“I’m Just Loading Him With More Work” – Hendrick Motorsports VP Chad Knaus Refuses to Cut Slack on Departing Crew Chief

Working in the fast lane sure seems fun, with the fast cars and the high-intensity environment. But of course, it comes with its own drawbacks. And the fast-paced environment takes a toll on people, especially when you’re traveling. And Hendrick Motorsports VP of Competition Chad Knaus knows that.

But he has no plans for cutting slack on his crew chiefs.

Of course, when drivers and crew have family, the travel surely gets challenging for them. And the same is happening with Greg Ives, the Crew Chief for the #48 car of Jimmie Johnson. The one who replaced Knaus when Jimmie Johnson left NASCAR, and he went ahead to take his new role as the Vice President of Competition in the team. But he sure faces his own issues.

Knaus explained, “Greg’s been a crew chief for a long time, he’s a huge part of what we do at Hendrick Motorsports, Major contributor.”, “But he’s got three kids, they’re getting older, the travel is hard on everybody in this industry. And I think he wants to be able to take a little bit of a step back from the weekly grind.”

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However, he jokingly expressed he has no intention of reducing that load either. Of course, having a member contribute as much as Ives does, “Trust me, we’ve already for his plate full”, “[if] He think he’s taking a step back, I’m just loading him with more work. But i’m really excited to have Greg continue to be a part of Hendrick Motorsports.”

The former crew chief that took Jimmie Johnson’s car to the championship seven times clearly knows it’s difficult. But there are responsibilities as a crew chief. Especially with the new “ninjas” in the Playoffs that threaten teams.

Chad Knaus is worried about the Ninjas in the Playoffs

So far, there has been no playoff driver that has won a race, and that surely is concerning. But Knaus believes there are more things to worry about in the playoffs.

He explained, “It’s like there’s a bunch of ninjas out there, just hiding in the weeds, waiting to take out people in the first three races. Whether that was on the pit road or the racetrack, like, you just never know what’s gonna happen.”

Read More: Hendrick Motorsports VP Chad Knaus Claims “Ninjas Hiding in the Weeds” Are Trying to Destroy Their NASCAR Hopes

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