Beyond the Flag
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NASCAR: 2015 Beyond The Flag Sprint Cup Series Awards

By Christopher Olmstead

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USA Today Sports

Crew Chief of the Year

Being a crew chief for a team is like being a head coach in the NFL. Everything that happens during a race runs through one man and often when it’s time for heads to roll, the crew chief is the first to go. That being said, sitting atop the pit box is by no means an easy or glamorous job. Every decision that a crew chief makes could be the one that puts their driver in a position to win the race or it could be the one that takes their driver out of the running.

It’s stressful to think that there are multiple times during a race where such decisions have to be made and most of them have to be made in a matter of seconds.

The Nominees:

  • Cole Pearn (No. 78 team) – Pearn helped guide Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 78 team into the Chase in 2015 after a dismal season in 2014. Not only did Truex Jr. win in 2015 but early on in the season he was one of the most dominant cars out there aside from Kevin Harvick.
  • Rodney Childers (No. 4 team) – Childers put together another strong effort in 2015 coming off of his championship effort in 2014. The No. 4 team won three times on their way to a second-place finish in the standings. Additionally, Kevin Harvick was easily the fastest car most weeks when he was on the track.
  • Adam Stevens (No. 18 team) – Winning a championship is always a step in the right direction when you’re a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2015 Stevens guided the No. 18 team through the 11-race absence of Kyle Busch before helping Busch guide the No. 18 car into the Chase and onto a title.
  • Todd Gordon (No. 22 team) – Gordon and the No. 22 team did not finish where they wanted but it doesn’t mean that Gordon didn’t help lead his team to tremendous heights in 2015. The No. 22 machine went to victory lane six times in 2015 and three of those were consecutive wins in the second round of the Chase. In the latter part of the season the No. 22 team appeared unstoppable at times.
  • Alan Gustafson (No. 24 team) – Being on the box for the final season of Jeff Gordon and dealing with all that comes with it is a tall task. Throw into the mix the chemistry issues that the crew had early on in the season and the mistakes that Gordon was making it Gustafson could have had a disaster on his hands. In the end though the No. 24 team rebounded on their way to a win and a spot in the final-four in Miami.

Next: Who Improved The Most?

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