Brian Whitesell

Brian Whitesell (born April 23 1964) is an American team manager in NASCAR Sprint Cup auto racing from Stuarts Draft, Virginia. He is the team manager for the Hendrick Motorsports #5 team of Casey Mears and the #88 team of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He has been part of seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship teams (1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006 and 2007).

Early involvement in racing

Whitesell became involved in racing as a senior at Virginia Tech. He had a senior class project involving the design and construction a Mini Baja racecar through the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). [http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/racing-bio.asp?team=3&pers=6&bhcp=1 Crew Chief Profile] ; Hendrick Motorsports, Retrieved September 14 2007] [http://www.vtmagazine.vt.edu/spring00/feature3.html Engineer on the Fast Track: Brian Whitesell keeps Nascar's winningest cars in the running] ; Virginia Tech, Su Clauson-Wicker, Retrieved September 14 2007] After graduation in 1987, he went to work at Mack Trucks in Allentown, Pennsylvania as a mechanical engineer. Whitesell transferred to Mack Trucks' office in Columbia, South Carolina. Whitesell used the office to volunteer for Alan Kulwicki's underfunded team on weekends as an attempt to get into motorsports in 1992. He drove the team's hauler, spotted, and scored for the team. He was part of Kulwicki's championship team.

Hendrick Motorsports

He joined Hendrick Motorsports in 1993 as a transporter driver, timer/scorer, and chassis technicial on rookie Jeff Gordon's #24 DuPont team. [http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=bm-whitesell081705&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Man behind the curtain] ; Yahoo, Bob Margolis, August 17 2005; Retrieved September 14 2007] He began using his mechanical engineering degree in 1994 as one of the first engineers in NASCAR. He was named the Western Auto Mechanic of the Year in 1997. The team won three championships in five years. In September 1999 Whitesell was named the crew chief for Gordon after Ray Evernham left. The #24 team won two of the next seven races. After the season he was named team manager of the #24 team, and the team won the 2001 championship.

Hendrick Motorsports added a second team in 2002 in the #48 car driven by Jimmie Johnson. Whitesell oversaw the growth the teams. Both teams finished in the Top 5 in points in both 2002 and 2003. The teams finished second and third in 2004. In 2005 Whitesell was named the team manager for the #5 car driven by Kyle Busch, the #25 car driven by Brian Vickers, and the #44 car driven part-time by Terry Labonte.

Personal life

Whitesell lives with his wife Mary in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Additional reading

* [http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/09/13/jgordon_whitesell/ Conversation: Brian Whitesell] , NASCAR.com; Lee Montgomery, September 29 2004, Retrieved September 14 2007

References