2013 No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Pit Crew Steve Addington
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2013 No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Pit Crew Steve Addington Shop Duties: Crew Chief Pit Stop Duties: Crew Chief Date of Birth: 7/4/64 Place of Birth: Spartanburg, S.C. Hometown: Spartanburg, S.C. Current Residence: Huntersville, N.C. Spouse: Katie Children: Cole, Ashlyn Joined Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in November 2011 from Penkse Racing…In two years at Penske, served as crew chief for former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, earning four wins and two berths in the Chase for the Championship…Prior to joining Penske Racing, spent six seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing…Began with the team’s No. 20 NASCAR Nationwide Series car with driver Mike Bliss in 2004, helping Bliss earn his first series victory at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway…Named crew chief for the No. 18 Sprint Cup team at the end of the 2004 season, working with former Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte in 2005 and rookie J.J. Yeley (2006-2007)…Continued as crew chief of the No. 18 car with driver Kyle Busch from 2008 through race No. 33 of 2009…Earned 12 Sprint Cup wins with Kyle Busch and earned a Chase for the Championship berth in 2008…Prior to joining the Sprint Cup ranks, worked as crew chief for Jason Keller in the Nationwide Series…Spent 11 total seasons with Keller, from 1991 through 1996 at KEL Racing and then from 1999 through 2003 at PPC Racing...Won 10 races and 11 poles with Keller, and finished second in the championship standings in 2000 and 2002…Began his racing career working on dirt cars. Jeff Meendering Shop Duties: Car Chief Pit Stop Duties: Car Chief Date of Birth: 5/21/77 Place of Birth: Grand Rapids, Mich. Hometown: Concord, N.C. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Spouse: Ashley Children: Jeff Jr., Nathan Came to SHR after spending 2008 as Sprint Cup crew chief for Bobby Labonte at Petty Enterprises…Began working at Hendrick Motorsports while a junior at Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, N.C…Spent 13 years at Hendrick working first in the chassis shop before moving to the setup plate for the No. 24 team of Jeff Gordon in 2001…Spent 2002-2003 as head of the setup plate for Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team…Began traveling with the No. 24 team in 2004 as a mechanic before becoming car chief for the 2006-2007 seasons…While car chief for the No. 24 team, helped Gordon to eight victories, nine poles and a runner-up finish in 2007 Sprint Cup point standings. Todd Drakulich Shop Duties: Mechanic/Fabricator Pit Stop Duties: Front Tire Carrier Date of Birth: 6/27/79 Place of Birth: Tucson, Ariz. Hometown: Tucson, Ariz. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Spouse: Kim Children: Alyson, Haley Came to SHR in 2009 from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ NASCAR Nationwide Series team, where he served as a front- and rear tire-carrier in 2007-2008…From 2005-2006, was front-tire carrier for Richard Childress Racing’s No. 21 Nationwide Series team…Also has worked on pit crews at Michael Waltrip Racing and Ultra Motorsports…Motorsports career began at Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park where he worked on Super Stocks and Super Late Models. -more-
No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Two Ira Jo Hussey Shop Duties: Rear Suspension Pit Stop Duties: Front Tire Changer Date of Birth: 10/23/78 Place of Birth: Lawrence, Mass. Hometown: Manchester, N.H. Current Residence: Mooresville, N.C. Marital Status: Married to Laura Children: Jada Reace, Ethan Michael Joined SHR in January 2011 from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)…Served as the front tire changer for Tony Stewart on JGR’s No. 20 car from 2004 through 2008, and stayed with the team in the same position when Joey Logano took over the No. 20 car in 2009 at …Spent 2003-2004 with Richard Childress Racing as a mechanic and front tire changer (2003 with the No. 30 and driver Jeff Green; 2004 with the No. 31 and driver Robby Gordon)…Filled in as a rear tire changer on the No. 8 car for Dale Earnhardt Inc., for the last 12 races of 2002…Spent 2000-2002 with Cici-Welliver Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series as a mechanic and front tire changer (2002 with driver Hank Parker Jr.; 2000-2001 with driver Tim Fedewa)…Spent 1999 season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Express Motorsports…First job in racing came with BACE Motorsports in 1996, where he worked with an assortment of drivers through 1998…Attended West High School in Manchester, N.H., before moving south to pursue a career in racing. Mike “Shrek” Morneau Shop Duties: Suspension Pit Stop Duties: Rear Tire Carrier Date of Birth: 8/28/85 Place of Birth: Lewiston, Maine Hometown: Oxford, Maine Current Residence: Kannapolis, N.C. Spouse: Cheryl Children: Griffin Has been a tire-carrier at SHR (formerly Haas CNC Racing) since July 2004 after graduating from the 5-on-5-off program at the Performance Instruction & Training (PIT) facility in Mooresville, N.C.,…Joined SHR full-time in September 2004 after graduating from the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville…Racing career began as a teenager at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine, where he drove and prepared cars in the 4-cyclinder “Rebel” class. Daniel Smith Shop Duties: Fabricator Pit Stop Duties: Rear Tire Changer Date of Birth: 7/3/84 Place of Birth: Concord, N.C. Hometown: Concord, N.C. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Spouse: Vicky Children: None Joined SHR (formerly Haas CNC Racing) in 2004 after graduating from the 5-on-5-off program at the Performance Instruction & Training (PIT) facility in Mooresville, N.C…Has been a tire changer for the team since 2004…Graduated from First Assembly Christian School in Concord, N.C., and attended East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Mike Casto Shop Duties: Electrical Engineer Pit Stop Duties: Jackman Date of Birth: 10/31/72 Place of Birth: Glendale, W.Va. Hometown: Proctor, W.Va. Current Residence: Salisbury, N.C. Marital Status: Single Children: None Joined SHR (formerly Haas CNC Racing) in 2006 after working as a jackman and suspension expert for a variety of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams….Graduated in 2002 from the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C.,...Attended Glenville State College and played wide receiver under coach Rich Rodriguez, winning the 1996 WVIAC division championship…Transferred to West Virginia University Institute of Technology in 1997 and graduated in 2001…Spent 1990-1995 as a Petty Officer 2nd Class Sonar Technician in the U.S. Navy. -more-
No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Three Justin White Shop Duties: Tear Down/Rebuild Gas Probes Pit Stop Duties: Gas Man Date of Birth: 12/5/82 Place of Birth: Memphis, Tenn. Hometown: Lynnville, Tenn. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Spouse: Megan Children: Expecting, Summer 2013 2013 will mark first season as a full-time employee with SHR...Began working part-time at SHR in May 2011, serving as the gas man for the organization’s third pit crew through the 2012 season, which pitted the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet through an alliance with SHR…Prior to working at SHR, got his first experience in the Sprint Cup ranks with Joe Gibbs Racing when he helped the No. 11 team in the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge in May 2011…Grew up in racing, working on his father’s dirt cars as a child and at Nashville Superspeedway…Attended University of North Alabama in Florence, Ala., from 2002-2003 where he was a defensive end on the school’s football team…Transferred to Athens State University in Athens, Ala., in 2003, where he played on the school’s basketball team while earning a B.S. in exercise science (graduated in 2006)…Attended the University of Tennessee where he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Recreation Administration (graduated in 2008)…An avid Tennessee football fan, White enjoys hunting in his spare time. Chuck White Shop Duties: None Pit Stop Duties: Second Gas man Date of Birth: 4/9/70 Place of Birth: Salisbury, N.C. Hometown: China Grove, N.C. Current Residence: Salisbury, N.C. Spouse: Tracy Children: Madilyn Hope White joined SHR for the final five races of the 2012 season as the second gasman for the No. 14 team… Not a full-time employee of SHR, as White’s full-time job is working for the North Carolina Department of Transportation as a civil engineer…He also worked with Richard Childress Racing and RAB Racing’s Nationwide Series efforts as a gas man during the 2012 season…Switched positions from jackman to gas man in 2012…Spent two seasons (2010-2011) as the jackman for the No. 7 Sprint Cup entry of Robby Gordon Motorsports (RGM)…Before RGM, spent two seasons (2008-2009) as a jackman with Phoenix Racing and its Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series team, while also working with Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series…Spent 2007 season as the jackman on the No. 41 Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates...Served as the jackman on the No. 21 Wood Brothers entry in 2006…Prior to that, was a jackman at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) from 2002-2005, where he jacked the No. 20 car of Tony Stewart….Prior to stint at JGR…worked as the jack man on the No. 99 Roush Racing team of Jeff Burton (1999-2001)…Was a member of the 2000 Union 76 Pit Crew Championship winning team…Prior to working with Roush, was the jack man with the now defunct No. 46 Team SABCO operation with drivers Wally Dallenbach and Jeff Green (1997-1998)…Team SABCO was White’s first job in Sprint Cup, as then crew chief Brad Noffsinger initially recruited White from a Kannapolis, N.C., gym to carry tires, but when the team’s jack man quit, White was tabbed for the position. Ryan Flores Shop Duties: Fabricator Pit Stop Duties: Fuel Runner/Pit Support Date of Birth: 9/6/87 Place of Birth: Point Pleasant, N.J. Hometown: Manasquan, N.J. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Marital Status: Single Children: None Joined SHR in December 2010…Had worked at Roush Fenway Racing since 2007 as a fabricator for the Nos. 6 and 26 Sprint Cup teams, while also serving as a tire specialist and performing pit support for both entities…He was just 19 years old when he was hired at Roush Fenway…Before moving to North Carolina to pursue a career in NASCAR, spent much of his teenage years building Modifieds for his family-owned Flores Brothers Racing by day and making pizzas at night at Gee Gee’s in Manasquan, N.J.,..Father, Mark, raced at Wall (N.J.) Stadium in the Street Stock division, and Flores followed in his footsteps racing Quarter Midgets at age five before moving onto Legends and even the occasional Modified…competitive racing is still in Flores’ blood, as he races go-karts and BMX. -more- No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Four
Randy Heffner Shop Duties: Engine Tuner (Hendrick Motorsports employee) Pit Stop Duties: Sign Board/Clean Grill Date of Birth: 3/22/73 Place of Birth: Gaston, N.C. Hometown: Denver, N.C. Current Residence: Denver, N.C. Marital Status: Single Children: None An employee of Hendrick Motorsports’ engine department who is assigned to the No. 14 team via SHR’s technical alliance with Hendrick…Began working in racing as a teenager and worked on Late Models for several years before joining Hendrick in 2007…Enjoys dirt Late Model racing. Bob Jeffrey Shop Duties: None Pit Stop Duties: Spotter Date of Birth: 10/21/58 Place of Birth: Welch, W.Va. Hometown: Bristol, Tenn. Current Residence: Indianapolis Spouse: Beckie Children: Erin, Danielle, Shelia Began at SHR on Jan. 1, 2009…Spent the three previous seasons as spotter for Matt Kenseth...Prior to that spent more than 10 years as spotter for Dale Jarrett and was on the spotter’s stand for Jarrett’s 1999 Sprint Cup championship, two Brickyard 400 wins (1996 and 1999) and two of his Daytona 500 wins (1996 and 2000)…Spotted in Nationwide Series events for Bobby Labonte, David Green, Dale Earnhardt and Kevin Harvick. Chris Trangsrud Shop Duties: Engineer Pit Stop Duties: Race Engineer Date of Birth: 4/17/80 Place of Birth: Scottsdale, Ariz. Hometown: Tempe, Ariz. Current Residence: Charlotte, N.C. Spouse: Kristi Children: None Joined SHR in January 2012…Prior to his time at SHR, worked as a simulation engineer at Roush Fenway Racing from October 2007 through 2011…Spent the first part of the 2007 season as a simulation engineer at Robert Yates Racing, which was his first job in NASCAR…Graduated from University of Arizona in 2002 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering…It was at the University of Arizona where his interest in racing was honed as he worked on the Formula SAE team – a student design competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers…After his experience, he decided to pursue a career in motorsports and moved east…Graduated from Clemson (S.C.) University with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2004…While at Clemson, worked on the school’s Formula SAE team…Worked at General Electic following graduation, as he awaited an opportunity to join the racing ranks, which he got in 2007…Enjoys running, biking, woodworking and brewing beer in his spare time…Also an ardent fan of University of Arizona basketball. -more- No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Five
Cliff Daniels Shop Duties: Race Engineer Pit Stop Duties: Race Engineer Date of Birth: 6/30/88 Place of Birth: Newport News, Va. Hometown: Smithfield, Va. Current Residence: Charlotte, N.C. Spouse: Single Children: None Joined SHR in December 2012 from RAB Racing…Served as the race engineer for RAB Racing’s Nationwide Series entry for the 2011 and the 2012 seasons…Came to RAB after four seasons with D’Hondt Motorsports…Worked as a mechanic for the ARCA and Nationwide Series team of D’Hondt Motorsports entries from 2008 to 2011… While working in racing, also attended University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in mathematics, graduating in May 2010…Prior to that, drove for his family’s race team – Charlie Daniels Racing – since the age of eight…Started racing in Bandolero cars at age 8, and moved up through the ranks racing Legends cars and Late Model stock cars…Continues to race Late Models when time permits… When not working or driving racecar, enjoys other physical activities like mountain biking, go-karting, snowboarding and playing flag football, volleyball and softball. Aaron Kuehn Shop Duties: Tire Specialist Pit Stop Duties: Tire Specialist Date of Birth: 4/19/79 Place of Birth: New Britain, Conn. Hometown: Kensington, Conn. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Marital Status: Single Children: None Spent six years at Hendrick Motorsports before joining SHR in January 2009…Served as tire specialist for the No. 24 team of Jeff Gordon from 2003-2007…Spent 2008 as a mechanic on Gordon’s team…Worked at Evernham Motorsports from 2000-2002 as a tire specialist on the No. 19 car driving by Casey Atwood and Jeremy Mayfield….Worked for various Nationwide Series teams in the late 1990s before moving to Sprint Cup. Dave Hansen Shop Duties: Shock Specialist Pit Stop Duties: Shock Specialist Date of Birth: 5/16/75 Place of Birth: Portsmouth, N.H. Hometown: York, Maine Current Residence: Huntersville, N.C. Marital Status: Married to Elizabeth Children: Olivia, Lillian and Maisie Joined SHR following the 2012 season…Spent 2010-2012 seasons at Penske Racing as a shock specialist with No. 22 team…Prior to stint at Penske, logged a 10-year tenure at Joe Gibbs Racing (2000-2009)…Joined Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) following the 1999 season, as he worked for Diamond Ridge Motorsports, a Nationwide Series team that was acquired by JGR in August 1999…Was an employee of Diamond Ridge since the beginning of 1999, where he was a mechanic and front tire changer…Prior to his tenure at Diamond Ridge, worked in the NASCAR K&N Series East for veteran driver Kelly Moore from 1996-1998…Graduated high school in 1993, whereupon he began working as a plumber and heating/air conditioning repairman…He continued that vocation while working in the NASCAR K&N Series East. -more- No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Six
Jeremy Howard Shop Duties: None Pit Stop Duties: Tire Runner Date of Birth: 2/21/91 Place of Birth: Dalhart, Texas Hometown: Dalhart, Texas Current Residence: Mooresvile, N.C. Spouse: Single Children: None 2013 will mark first season at SHR...Earned his first job in racing in 2012 as a rear tire carrier for Kimmel Racing in the ARCA Racing Series…Moved to North Carolina to pursue his dream of working in racing and attended NASCAR Technical Institute…When not racing, enjoys hunting, fishing and golfing. Cam Strader Shop Duties: Front End Mechanic Pit Stop Duties: Pit Support Date of Birth: 11/7/79 Place of Birth: Wilson, N.C. Hometown: Wilson, N.C. Current Residence: Cornelius, N.C. Spouse: Jordan Children: Jack, Tillman Came to SHR in December 2009 from JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series where Strader served as the car chief for the No. 5 car, and even won a race at Montreal in 2009 with Ron Fellows when he served as the team’s interim crew chief…JR Motorsports was the end product of a merger with Hendrick Motorsports’ Nationwide Series program, where Strader served as the front-end mechanic on the No. 5 car beginning in 2006 before moving to car chief in 2007…Came to the Hendrick’s Nationwide Series outfit by way of Hendrick’s R&D department, where Strader worked from 2004 through 2005…Prior to going to work for Hendrick, Strader was an up- and-coming racecar driver…Competed in the now defunct NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series from 2000 to 2003…Became the series’ rookie of the year thanks to one win, two poles and 11 top-five finishes…Followed up that season by winning the Dash Series championship in 2001 with four wins, two poles, 14 top-fives and 16 top-10s…Ran the Dash Series for one final full season in 2002, where he picked up another win before running only three events in 2003 as he attempted to make the jump to ARCA and the Nationwide Series. Yet even with just a three-race schedule, Strader scored two victories…Drove in three ARCA races with a best finish of third, which came in his first ARCA start in March 2002 at Atlanta Motor Speedway…Attempted to qualify for a 2002 Nationwide Series race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Means Racing, but the underfunded team didn’t make the show…Driving career began at age 10, racing go-karts on dirt until he was 15…Advanced to the Late Model Stock Truck division at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C., and after only a year, moved up to the track’s premier Late Model Stock division in 1998…After two years in Late Models with four wins and back-to-back third-place point finishes, made the jump to the Dash Series in 2000. Josh May Shop Duties: Under Car Mechanic Pit Stop Duties: Pit Support Date of Birth: 11/27/81 Place of Birth: Gaffney, S.C. Hometown: Spartanburg, S.C. Current Residence: Spartanburg, S.C. Spouse: Elizabeth Children: None Joined SHR in early 2013…Spent eight seasons with Phoenix Racing where he worked as the suspension manager for the team… During his time at Phoenix Racing (2005-2012), worked with a variety of drivers in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series…Prior to his tenure at Phoenix Racing, earned his first job in NASCAR at Johnny Davis Motorsports, where he worked as a mechanic for two seasons…Knew he wanted to be in racing at a young age, as he began racing go-karts at age 10…When not racing, enjoys golfing, playing softball and spending time on the lake. -more-
No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Seven Shane Church Shop Duties: Interior Mechanic Pit Stop Duties: Pit Support Date of Birth: 12/27/73 Place of Birth: Charlotte, N.C. Hometown: Charlotte, N.C. Current Residence: Mooresville, N.C. Spouse: Dawn Children: Braiden Came to SHR in December 2009 after spending 2009 Sprint Cup season with Richard Childress Racing as an interior mechanic and rear tire changer…Was at Chip Ganassi Racing from 2006 to 2008 with the team’s No. 42 Sprint Cup entry and changed front tires…Spent 1999-2005 Sprint Cup seasons with Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 team and changed rear tires…Prior to Hendrick, toiled at the now defunct American Equipment Racing from 1995 to 1998, which competed in the Nationwide Series in 1995 before moving to Sprint Cup in 1996…Worked at FoxCo Racing in 1994, a Nationwide Series team that Derrike Cope co-owned and drove for…Before working in NASCAR full-time, Church worked with Late Model teams that raced at tracks throughout the Carolinas…Interesting fact: Church raced go-karts in the World Karting Association in 2002, but then became a team owner in 2003 and continued fielding a team through 2007. His driver, Brandon Warren, was profiled in “Racing Dreams,” which premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. Jeff “Gooch” Patterson Shop Duties: Motorcoach Driver Pit Stop Duties: Pit Support Date of Birth: 7/14/68 Place of Birth: Zion, Ill. Hometown: Escondido, Calif. Current Residence: Denver, N.C. Spouse: Kellie Children: Sawyer Moved to SHR in 2009 after 11 years with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)…First began with JGR’s No. 44 NASCAR Nationwide Series team as second gas man and Tony Stewart’s motorcoach driver in 1998...Served as gas man for the No. 20 JGR Sprint Cup team with Stewart from 1999-2008, and continued in that role with SHR and the No. 14 team before retiring from the position upon the conclusion of the 2012 season…Before joining JGR, worked with Ranier-Walsh Racing as the transporter driver and gas man for the No. 20 car of Greg Sacks (Sprint Cup) and the No. 15 car of Stewart (Nationwide Series)…Prior to Sprint Cup career, worked as a mechanic for a variety of World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series teams. Ken “Goldberg” Gober Shop Duties: Transporter Co-Driver Pit Stop Duties: Pit Support Date of Birth: 2/8/73 Place of Birth: Manchester, N.H. Hometown: Derry, N.H. Current Residence: Concord, N.C. Spouse: Cathy Children: Cameryn Joined SHR in August 2010 as the co-transporter driver for the No. 14 team…Prior to coming to SHR, worked as the transporter driver for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 team during the 2010 season…Served as the transporter driver for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 team from 2007 through 2009…Spent 2004 through 2006 at Roush Fenway Racing with the No. 17 Sprint Cup team as the transporter driver and tire specialist…Before tenure at Roush Fenway, worked for Akins Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2002 through 2003 as a mechanic and backup transporter driver…Began NASCAR career with Roush Fenway in 1999 as a tire specialist working with the team’s Nos. 50 and 99 trucks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series…Prior to moving to North Carolina in 1998, worked as a volunteer mechanic in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East from 1993 through 1998 with driver Jamie Aube…Day job during his time in New England was with Testa Demolition, where he helped demolish the old Boston Garden and outdated suites at Fenway Park. -more-
No. 14 Pit Crew Biographies Page Eight Joe Piette Jr. Shop Duties: Pit Stop Coordinator Pit Stop Duties: None Date of Birth: 10/3/66 Place of Birth: Wausau, Wis. Hometown: Wausau, Wis. Current Residence: Salisbury, N.C. Spouse: Pam Children: Jessica, Jalissa Joined SHR in November 2008 after nearly seven years at Penske Racing where he worked as a tire changer and mechanic on Ryan Newman’s car…Spent 2000-2001 seasons at MBV Motorsports as a tire changer and mechanic for Johnny Benson…Worked at Petty Enterprises from 1997-1999 as a tire changer and mechanic on cars driven by John Andretti and Buckshot Jones…Began NASCAR career at Dave Marcis Racing before moving to Stavola Brothers Racing…Got into racing by working on Street Stocks and Late Models in Wisconsin. -SHR-
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