New star Grubb ready to go back to regular job
Johnson's interim crew chief says full-time gig not in his future
By David Newton, NASCAR.COM
March 21, 2006
02:55 PM EST (19:55 GMT)


HAMPTON, Ga. -- Darian Grubb leaned against the side of Jimmie Johnson's hauler after Monday's Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, content with his run as interim crew chief during Chad Knaus' four-race suspension.

He was ready to return to his job as engineer in charge of coordinating all four Hendrick Motorsports Cup teams as the series moves to Bristol Motor Speedway.

"There are times where I think I really want to be a full-time crew chief,'' Grubb said. "Then there are times when I don't. I don't think racecars 24-7. I love my time at home. I love my wife. I love to be able to relax.

"Being a crew chief like Chad, it takes a lot of dedication. I'm just not sure I'm ready for that. This was a good experience to kind of tease me into that, and I'll just see what happens from there.''

Grubb proved more than worthy as a leader. Johnson won the opener at Daytona, finished second at California, won again at Las Vegas and was sixth at Atlanta to build a 50-point lead in the points standings.

He was so impressive that there have been rumblings that another team might swoop in and hire him, or that he could replace Knaus fulltime at some point.

The former won't happen anytime soon. Grubb signed a three-year deal in December and has no plans to leave.

"I'm not entertaining any offers,'' he said.

But Grubb and Hendrick Motorsports did come out of this experience with a lot of ideas. Grubb envisions a day soon when teams have a group of engineers calling a race from a track suite the way NFL offensive and defensive coordinators call games from the press box.

He didn't rule out the possibility of Knaus periodically running a race from a spot other than atop the pit box.

"You could have a team sit back and watch every move, every pit stop, see what people are doing in their adjustments to make their cars better,'' Grubb said. "It's hard to do that from pit road where you're trying to manage your guys. It's pretty intense.

"It's hard to get the full picture. We may end up with maybe I'll sit back in that role where I'll see a lot more that's going on. And maybe Chad will. We don't know that.''

Grubb said the most important thing he learned the past month was the value of teamwork. He didn't mean to suggest teamwork wasn't part of the equation when Knaus ran the show. After all, Johnson finished in the top five in points each of the last four seasons, with runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2004.

But Grubb is impressed with the way Johnson has become a bigger part of the decision-making process that typically was left to Knaus, who was suspended for rigging a device to give Johnson's car an aerodynamic edge in qualifying for the Daytona 500.

"As long as we can keep Jimmie like he is now, where he gives incredible information about the race car ... he's been giving really detailed stuff that makes decision a lot easier,'' Grubb said.

"If he gets uptight and frustrated, there's not a whole lot you can do to it.''

Most agree that Grubb brought a calm demeanor to the team that wasn't always there with Knaus, who is as aggressive as a team leader as he is with pushing the limit of the rules.

"There is something to be said for the intensity of Chad,'' Grubb said. "But we realized this offseason, maybe we were going out too intense. We ran too hard going into the last of the season and then gave it away.

"We feel like we deserved two of the last three championships. We felt like we gave it away.''

Grubb said the team is calmer at the track and the shop than at any time since he joined Hendrick Motorsports.

"It's just the mindset we realize how well this works, how upbeat everybody is,'' Grubb said. "Everybody comes in with a smile on their face in the morning. They're not thinking we have to race, we have to win.

"Everybody realizes how strong our neighbor is. Everybody pats each other on the back. Everybody supports each other. There's never been any ill will between the guys. It's just ...everybody realizes we're all here for the same reason.''

Grubb indicated there had been more sharing among all four Hendrick teams than in the past when the Johnson-Jeff Gordon teams worked as one and the Kyle Busch-Brian Vickers teams worked as one.

That he has a close association with all four teams helped bring everybody more under one umbrella like the five teams at Roush Racing.

"It opened my eyes to a lot of things,'' Grubb said. "It's opened everybody's eyes at our complex about how you can work together and transfer information back and forth among all the teams and really make things work.''

It's worked so well that all four Hendrick teams are in the top 14 in points. After Johnson in first there's Gordon in sixth, Busch in eighth and Vickers in 14th.

Grubb said the goal is to keep things running as they are even though Knaus will be back at the track. He also acknowledged there have been pluses to having Knaus at home, noting Knaus spent Sunday running a seven-post test for the car that will be used at Martinsville Speedway in two weeks.

But Grubb doesn't mind sliding over one spot on the pit box and letting Knaus run things.

"It's going to go back to where Chad is the leader of this team,'' he said. "It's going to be different for me, but I think it's actually helped open all of our eyes about how every person is so good at their position.''

Personally I'd REALLY like to see him stay and get what he deserves for his hard work and success