Fantasy NASCAR Racing

with Steve Park.  During the 1998 season, he moved to Tyler Jet Motorsports, and in 1999, the call came that would lead Knaus to Dodge, Melling Racing.  Ray Evernham wanted Knaus to lead the Dodge development team, an opportunity he quickly accepted.  During two Dodge test sessions, Knaus worked with Melling Racing driver, Stacy Compton.  The two worked well together, resulting in Knaus' hire as crew chief for Stacy Compton in 2001.  After being hired as crew chief for Stacy Compton at Melling Racing, the combination swept the poles at Talladega in 2001 after starting on the front row for the Daytona 500 and qualifying 3rd at Daytona in July.  Despite restrictor plate track qualifying prowess, Compton and Knaus scored just one Top 10 (Daytona 500) and five Top 15 finishes.  Knaus returned to Hendrick Motorsports for the 2002 season, becoming crew chief of the No. 48 car driven by rookie driver Jimmie Johnson. Knaus and Johnson finished the season fifth in the Driver's Championship.  In 2003, the No. 48 team finished second in the Driver's Championship.  In 2004, the season began with some early disappointments in weeks two and three at Rockingham and Las Vegas.  However, the team quickly rebounded with a week five win at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway.  Subsequent victories at the Coca-Cola 600 and the Pocono 500 helped solidify their place in the NASCAR Chase for the Cup towards the end of the season.  The second victory at the Subway 500 in Martinsville on October 24, 2004, was marred by tragedy when Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky, nieces and brother were killed in an airplane crash en route to the race.  All eight passengers and both pilots died in the incident.  The team eventually finished second in the Cup Series points, losing to Kurt Busch by eight points.  Knaus and Johnson finished the 2005 season ranked fifth in the standings after a crash in the season ending race at Homestead.  In 2006, Johnson and Knaus won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship with 5 wins.  In 2007 Knaus and Johnson took home their second straight championship with a series best 10 wins.  Hendrick Motorsports was the dominant team in 2007, amassing 18 wins in 36 races.  In 2008 Knaus and Johnson tied NASCAR history with three straight championships set by Cale Yarborough.  The Lowe's Racing team had seven wins.  In 2009 Knaus shared 13 top-fives, 20 top-tens, 6 wins, and only one DNF with his driver Jimmie Johnson; and their fourth straight Cup Championship.  2010 brought a fifth straight Cup championship as the duo recorded six additional wins. Johnson struggled in 2011 and finished eighth in the points Chase.  Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards tied for the points; but Stewart won in the tie breaker.  In 2012 Johnson was again in the middle of the championship hunt.  Entering the final race it was a toss up who would win between he and Brad Keselowski.  Johnson burnt up a rear gear early in the race relegating him to a 36th place finish, and gave the Championship to Keselowski.  2012 saw the duo return to championship form as Johnson won his sixth Cup Championship.  But once again it was a dog fight.  This time between he and Matt Kenseth. Johnson managed to win the championship by 19 points.  As 2014 rolled around the duo of Knaus and Johnson are still at the top of the heap, and look to be the team to beat once again.  They were now just one championship behind the record of seven set by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr.  The season saw Johnson claim four wins; but when the Chase rolled around he struggled in the second round.  The pair posted finishes of 40th, 17th and 24th; knocking them out of contention for the Championship.  In 2015 Johnson once again posted multiple wins; but in the second stage of the Chase poor finishes knocked him from contention for the Championship.  The following season Johnson would again win five races; but this season was different because three of those wins would come in the Chase and he would advance to the season final at Homestead.  During that race his car wasn't competitive all day long.  He never even led a lap and was rarely inside the top ten in the running order.  A yellow with just a couple laps remaining flew and crew chief Knaus took a gamble and only put on two tires and got out of the pits first.  When the green hankie flew for the final time Johnson got a good restart and managed to grab the win garnering himself his seventh Cup Championship; tying him with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr.  In 2017, looked early to be a season where they might break that record as Johnson won at Texas, and then the next week at Bristol; and added a third win at Dover.  But from there things took a major down turn as the team would only post one Top 5 the rest of the season.  He managed to progress through the Chase; but missed making the final round at Homestead.  He ended up 10th in the points standings.  Johnson and Knaus was together searching for that elusive eighth Championship.  2018 proved to be a disappointing season for the duo.  After 16 consecutive season with a win; they went win less.  In fact they only posted two Top 5'd and eleven Top 10 results.  Johnson did make the Chase via points; but was eliminated after the first round.  In response to such a bad season owner Rick Hendrick did the unthinkable and split the seven time championship winning pair up.  Knaus would spend 2019 leading the efforts of young driver William Byron. Kevin Meendering will now become the crew chief for Johnson.  Meendering had previously been an Xfinity series crew chief from 2016-2018.  After the big crew chief swap at the end of 2018; it was interesting to see who was going to have more success; Johnson with his new crew chief; or Knaus with his new young driver.  As it turned out neither was very impressive.  Knaus was only able to lead his driver to five Top 5 finishes; but had two second place results.  Byron was able to get 13 Top 10's as the team seemed to gel better in the second half of the year.  Byron did make the Chase via points but was eliminated after the second round.  The pair ended up in eleventh place in the season points.  2020  would prove to be the final season as a crew chief for Chad Knaus.  They were back together looking to get their first win together and make the Chase.  Byron ran most of the end of the regular season right on the edge of the cut line. The final race at the cut at Daytona; he managed to grab his first win and qualify for the Chase.  Poor runs in the first round saw him get eliminated.  Byron finished 14th in the points.  For 2021, Byron will be back behind the wheel of the #24 with Rudy Fugle as his crew chief.  Chad Knaus will stay at Hendrick Motorsports and will move up to be the Vice President of Competition.  As a crew chief, Knaus garnered 82 wins.  Prior to 2018 in no year had he had less than two wins with Johnson.  He also has won major races including: Daytona 500 (2013); Coke 600 (2003, 2004, 2005 & 2014); Southern 500 (2004 & 2012); and Brick Yard 400 (2006, 2008, 2009 & 2012). 
Knaus has found himself in the middle of controversy on several occasions.  His first suspension, for two races, came in March 2001 for a seat belt violation at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.  It was notable because of the first safety violation in the wake of Dale Earnhardt's death.  Knaus appealed, but lost, returning at Texas three weeks later.  While working for Hendrick Motorsports, Knaus was accused of cheating after Jimmie Johnson's 2006 Daytona 500 qualifying run.  He made an illegal adjustment to the rear window, which resulted in his suspension from Cup events until March 22.  Despite the loss of his crew chief (and having to start from the rear of the field in a backup car), Johnson won the Daytona 500, and two of the first three races overall, with interim crew chief, Darian Grubb.  Knaus again found himself at the center of controversy during the road race debut of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow.  On June 23, 2007. Knaus and team mate of the #24 crew (chiefed by Steve Letarte) and the #48 crew entered the inspection line for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway with the newest body style out of the Hendrick shop.  While both cars fit the templates, NASCAR officials questioned the shape of the fenders in between the template points.  Johnson was not allowed to qualify the car, and he started at the back of the field.  Knaus was fined $100,000 and was suspended for six races.  In February 2012 Knaus was once again accused by NASCAR officials of a rules violation involving the #48 car of Jimmie Johnson after it failed pre-race inspection for the Daytona 500.  NASCAR issued penalties: Knaus and #48 car chief Ron Malec suspended six races each, Knaus fined $100,000, driver Jimmie Johnson docked 25 driver points.  On March 20, 2012, the chief appellate officer of NASCAR rescinded the suspensions and docked drivers points but left the financial penalty in place.