton's enthusiam.

"This is a great group of guys to be affiliated with," said Zipadelli. "Not only for the knowledge they possess but also for the goals they have for this organization and its role in heightening the awareness of all members of a Winston Cup team."

"Of all the crew chiefs in the garage, I'm honored to have been considered to become a member of this organization," said Jimmy Elledge, who just completed his rookie season as a crew chief. "This is a great group of people to be involved with and I'm looking forward to growing with the Crew Chief Club."

Baldwin, who began his racing career working with his father adds, "By becoming part of this group, I'm hoping that we'll be able to give something back to all the guys in racing who deserve a little more recognition."

In addition to the announcement of these four new members, the Crew Chief Club is also part of the Chase Racing All-Stars program that was announced last weeek. This program will recognize outstanding crew members as individuals based on input from a panel of racing personalities, media members and fans. Top performers wll be named members of the Chase Racing All-Star Team at an annual awards ceremony. Criteria for this new program will look at speed, performance, leadership and teammwork.

While it seems that the focus for the 2000 season is on the youth movement in the Crew Chief Club and the NASCAR garage area, don't put the old members out to pasture yet.

"I wouldn't call the four founding members crusty, old veterans," said Larry McReynolds, "but the four of us combined have a lot of years under our belts. We felt that the company has grown to where we could look at adding new members, and what better group to look at than the young guys. We've added a great group of individuals who are doing a great job. By no means are any of them young to motorsports, but they are relatively new to the positon of crew chief in Winston Cup racing. We're proud of what they've accomplished with their respective teams and are looking forward to working with each of them."

Makar, McReynolds, Parrott and Pemberton founded the Crew Chief Club in 1998, with the goal being to provide fans with an insider's look behind shop walls and into the confines of the NASCAR garage area. Together with its marketing partners, Crew Chief Club members will be accessible to fans at races and special events, in the media and on the world wide web at www.crewchiefclub.com, prominently displaying their dedication to their drivers, their teams and their sport.

New Members of the Crew Chief Club Quick Facts and Statistics

Tommy Baldwin

Started his racing career with his dad in New York
Began his Winston Cup career with Junie Donlavey
Became head wrench for Bill Davis Racing and driver Ward Burton near the end of the 1998 season and immediately turned things around.
Led team to a career best season in 1999

Jimmy Elledge

Raced quarter-midget go-karts in 1984 before transitioning into street stocks and then late model stock cars around his Redding, Calif. Home
Worked as a mechanic at Richard Childress Racing between 1992 and 1997
After a brief stint as crew chief for Jeff Krough on the Busch Series, he became shop foreman at Roush Racing
Hired by Andy Petree to lead his second team piloted by Kenny Wallace in 1999

Ryan Pemberton

Began his Winston Cup career at Roush Racing in 1988 after graduating from high school
Left Roush in 1991 to move to Robert Yates Racing before taking a position at SABCO where he worked alongside his brothers, Robin and Roman.
Led the team of Busch Series past champion Larry Pearson in 1995 and 1996
Named crew chief for MB2 Motorsports and driver Ernie Irvan in 1997
2000 marks his first season with Jasper Motorsports and driver Robert Pressley

Greg Zipadelli

First exposed to racing through a family-owned modified car where he was able to work with several successful New England drivers
Won the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series with driver Mike McLaughlin in 1988
Won the NASCAR Busch North championship with driver Mike Stefanik in 1996
Served as chassis specialist for Jeff Burton's Winston Cup team before joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 1998
Led Tony Stewart's rookie campaign in the Winston Cup Series in 1999

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.