While RCR faced a pivotal defeat following their victory on August 12, Team Penske endured an even greater loss. Beyond the realm of money and playoff points, the NASCAR community mourns the passing of Roy McCauley, who died this week at the age of 53.

“He was a make-it-happen kind of guy,” Team Penske remarked, celebrating the legacy of their former crew chief and engineer, Roy McCauley. NASCAR has truly lost a remarkable figure.

McCauley played a pivotal role in Team Penske’s historic first Daytona 500 win in 2008 and was a driving force in modernizing the team’s car-building operations. Not just this, the late crew chief’s impact went beyond the racetrack. His tireless work behind the scenes helped shape the success of the team and leave a lasting impression on the entire NASCAR community.

Team Penske’s heartfelt last words for Roy McCauley

“I would suggest that anybody that has the opportunity, whether you’re 5 years old or 15 years old, to think about college,” is the advice the late crew chief had for the young aspirants when asked about how important a college degree is.

McCauley grew up in Davidsonville, Maryland, and was an alumnus of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. He was always a bright student. Even in his graduation days, he was an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers student group. Later in his crew chief career, when he was asked what helped him through his engineering days, McCauley had said, “I’ve built race cars, welded them together, hung bodies, welded chassis together, I’ve done just about everything. That made me pretty strong in college, because a lot of guys didn’t have the hands-on experience that I did.” 

He began his journey with Team Penske in 2003 as an engineer, quickly proving his prowess. By 2005, he was promoted to crew chief for the part-time Xfinity Series entry with Ryan Newman, and together they dominated with six wins in nine races. This success earned McCauley a full-time Cup Series role with Kurt Busch in 2006, where they celebrated a Bristol victory and multiple top-five finishes, marking McCauley as a rising NASCAR star.

After a brief hiatus, McCauley returned in 2008 to lead Ryan Newman to Team Penske’s first Daytona 500 win. He then shifted to a managerial role as the Penske assembly group manager in 2010, where he played a vital role in preparing the team for each new season. McCauley’s contributions, both visible and behind the scenes, were instrumental to his team’s success.

“I give my wife a lot of credit,” McCauley had said after the 2005 and 2008 wins with Ryan Newman and Team Penske. “She’s kind of my rock with wings, if you want to call it that. It means a lot to me to come back and stand in Victory Lane with Ryan because the last time I was his crew chief we stood in Victory Lane [in the Nationwide Series].” Very few men go and talk to their wives about work, right? Roy McCauley and his wife shared that bond. He would often go to her to seek advice and clear his mind. One such time was when he was considering leaving Kurt Busch and joining Ryan Newman, getting him to victory lane once again.

His passing is a significant loss for his wife, family, and close ones, as well as Team Penske. The team shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, “It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to someone that has given so much to our team for over twenty years, Roy McCauley was a ‘Make it happen’ kind of guy. He was a gifted engineer and one of our leaders…”

However, Team Penske wasn’t the only one with a hearty message. His friend and ex-colleague Rodney Childers also posted an Instagram story reminiscing on their old days. Childers wrote, “It was an honour to work with Roy during my time there. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone at Team Penske.” 

The community has joined to mourn the loss

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Roy McCauley will be dearly missed by all, but more so by his colleagues and close friends. One of his colleagues wrote, “Roy insisted on perfection. He made you better. I won’t ever forget working with him. Very sad.” Another one echoed the same emotions as he wrote, “One of the best….a great teammate. Will be missed.”

The Daytona 500 win was the race that gave him fame amongst the fans. He and Rayn Newman were unstoppable that day. A fan remembering the race wrote, “Won the last Daytona 500 with over 17 million viewers. condolences to his relatives.” The 2008 Daytona win wasn’t just a win, as Newman won by .092 seconds over Kurt Busch.

One such fan wrote, “I remember Roy fondly as Ryan crew chief back in the day. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Rest in peace Roy.” Roy McCauley as crew chief won his 2nd Cup Series win on Newman’s 50th Daytona run. Remembering their Xfinity legacy, as well as Cup Series partnership this fan recalled how the duo enjoyed a lot of success back in the day, making McCauley a household name for all Team Penske fans.

“To penskie family nmy hart gose out to you today on your lose my condolences to the family 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻” Other fans poured out their heart for Team Penske’s loss as late crew chief was a revered figure and longtime team leader. “This is a sad one. He was a very nice guy.”

Additionally, the shocking loss had countless fans pouring their prayers for the McCauley family and Team Penske. One of them wrote, “Condolences to his family and your team.”

EssentiallySports also sends its heartfelt condolences to Roy McCauley’s wife, may God give her enough strength, and to his family, friends, and fans for their irreplaceable loss. May he rest in heaven!