McGrew named as full-time crew chief for Earnhardt Jr.

Published online on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Hendrick Motorsports on Friday named Lance McGrew the full-time crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No.88 Chevrolet, effective immediately.

McGrew, 41, took over crew chief duties for Earnhardt Jr. on an interim basis May 28 when Tony Eury Jr. was reassigned to another position within the racing organization.

"I have total faith in Lance and what he's capable of accomplishing with Dale Jr.," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "There was a lot of pressure with how he came into this deal, and the way he's handled, it has been extremely impressive. Lance is confident in himself and in his decisions, and all the outside distractions aren't going to faze him. He's a strong-willed guy who will keep his eye on the ball and not settle."

McGrew will complete the final four Sprint Cup Series races this season and then return in 2010 for Earnhardt Jr.'s 11th full-time season on the circuit.

Earnhardt Jr. has 18 career Cup wins. Since joining Hendrick at the start of the 2008 season, he has scored only one victory which came in last year's spring race at Michigan. Earnhardt Jr. is currently 24th in points.

"Lance has been part of the solution, not the problem," Earnhardt Jr. said. "He's tough, which is what I need, and we've really clicked in a short period of time. The communication has gotten better every practice and every race, and I know that's going to keep improving. Having this decision behind us is really important, and now we can focus on the future instead of the past."

McGrew guided Brian Vickers to his 2003 Nationwide Series championship and has posted victories in all three of NASCAR's national touring series.

"The communication between Dale Jr. and I continues to improve every single week," McGrew said. "Both of us are 110-percent committed to the success of this team, and we're going to do everything necessary to get the job done for Hendrick Motorsports, our sponsors and Dale's fans."