(Sports Network) - Stewart-Haas Racing named Darian Grubb on Friday as the crew chief for driver Tony Stewart when Stewart moves over to the No.14 Chevrolet team in 2009. Team officials made the announcement at the Richmond International Raceway, where the NASCAR (web|news) Sprint Cup Series will run the "cut-off" race this weekend before the 10-race "Chase for the Sprint Cup" begins September 14 at New Hampshire. "This is a tremendous opportunity for me to not only work with a driver of Tonys caliber, but to help build an organization into one that can win races and eventually contend for championships," Grubb said. "I'm honored to join Tony and the Stewart-Haas organization. I'm really excited about taking this next step and I feel it's a challenge I'm ready for."

Grubb most recently served as an engineering manager for Hendrick Motorsports. He also served as an interim crew chief for Jimmie Johnson's No.48 team during the first four races of the 2006 season when Johnson's regular crew chief, Chad Knaus, was suspended for a rules violation that occurred during post- qualifying inspection at Daytona. Grubb guided Johnson to a pair of victories, including the Daytona 500.

Grubb spent the 2007 season as crew chief for Casey Mears, who captured his first Cup victory last year in the Coca-Cola 600 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The 32-year-old Floyd, VA native had been Hendrick since 1993.

"Darian is incredibly smart and ultra-competitive, and I saw that firsthand when he took the reins of the 48 team and won the Daytona 500 right out of the box with them and again at Las Vegas," Stewart said. "He's exactly what we need for the success we want to attain as a company, but he's also exactly what I need in a crew chief. He's thorough, he's confident and he's not afraid to tell me what I need to hear. As a driver, that's who I need on top of my pit box, and as an owner, that's who I need on our race team."

Additional personnel at Stewart-Haas Racing, including a crew chief for Ryan Newman, will be announced in the near future.









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