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Exclusive: Veteran Crew Chief Unveils His Choice for the Most ‘Careless’ Driver

Published 04/26/2024, 11:50 AM EDT

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As the trend of chaotic races continued for the 2024 season, there was a certain team eager to make the most of their last-minute opportunity in the Ag-Pro 300. For the second time in NASCAR history, fans were given a chance to control and dictate the pit strategies of the #14 SS Green Light Racing car driven by fan-favorite Mason Massey. In a collaboration with our brand, Lucky Dog on Track, Fan Controlled Sports + Entertainment delivered an action-packed race, with Massey climbing up the ladder to finish P11 after fighting through 27 positions!

Although Massey himself drove a brilliant race, the stellar result wouldn’t have been possible without crew chief Jason Miller and his brilliant coordination for the unique strategies. However, not every driver has been as kind to the veteran crew chief, as Miller revealed the most ‘careless’ driver that he’s ever encountered in the world of NASCAR!

The ‘fan-controlled’ crew chief reveals his pick for one of NASCAR’s most reckless entities

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After the weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Jason Miller is still basking in the glory of Mason Massey’s awe-inspiring run through the field and to nearly the top ten. This meant it was the perfect time for an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports’ Lucky Dog on Track x Fan Controlled team, as host Josh Macuga sat down with the crew chief and discussed all things racing. This is when Miller was hit with a difficult question, the answer to which may shock some Truck Series fans.

Reflecting on the most annoying and most careless driver, Miller shared; “Golly, that is a hard question because they all can be a little careless sometimes”. After a brief pause, he revealed,Mike Skinner.” Immediately, the host looked on in anticipation as the crew chief called out one of the Truck Series’ most decorated veterans.

Although the veteran NASCAR racer hailing from Susanville, California had made a name for himself in the Truck Series with his consistent top tens, Jason Miller pulled no punches. That being said, Josh Macuga revealed that he wasn’t aware of Skinner, and wanted to know for sure if Miller was throwing Skinner under the bus. To which he got only one reply from Miller; “I did. He’s retired, he ain’t gonna come whip me.”

Although the crew chief refused to elaborate on the reasons behind his opinion on Mike Skinner, it’s safe to say that the crew chief was speaking from experience. Speaking of which, the 16-year-long SS Green Light crew chief got the fright of his life toward the end of the Xfinity race at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Could Mason Massey have faced an unfortunate end after battling all odds?

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After qualifying at the last minute for the Ag-Pro 300 down in 38th place, Mason Massey and the fan-controlled #14 SSGLR car quickly made their way past the field to enter the top twenty. But as Massey continued his push toward the very front, the current generation car’s biggest problem threw itself right at him. With only a handful of laps remaining before the final restart, Massey’s pit crew suffered a major fuel scare, which was thankfully avoided with a last-minute fan-controlled pit stop.

But with such an experienced crew chief helping the fans control the race smoothly, what went wrong with the calculations? The veteran revealed the reality of the scare. Miller stated, “Everything showed that we would have been good on gas, but I think looking back at it we crunched the numbers up a little bit because we ran the high line a lot to keep the car wound up, so running a longer distance, I think that’s what hurt our gas mileage.”

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Opting to use a higher line at Talladega Superspeedway meant that the #14 traveled on a longer line than the other cars for a majority of the laps. And at a superspeedway like Talladega with its 2.660-mile layout, that extra distance quickly adds up. Though the crew chief was confident that the team could have gotten away with their fuel calculations, further analysis revealed that a bullet had indeed been dodged. He concluded, “I was not thinking we were going to run out of fuel, but like I said once I got back to the shop and started looking at the numbers and started going over things, it made sense.”

Do you think the next Fan-Controlled entry will yield results as exciting as this one?

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Written by:

Kabir Bajaj Ahmed

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Kabir Bajaj Ahmed is an F1 & NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Known for his storytelling and extensive research skills, he has covered multiple stories on Dale Earnhardt Jr and his legendary dad, allowing readers to relive the thunderous days of 'The Intimidator'. Being a racer himself, Kabir can resonate with the motorsport world better than most.
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Edited by:

Shreya Singh