Chad Knaus: Meet 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee & Jimmie Johnson’s former Crew Chief

Who is Jimmie Johnson? Jimmie Johnson is a big name in American auto racing. He is the owner of Legacy Motor Club while also being a seasoned stock car racing driver in NASCAR. He’s made waves by clinching seven Cup championships. What’s even more impressive is that he won the first five of these titles back-to-back between 2006 and 2010. The feat puts him in the same league as NASCAR legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Not to mention his crew chief, Chad Knaus, who was right there with him through it all and had a big role to play.

Who is Hendrick Motorsports Vice President of Competition Chad ‘Magician’ Knaus?

Chad ‘The Magician’ Knaus (age 51), a former NASCAR crew chief, now serves as the Vice President of Competition at HMS. Knaus boasts a remarkable record, with 81 wins under his belt as Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief. He’s the only one in NASCAR history to secure five championships in a row. His journey with Rick Hendrick and Co. began as part of Gordon’s renowned Rainbow Warriors crew, under the wing of Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham. Chad Knaus had dreams of leading that team and stepped out of Hendrick for a bit to broaden his experience.

When he came back, it wasn’t the role he’d dreamed of. Instead, he found himself at the helm of a brand-new team built around Johnson. With his intense focus, Chad Knaus guided Johnson to a win in just the 10th race of his rookie season, and they were close contenders for the championship in the next two years. After a tough loss in 2005 and mounting tension, team owner Rick Hendrick made Knaus and Johnson sit down, with milk and cookies no less, to iron out their issues. Either find common ground or go their separate ways.

The duo found their stride, going on to snag an unprecedented five straight championships, later adding two more in 2013 and 2016. This feat put them in the same elite club as Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as seven-time winners. Knaus’ mastermind led to 83 victories in his Chevrolet and two Daytona 500 wins. However, as Hendrick Motorsports faced challenges, the No. 48 team saw a dip in performance, notching 2002 as their first winless year since inception.

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Seeing the need for a fresh approach, Hendrick made a pivotal decision. He sent Knaus back to where it all started with the No. 24 team, pairing him with William Byron, a young and eager 21-year-old driver in need of Knaus’ seasoned expertise. This move was a return to Knaus’ roots, offering him the chance to shape a new chapter with promising talent, much like he did with Johnson years ago.

Rookie Jimmie Johnson teamed up with Chad Knaus

Chad Knaus landed a golden opportunity at Hendrick Motorsports, tasked with the daunting yet exciting challenge of creating a team around Jimmie Johnson, a rookie yet to make his mark in NASCAR’s big league in 2002. Little did anyone know, this pairing was set to make history.

With Knaus as the crew chief, Johnson’s career skyrocketed, leading them to a record-equaling seven championships. Their journey as the No. 48 team etched them into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. Despite 17 years of friendship and a trophy cabinet to envy, the pressure of not performing up to their usual standards nudged them towards parting ways.

In 2019, Knaus embarked on a new adventure, this time as the crew chief for William Byron, a budding star in his second year. He was given the reins of the legendary No. 24 team, once steered to four championships by Jeff Gordon, with the mission of bringing it back to its former glory.

Winning 7x Cup Series championships and being inducted into the Hall of Fame

When Chad Knaus arrived at Hendrick Motorsports in 1993, he had big dreams. Those dreams turned into an incredible 21-year career as a crew chief. And now this Friday night, he’ll be honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 at the Charlotte Convention Center. The seven-time champion crew chief will be celebrated alongside his legendary driver, Jimmie Johnson.

The Knaus-Johnson duo was a fierce one from 2002 to 2018, racking up over eighty wins and tying the record with seven championships, including an unprecedented five-year winning streak in the NASCAR Cup Series. Later, Knaus came full circle at HMS, teaming up with William Byron on the #24 team in ‘19 and ‘20, the same team he joined in the body shop under Ray Evernham in 1993. He rose through the ranks to lead body development.

With Byron, Knaus celebrated his final victory as crew chief at Daytona International Speedway in 2020. His 82 career wins place him third among all-time great crew chiefs and the sixth one to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. And with that, he’d join the ranks of Ray Evernham, Inman, Leonard Wood, Waddell Wilson, and Kirk Shelmerdine.

How did Chad Knaus get familiar with stock car racing?

By 14, Chad Knaus had already stepped into big shoes, acting as the crew chief for his father, John, in various late model races across the Midwest. The father-son duo was dominating, winning several track championships. Eager to chase his NASCAR dreams, Knaus simply packed his bags and headed south from Illinois right after high school. 

Now at 49, Knaus’ achievements are nothing short of spectacular. He led Jimmie Johnson to seven Cup championships, matching the record. They even clinched five of these titles consecutively from 2006 to 2010. This level of dominance was unprecedented and hasn’t been matched since NASCAR’s modern era, which began in 1972. In the world of crew chiefs, only Dale Inman, Richard Petty’s partner, has bagged more championships than Knaus. 

Chad Knaus’s stint at Hendrick Motorsports

Chad Knaus’ journey with Hendrick Motorsports kicked off in 1993, all the way from Rockford, Illinois, when he got a spot on Jeff Gordon‘s No. 24 team. Under the wing of Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham, Knaus honed his skills, starting as a body shop assistant and climbing his way up to the fabrication department. He eventually took charge of body development and joined the legendary ‘Rainbow Warriors’ pit crew. As a tire changer for Gordon’s team, Chad Knaus played a key role in their 1995 and 1997 championship victories.

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In 2002, Knaus circled back to Hendrick Motorsports, this time as Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, a role he held for an impressive 17 seasons. Fast forward to 2019 and 2020, and Chad Knaus returned to where it all began, taking the helm of the No. 24 team, now with William Byron behind the wheel.

In the 2020 season finale at Daytona International Speedway, he led Byron to his first Cup Series victory. The win marked Knaus’ 82nd and final triumph as a crew chief. After the 2020 season, he transitioned to become the team’s vice president of competition, earning a spot as the sixth crew chief in the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Jimmie Johnson’s tenure at HMS started in 2001. Then, the following year, Jhonson and Knaus began their legendary partnership, with the former clinching his first Cup Series win in just his 13th race. This duo’s journey together is now going to be one for the history books after both of them get inducted into the Hall of Fame together.