Hendrick Motorsports Legend Who Worked With Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr Calls It Quits After More Than Two Decades With the Team

After working with Hendrick Motorsports for more than two decades, Lance McGrew is calling it a day. Starting as a crew member and then a crew chief, McGrew later lent his expertise to the R&D department of Hendrick Motorsports. Having worked with some of the greatest talents in the world of NASCAR and helped them flourish, the legend will now be easing into his retirement life, away from NASCAR.

McGrew began his career in NASCAR in the early 1990s. During this time he landed a job with a minor NASCAR Xfinity Series team. There he gained the know-how and hands-on experience necessary to upgrade his resume and work for a more successful team. As luck would have it, McGrew found himself getting hired by Hendrick Motorsports in 1999. While talking about his first NASCAR job, he once mentioned, “I could never learn enough. I could never ask enough questions.”

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Soon after he joined Hendrick Motorsport, he was sent to work as the crew chief for the #24 car in the 2000 season. The car was being run in the Xfinity Series, over a part-time schedule. The iconic Jeff Gordon and Ricky Hendrick were the two drivers alternating between the car that season.

The following year, he was the crew chief for Hendrick in the Truck Series as well. There, he showcased highly promising results with multiple top 5 and top 10 finishes, including a win at the Kansas Speedway. At one point he even had the opportunity to work with Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was able to get some fantastic results with both drivers. Later on in his career, he even paired with Chase Elliott. He was one of the earliest people to recognize Elliott’s immense talent.

Lance McGrew has a parting message for Hendrick Motorsports

With McGrew announcing his wish to retire, his colleagues on the team decided to hold an event in honor of the legendary crew chief.

During the event, the former crew chief had a few words to share. McGrew mentioned, “You’ve been in the business for so long you tend to forget a lot of things. All the little nuances and the people that you’ve worked with. The people that have come and gone. Places you’ve been to and seen outside of the racetrack. It’s just too many good times to remember.” 

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His contributions to the sport and Hendrick Motorsports have been immense and he will always be held in high regards by his peers and colleagues. But after having such a long and illustrious career, it looks like time has come for McGrew to just lay back and perhaps start another chapter in life.