XS: JR Motorsports hires Jason Burdett and Dave Elenz as crew chiefs for 2015

JR Motorsports announced on Wednesday, December 3rd that Dave Elenz and Jason Burdett will be part of the team’s 2015 crew chief lineup in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (formally the Nationwide Series).

As previously announced, Ernie Cope will serve as Chase Elliott’s crew chief in 2015. Cope worked on the No. 5 car last year with Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Alex Bowman and select others. Cope replaces Greg Ives, who will be Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Sprint Cup Series crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports with Steve LeTarte moving to the NBC Broadcast booth. This marks Cope’s 13th season as a crew chief, in which he has recorded 14 career victories to date.

“This group gives us an exciting mix of proven experience, future potential, and new opportunities for everyone involved,” Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of JR Motorsports, said.  “Ernie is one of the best crew chiefs in the business, and yet he’s rarely had the opportunity to compete for a championship.  Now he gets that chance with Chase Elliott.

“Bringing in Dave Elenz and Jason Burdett gives us the opportunity to call up some of the best talent at Hendrick Motorsports and give them a shot at taking the next step in their careers.  That is the sort of foundation on which we built this company, and I’m excited to continue that with two individuals who I feel will have successful careers as crew chiefs in this sport.”

JRM announced that Elenz will serve as the crew chief for the No. 88 team in 2015, which was formally the No. 5 team. Elenz will work with multiple drivers throughout the year, ranging from Harvick, Earnhardt and Kasey Kahne to young, up-and-coming stars. The Gaylord, Michigan native served as an engineer on the No. 48 Sprint Cup Series team the past two seasons, scoring the championship last year with Jimmie Johnson. He spent time at Jasper Racing, Ginn Racing and Red Bull Racing before joining Hendrick Motorsports as an engineer on Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Sprint Cup Series team in 2012.

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to work with JR Motorsports,” The Clemson University graduate said.  “They’ve had a lot of success in recent years.  I look forward to learning from those successes.  To be able to work with the talented drivers we have in the 88 car next year is pretty unbelievable.  I know we’ll be competing for wins each and every week with those drivers.”

Meanwhile, Burdett will crew chief for the No. 7 team, which will see Regan Smith behind the wheel all year. Smith won the season opener in 2014 en route to finishing second in points. Ryan Pemberton, who worked with Smith in 2014, will return to his original position as JR Motorsports’ Director of Competition. The Arkport, New York native has spent eight seasons as a car chief at Hendrick Motorsports, working with Johnson, Jeff Gordon and most recently Earnhardt Jr. over the past four seasons. In his 17 years in the sport, he has also spent time with Robert Yates Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing.

“There is a lot of excitement surrounding JR Motorsports right now and I’m thankful to be part of it,” Burdett said.  “I’m grateful to Kelley, Dale Jr. and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports who I’ve learned from over the years.  Being able to take this next step with JR Motorsports is a privilege.  I’m looking forward to working with Regan and the entire group next year.”

JR Motorsports announced that all three cars will run full-time in 2015, with Elliott and Smith going for the company’s second straight driver’s championship, while the No. 88 competes for the owner’s championship. The driver line-up schedule is expected to be announced in the next month after it is finalized.