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CONCORD, N.C. -- Having directed Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe's team to one of the greatest rookie seasons in NASCAR history, Chad Knaus has skyrocketed to the top of the who's who list among Winston Cup crew chiefs.
Chad Knaus
With a record three wins and four poles already this year, Knaus is rapidly becoming a household name.
Wednesday evening before the EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, between meetings and aerodynamic briefings, Knaus sat down with NASCAR.com's Marty Smith to talk history, chicks and that little "f-word."
Q: First off, are you really in the points lead?
That's what they're telling me (laughing). I didn't even realize it until the end of the race up at Kansas City. I walked up to the racecar and Jimmie was swarmed by the press and all the sudden everybody started sticking microphones up in my face and all the sudden I was like, 'What in the world is going on?' They were like, 'uh, you're the points leader.' I said, 'Oh, cool.'
Q: OK, just making sure. That's got to be a bit stressful. How are you sleeping these days?
Not very much. Very little. Luckily I've got some good friends who can prescribe some good sleeping pills because if it wasn't for those I wouldn't be getting any rest at all, I can tell you that.
Q: Oh, by the way, you still going for the freakin' championship? Just kidding.
We're going for it man, I can tell you that (laughing hysterically). That's the cool thing about this group of guys I've got. They're headstrong, they're focused, they're ready to rock and roll. And if it takes a little cursing to get them motivated, maybe it might be a good thing. I don't know.
Q: I had to bust your can about that a little bit, man. That deal got way overblown. I bet your guys have had a blast giving you hell about it, though.
Oh yeah. It's definitely an ongoing thing. Every time I turn around it's somebody saying 'We're blankin' going for it.' or whatever. We're having a good time with it. If nothing else, everybody got a good laugh and got a little breather out of the deal.
Q: Makes for a good rallying cry. In all seriousness, you must be a pretty smart dude. Ray Evernham handpicked you to head up the Dodge development program when you were like 27. That's a big job, dude.
It was way cool. Ray's one of my biggest heroes. He's one of the guys I watched when I was younger and kind of modeled myself off of. Ray and Larry McReynolds and guys like that. Whether or not I'm smart, I don't know.
Credit: Autostock
I know I'm surrounded by a lot of very smart people and a lot of talented people and that's what making the big difference. I've got Robbie Loomis over here and Rex Stump and Ken Howes.
These guys just rock. To get the support from those guys and get out there and have them kind of point me the right direction if I get a little messed up just rocks. These guys are so supportive. It's just a big team thing.
Q: I read where you were crew chiefing your Dad's ride by age 14. Must've just been your destiny, huh?
Well, I'd like to think it was. If not I've fallen into the wrong direction. But yeah, when I was young my father was racing Late Models and I was doing the Winston Racing Series with him. That was awesome. We ran the Great Northern Region, won that championship.
We were third in the overall Winston Racing Series championship. That was really cool - 14 years old, hanging out with Dad and calling the shots and telling him to get up on the wheel and stuff like that.
That was really cool. It was a lot of fun and definitely molded me into what I am now because my Dad was very, very strict in the stuff he had going on in his racecars. And if definitely bled over.
Q: That's really cool. You guys must've been super tight.
We were friends more than we were father and son and that's what was so cool about it, because he wanted to go racing, I wanted to go racing and that's what we did. We raced.
He was the driver, I was the crew chief and then when we went home he maybe chewed on me about the grades or something like that, but yeah, it was a really cool relationship.
Q: Who's better with the ladies? You, Jimmie or Gordon?
Ohhh man. I'll tell you what (laughing). We, uh, all have a good time. We all have fun. How's that?
Q: Looks to me like Jimmie's dad, Gary, is the real ladies man of the bunch.
Oh man, that's the way it is! You get those guys like that who go out the and know how to sweet talk 'em and play and make 'em all laugh. They get all the chicks.
Q: You're from Illinois. Do you share my undying affection for the Chicago Bears?
Uh, no.
Q: Anyway, you were one of the original Rainbow Warriors. That was the most talked-about pit crew in history. Was it the best?
Credit: Autostock
I think, at that point in time. That's like saying was Richard Petty the best racecar driver ever? Well, at the point in time when Richard was driving race cars, yeah, he was the best there was. Period.
And at that point in time, when we were kind of revolutionizing the pit crew deal, yeah, we were the best pit crew out there at that time. When you compare us to the pit crews that are out there now? No. They would have beat us up pretty bad. So, there's always a timing thing. At that time, yeah, we were the best there was out there. That was pretty cool to be a part of.
Q: You guys were the first ones to do the physical fitness and practicing deal, too, right?
Yeah, that was the big key, I think, is that we trained and we trained and we trained. We were a pit crew. That's what we wanted to be, a pit crew. We weren't a bunch of mechanics who were able to change tires and stuff like that.
Fortunately, I was able to fabricate and do some mechanic work and stuff like that, so I fit in pretty well.
Q: Most crew chiefs eat, drink and sleep that racecar. That doesn't seem too healthy when you consider length of schedule. Are you that way?
Yeah. I try to get out and do things. Go to dinner, have a couple drinks, whatever. But the racecar is my baby. That's what I do.
People ask me why I'm not married. I say, well, I'm married to that Lowe's 48 Chevrolet. That's the most important thing in my life and will be for the next couple years.
Q: What went through your mind the moment that last car qualified at Daytona in February and you were on that pole?
It was the beginning of something very special, and I knew that at that point in time. I knew that, from all the effort that those guys put into that racecar, for us to be able to go down there and sit on the pole for the Daytona 500, that was just unheard of.
EXTRA INFORMATION
• Knaus' Crew Chief Page
• Johnson's Driver Page
The first rookie ever to sit on the pole for the Daytona 500. The first time we'd ever worked together at a racetrack for a race. It was just awesome. The feeling was so intense that, you know, it was indescribable, because we were getting high-fives and support and yells from everybody in the garage area.
Everybody thought that was so cool. Not only just people at HMS, either. It was people from RCR, come up and shake your hand. People from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., people from Roush. Everybody just thought it was the neatest thing. It was just unexplainable. And I knew from the point on that it was going to be a dream come true season.
Q: Was it like and instant respect kind of thing?
Yeah, yeah it definitely was. I think I gained a lot of respect from Jimmie right there, right out of the box. That definitely helped, because he was like, holy smokes, maybe this guy is for real. Maybe this team does know what's going on.
And then, definitely walking through the garage, being that that was the second year in a row that I'd qualified on the front row for the Daytona 500 and I'd had three or four speedway poles in a row, I definitely gained a little respect out of that, I think.
Q: You and Jimmie have unmatched chemistry, like the freakin' Brady Bunch or something. Do you guys ever disagree?
I wouldn't say we fight. You know, you've got to throw a couple things out there every once in a while, just as a reality check. He has for me, and I have for him. We went to Indianapolis and we were just terrible in pre-qualifying practice.
Struggling, just searching for every little thing. So I threw something out there at him. Next thing you know he threw something out at me. And we're like, alright, what's going on here. It's not something where we get our feelings hurt or get upset, it's just questions that need to be asked. You know, is your head in the game right now? He's asked me that. I've asked him that.
That's the good thing about it, is we're professional enough, but we're close enough friends that I can throw that out there and say, 'hey, what's going on, what's in your head today? Are you switched on or not?' And if he's on, he's says 'man, I'm there.' If he's not, he says, 'naw, I'm asleep right now, give me a half hour.'
It's a really good deal. But we haven't had a true, knockdown drag out one yet. I'm sure at some point you'll see us locked up in a closet beating the heck out of one another, but it's just all part of it.
Q: Did you learn driver relations from Ray Evernham?
Probably a little bit. Ray and Jeff had a pretty good relationship. Ray kind of had to take the team by the horns, take the ball and run with it and make that deal what it was because Jeff wasn't old enough or experienced enough to know how to handle some of the situations.
I had to do a little bit of that with Jimmie and this team, but fortunately I didn't have to do too much because we're based out of championship shop, where some of the guys have won championships. Jimmie's got Jeff to look at for a mentor.
I think the only thing I've really helped Jimmie with is his during the race attitude. If he was to get a little excited I can calm him down or relaxed. That's definitely something I learned from Ray.
Q: Having had so much success, I'm sure you've gotten to experience some pretty amazing things this year.
Actually, with the success we had, I figured out about midway through the season, during our last break, that I was actually going to take a vacation. So Jimmie and I went down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. That was pretty righteous.
It was pretty neat going down there and spending five days down there with Jimmie and a friend of his and a friend of mine. We just had a blast. We were able to relax, hang out in the sun, go out and dance and party a little bit.
So that was a good time. Everything else, I'll be honest with you, I've done nothing but focus on that racecar. That's all I do. Once the season's over we'll go out and have us some more fun, maybe.
Q: It could be one huge party, couldn't it?
It could be ugly in New York, let me tell you. If we do pull off this championship, I promise you New York will never be the same again.
Chad Knaus
With a record three wins and four poles already this year, Knaus is rapidly becoming a household name.
Wednesday evening before the EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, between meetings and aerodynamic briefings, Knaus sat down with NASCAR.com's Marty Smith to talk history, chicks and that little "f-word."
Q: First off, are you really in the points lead?
That's what they're telling me (laughing). I didn't even realize it until the end of the race up at Kansas City. I walked up to the racecar and Jimmie was swarmed by the press and all the sudden everybody started sticking microphones up in my face and all the sudden I was like, 'What in the world is going on?' They were like, 'uh, you're the points leader.' I said, 'Oh, cool.'
Q: OK, just making sure. That's got to be a bit stressful. How are you sleeping these days?
Not very much. Very little. Luckily I've got some good friends who can prescribe some good sleeping pills because if it wasn't for those I wouldn't be getting any rest at all, I can tell you that.
Q: Oh, by the way, you still going for the freakin' championship? Just kidding.
We're going for it man, I can tell you that (laughing hysterically). That's the cool thing about this group of guys I've got. They're headstrong, they're focused, they're ready to rock and roll. And if it takes a little cursing to get them motivated, maybe it might be a good thing. I don't know.
Q: I had to bust your can about that a little bit, man. That deal got way overblown. I bet your guys have had a blast giving you hell about it, though.
Oh yeah. It's definitely an ongoing thing. Every time I turn around it's somebody saying 'We're blankin' going for it.' or whatever. We're having a good time with it. If nothing else, everybody got a good laugh and got a little breather out of the deal.
Q: Makes for a good rallying cry. In all seriousness, you must be a pretty smart dude. Ray Evernham handpicked you to head up the Dodge development program when you were like 27. That's a big job, dude.
It was way cool. Ray's one of my biggest heroes. He's one of the guys I watched when I was younger and kind of modeled myself off of. Ray and Larry McReynolds and guys like that. Whether or not I'm smart, I don't know.
Credit: Autostock
I know I'm surrounded by a lot of very smart people and a lot of talented people and that's what making the big difference. I've got Robbie Loomis over here and Rex Stump and Ken Howes.
These guys just rock. To get the support from those guys and get out there and have them kind of point me the right direction if I get a little messed up just rocks. These guys are so supportive. It's just a big team thing.
Q: I read where you were crew chiefing your Dad's ride by age 14. Must've just been your destiny, huh?
Well, I'd like to think it was. If not I've fallen into the wrong direction. But yeah, when I was young my father was racing Late Models and I was doing the Winston Racing Series with him. That was awesome. We ran the Great Northern Region, won that championship.
We were third in the overall Winston Racing Series championship. That was really cool - 14 years old, hanging out with Dad and calling the shots and telling him to get up on the wheel and stuff like that.
That was really cool. It was a lot of fun and definitely molded me into what I am now because my Dad was very, very strict in the stuff he had going on in his racecars. And if definitely bled over.
Q: That's really cool. You guys must've been super tight.
We were friends more than we were father and son and that's what was so cool about it, because he wanted to go racing, I wanted to go racing and that's what we did. We raced.
He was the driver, I was the crew chief and then when we went home he maybe chewed on me about the grades or something like that, but yeah, it was a really cool relationship.
Q: Who's better with the ladies? You, Jimmie or Gordon?
Ohhh man. I'll tell you what (laughing). We, uh, all have a good time. We all have fun. How's that?
Q: Looks to me like Jimmie's dad, Gary, is the real ladies man of the bunch.
Oh man, that's the way it is! You get those guys like that who go out the and know how to sweet talk 'em and play and make 'em all laugh. They get all the chicks.
Q: You're from Illinois. Do you share my undying affection for the Chicago Bears?
Uh, no.
Q: Anyway, you were one of the original Rainbow Warriors. That was the most talked-about pit crew in history. Was it the best?
Credit: Autostock
I think, at that point in time. That's like saying was Richard Petty the best racecar driver ever? Well, at the point in time when Richard was driving race cars, yeah, he was the best there was. Period.
And at that point in time, when we were kind of revolutionizing the pit crew deal, yeah, we were the best pit crew out there at that time. When you compare us to the pit crews that are out there now? No. They would have beat us up pretty bad. So, there's always a timing thing. At that time, yeah, we were the best there was out there. That was pretty cool to be a part of.
Q: You guys were the first ones to do the physical fitness and practicing deal, too, right?
Yeah, that was the big key, I think, is that we trained and we trained and we trained. We were a pit crew. That's what we wanted to be, a pit crew. We weren't a bunch of mechanics who were able to change tires and stuff like that.
Fortunately, I was able to fabricate and do some mechanic work and stuff like that, so I fit in pretty well.
Q: Most crew chiefs eat, drink and sleep that racecar. That doesn't seem too healthy when you consider length of schedule. Are you that way?
Yeah. I try to get out and do things. Go to dinner, have a couple drinks, whatever. But the racecar is my baby. That's what I do.
People ask me why I'm not married. I say, well, I'm married to that Lowe's 48 Chevrolet. That's the most important thing in my life and will be for the next couple years.
Q: What went through your mind the moment that last car qualified at Daytona in February and you were on that pole?
It was the beginning of something very special, and I knew that at that point in time. I knew that, from all the effort that those guys put into that racecar, for us to be able to go down there and sit on the pole for the Daytona 500, that was just unheard of.
EXTRA INFORMATION
• Knaus' Crew Chief Page
• Johnson's Driver Page
The first rookie ever to sit on the pole for the Daytona 500. The first time we'd ever worked together at a racetrack for a race. It was just awesome. The feeling was so intense that, you know, it was indescribable, because we were getting high-fives and support and yells from everybody in the garage area.
Everybody thought that was so cool. Not only just people at HMS, either. It was people from RCR, come up and shake your hand. People from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., people from Roush. Everybody just thought it was the neatest thing. It was just unexplainable. And I knew from the point on that it was going to be a dream come true season.
Q: Was it like and instant respect kind of thing?
Yeah, yeah it definitely was. I think I gained a lot of respect from Jimmie right there, right out of the box. That definitely helped, because he was like, holy smokes, maybe this guy is for real. Maybe this team does know what's going on.
And then, definitely walking through the garage, being that that was the second year in a row that I'd qualified on the front row for the Daytona 500 and I'd had three or four speedway poles in a row, I definitely gained a little respect out of that, I think.
Q: You and Jimmie have unmatched chemistry, like the freakin' Brady Bunch or something. Do you guys ever disagree?
I wouldn't say we fight. You know, you've got to throw a couple things out there every once in a while, just as a reality check. He has for me, and I have for him. We went to Indianapolis and we were just terrible in pre-qualifying practice.
Struggling, just searching for every little thing. So I threw something out there at him. Next thing you know he threw something out at me. And we're like, alright, what's going on here. It's not something where we get our feelings hurt or get upset, it's just questions that need to be asked. You know, is your head in the game right now? He's asked me that. I've asked him that.
That's the good thing about it, is we're professional enough, but we're close enough friends that I can throw that out there and say, 'hey, what's going on, what's in your head today? Are you switched on or not?' And if he's on, he's says 'man, I'm there.' If he's not, he says, 'naw, I'm asleep right now, give me a half hour.'
It's a really good deal. But we haven't had a true, knockdown drag out one yet. I'm sure at some point you'll see us locked up in a closet beating the heck out of one another, but it's just all part of it.
Q: Did you learn driver relations from Ray Evernham?
Probably a little bit. Ray and Jeff had a pretty good relationship. Ray kind of had to take the team by the horns, take the ball and run with it and make that deal what it was because Jeff wasn't old enough or experienced enough to know how to handle some of the situations.
I had to do a little bit of that with Jimmie and this team, but fortunately I didn't have to do too much because we're based out of championship shop, where some of the guys have won championships. Jimmie's got Jeff to look at for a mentor.
I think the only thing I've really helped Jimmie with is his during the race attitude. If he was to get a little excited I can calm him down or relaxed. That's definitely something I learned from Ray.
Q: Having had so much success, I'm sure you've gotten to experience some pretty amazing things this year.
Actually, with the success we had, I figured out about midway through the season, during our last break, that I was actually going to take a vacation. So Jimmie and I went down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. That was pretty righteous.
It was pretty neat going down there and spending five days down there with Jimmie and a friend of his and a friend of mine. We just had a blast. We were able to relax, hang out in the sun, go out and dance and party a little bit.
So that was a good time. Everything else, I'll be honest with you, I've done nothing but focus on that racecar. That's all I do. Once the season's over we'll go out and have us some more fun, maybe.
Q: It could be one huge party, couldn't it?
It could be ugly in New York, let me tell you. If we do pull off this championship, I promise you New York will never be the same again.
