The Racer’s Group (TRG Motorsports) has announced that they have released Richard “Slugger” Labbe as crew chief of their No. 71 TaxSlayer.com car for 2010, with Bobby Labonte behind the wheel.
The move has sent shock waves through the NASCAR community. I have compiled a list of who’s next for TRG Motorsports and who just might be next year’s crew chief for Bobby Labonte?
These crew chiefs are in order from most likely to least likely.
Doug Randolph
Randolph worked for Richard Childress Racing in 2009, mainly in the Nationwide Series and he finished out the year working with Casey Mears in the No. 07 Chevrolet. But here’s the biggest reason why. Randolph and Labonte have worked together before running 14 races together in 2007 at Petty Enterprises. With Randolph Labonte’s 2007 season really picked up. In 2007 Labonte had three top ten’s, two of them coming with Randolph. Randolph took over at Michigan for the 43 team and they finished 9th. Randolph and Labonte moved from 20th to 18th in the point standings, ending a really nice year for the team.
Steve Addington
Addington is out at Gibbs. He has cleaned out his office according to several sources. Rumors have swirled that he would be headed to Kurt Busch or Elliott Sadler, but he may end up at TRG as well. Labonte and Addington worked together at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005. Addington was a young crew chief, but maybe with more expierence Addington and Labonte will work better together. Addington maybe out of contention at Penske because I believe Larry Carter is now the front runner, now that Yates and him have parted ways. I don't know if he would leave Gibbs for TRG Motorsports, but we'll see, still a very likely hire.
Todd Parrott
Another crew chief that has worked with Labonte is Todd Parrott. Parrott first worked with Labonte in 2006 at Petty Enterprises. Parrott worked with Labonte until the Fall Michigan race, with some success. Parrott moved back to Robert Yates Racing, where again he met Labonte last year in the No. 96 Ask.com Ford. They worked together for 8 races before Ben Leslie took over. Not as likely as Randolph, but a possibility none of the less.
Roy McCauley
Personally, I think this would be a terrible move, but, many people think that TRG Motorsports is moving to Dodge in 2010. McCauley has been with Penske the last few seasons and he knows the COT. Penske is Dodge's only team so maybe there will be a techincal allience or something with TRG. Not sure, but McCauley has struggled mighitly for a couple years now and the 12 team will benifit from moving him to a different slot in the organization. Labbe would be a better option then him.
Highly unlikely, but not impossible. Evernham has hinted he wants to get back into the sport as an owner and maybe just maybe TRG will offer him a partial ownership role. He hasn’t worked really since 2007, but he knows the COT and he has a rap sheet that may be the best out there. However, the two have not worked together and Evernham has hinted he would only go back to a crew chief role, with Jeff Gordon. But Hendrick had the perfect opportunity this season to make a move to bring Evernham back and decided to keep Lance McGrew. Is it possible Evernham comes to TRG? It’s possible, but not likely.
Michael “Fatback” McSwain
In my opinion, a very unlikely hire. Yes, Labonte and him have worked together but not since 2004 at Gibbs. McSwain, hasn't been at the racetrack since early 2007, when he left the Wood Brothers by "retireing" and then unretireing rubbing people the wrong way. I think McSwain has been out too long and the only way he could get back in is in Trucks or Nationwide. For a cup team looking to make the top 35 this is a very risky hire.
Agree with the list or not one of these men are probably going to be Labonte’s right hand man come Daytona in February. Now it’s just a waiting game.
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