Published 11/15/2022, 9:00 AM EST
For the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, a familiar face will be missing in the paddock. As it turns out, #48 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Greg Ives, is retiring. The 42-year-old has been part of the Hendrick stable for nearly a decade. So his departure is pretty much the end of an era. Fortunately, HMS have thought ahead and have his successor lined to to partner Alex Bowman next year.
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This successor is none other than the #34 Front Row Motorsports crew chief, Blake Harris. Admittedly, this does leave Michael McDowell high and dry, because he has no crew chief. On the other hand, Front Row Motorsports has yet to confirm their drivers for the 2023 NASCAR Cup season. Though if we’re being honest, McDowell will most likely be back.
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NASCAR Fans React as Central Hendrick Motorsports Crew Figure Announces Retirement
Why did the departing Hendrick Motorsports crew chief choose Harris?
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As it happens, Ives felt that it was his duty to leave Bowman with a parting gift. Namely a crew chief who could “take him to the next level”. He said, “There’s a lot of things that you can look at, whether it’s experience, whether it’s an engineer, whether they‘ve got a great personality or a leader. Ultimately, I think that all gets wrapped up in one word, and that’s called a racer. Anybody who eats sleeps, breathes, grows up in this sport, most of them have those qualities.”
TALLADEGA, AL – APRIL 30: Crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, Greg Ives stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 30, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
He continued, “The determination to get to the Cup level as a crew chief is a hard feat in itself. That‘s kind of what I saw in Blake. He’s a racer. Ultimately, names are just there. It’s character that’s usually what you see and those types of qualities. So, for me, it came down to those, right? Being a racer, being somebody who can put the time, energy, the work that it requires to be successful in this sport.”
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Now, Ives will be looking forward to his retirement and spending time with his family. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman will look forward to linking up with Harris for the upcoming season.
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