NASCAR Home Tracks

FOLLOW ON: Twitter Facebook rss

CHAMPION CREW CHIEF PROFILE: Chad McCoy

Official Release
November 13, 2009 - 2:16pm

While winning NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championships is not new to Philip Morris, celebrating this year’s title will have a different feeling for his crew chief. Although Morris will celebrate his third national crown it will be the first for his crew chief.

Chad McCoy has been a member of Morris’ team since 2001 but took over the job as full-time crew chief earlier this season when car chief Neil Perkins took a job with another team. While he says he has the title of crew chief, McCoy is quick to credit the rest of the crew.

“We all feel like we are one big family and we all share the work and the glory,” McCoy said. “Neil (Perkins) did a lot of work on the car early in the year and we all just pitched in to help Philip.”

McCoy might be modest in feelings of the award but nothing could hide the fact he helped the team figure out some new equipment brought in during the season with former national champion car owner Jim Dean. Morris began the season on a hot streak during the first two months of the season but hit a period were the Ruckersville, Va., driver won only once from the first of May until early August.

“We hit a little bit of a slump during the middle of the year but we got things figured out and ended the season strong which helped us win the championship,” McCoy said.

In the final six races of the season, Morris collected two wins, a pair of runner-up finishes and a third to take over the lead in the national standings.

McCoy works full-time as an industrial mechanic for the company that produces Little Debbie snack foods and somehow finds time to work on the car up to another 40-50 hours a week depending on what needs to be done. McCoy said the support of his family makes it all possible.

“I don’t have much free time but my wife Donna has supported me through the years,” McCoy added. “They say behind every good man is a great woman and I have a great wife who gives up her time with me to allow me to live my dream of working in racing.”