MATT  PUCCIA   -   ?/?/?

got his start as a crew chief starting in 2004 working for owner Jim Smith in the NASCAR Truck Series.  He led driver Eric Norris in two races and their best finish was 14th.  Starting in 2006 he sat up on the pit box for owner Jack Roush working with four different drivers.  Best know were Carl Edwards and David Ragan.  Edwards would run one race and finish second at Dover.  2007 saw him do the same things as he led five different drivers for Roush.  Again Edwards would post the only Top 5 as he finished fourth at Fontana.  In 2008 He led driver Erik Darnell for the full season; and they won Puccia’s first race.  In 2009 Puccia moved up to the Xfinity Series working with Yates Racing and driver Paul Menard.  Menard posted one Top 5; it being a fifth at Texas.  2010 saw Puccia move back to Roush Racing and lead Menard full time and they showed improvement as they had four Top 5 finishes along with 19 Top 10’s and finished fifth in the points.  Roush moved Puccia up to the Cup series in 2011 where he got his start working with driver Greg Biffle, with 18 races left in the season.  The first part of the

season, Biffle and chief Greg Erwin were only able to manage three Top 10 finishes.  Puccia led Biffle to five Top 10 finishes and many results in the low teens.  They pair would stay together full time for the next four seasons.  The pair worked together to get Puccia his first Cup win in 2012 at Texas Speedway.  They also grabbed a second win that season at Michigan.  In 2013 they again won at Michigan; and in both 2012-2013 he led Biffle to make the Chase and finish in the top ten both years.  2014 and 2015 saw they duo struggle as they went win-less both season and Biffle could only manage a best finish of 14th in points.  2016 saw Biffle released and Trevor Bayne was brought in to fill the seat of the #6 Ford.  Bayne struggled and only posted two Top 5 finishes both seasons; and finished 22nd in the points both years.  Matt Puccia remained with Bayne in 2018. Like RCR, the Jack Roush team continued to struggle finding speed and performance. Hence good finishes were hard to come by. At the mid point of the season, Roush brought on Matt Kenseth to drive Bayne's car to see if he could offer some insight as to how to make the team better. Kenseth posted nine top 20 finished in his 14 starts and was seventh and sixth in the final two races of the year.  Ryan Newman has been brought in to wheel the #6 car in 2019 as Bayne was let go. Scott Graves will be Newman's crew chief.

 

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