KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Tony Gibson will serve as Danica Patrick’s crew chief for her first full season of Sprint Cup racing, Stewart-Haas Racing announced Friday, confirming a move first reported three weeks ago.
Gibson, who has served as crew chief for Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet since the start of the 2009 season, will move to his new position for Patrick’s next two Cup races this year, Nov. 4 at Texas and Nov. 11 at Phoenix.
Matt Borland, vice president of competition at Stewart-Haas, will replace Gibson on Newman’s car. Borland was Newman’s crew chief at Penske Racing from 2002-2006, when Newman accumulated 12 of his 16 career victories.
The majority of the Gibson/Newman road crew, including car chief Kevin Pennell, will accompany Gibson to Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet, according to team spokesperson Mike Arning. Specific over-the-wall pit crew assignments are still up for discussion.
Steve Addington will remain as crew chief on owner/driver Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet.
Director of competition Greg Zipadelli has been Patrick’s crew chief for a limited preparatory Cup schedule this season, but that will change at Texas.
“Tony Gibson has been with Stewart-Haas from the beginning, and he knows what it takes to build a team,” Zipadelli said. “His experience will be crucial to developing the No. 10 team and Danica, and the rapport he already has with Matt Borland and Steve Addington will make the communication between all three of our teams seamless.”
Patrick will start from the rear for her eighth Cup race of the year in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas after an engine change on Friday.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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