RPM announced Wednesday that it has employed Dave Elenz as crew chief for Jones and the No. 43 Chevrolet crew for the upcoming 2022 season.
Elenz, 40, replaces Jerry Baxter. Baxter’s future modified into once now now not addressed by the group.
Elenz serve most just right now as crew chief for driver Noah Gragson within the Xfinity Series at JR Motorsports. He has never served as a fulltime crew chief within the Cup Series.
As a crew chief at JRM, Elenz won back-to-back Xfinity Series championships with William Byron in 2017 and Tyler Reddick in 2018. In 228 Xfinity Series starts, Elenz’s drivers personal recorded 15 victories, 77 high-5 and 149 high-10 finishes.
“In 2001, after I started in NASCAR, my diagram modified into once to contend for a NASCAR Cup Series championship-title as a crew chief,” Elenz said. “The past seven years at JR Motorsports has ready me for the next chapter in my occupation.
“Working with champion-caliber drivers cherish William, Tyler, and Noah has now now not only fueled my settle on to switch as much as the next level nonetheless has also ready me to the fullest for that next step.”
A graduate of Clemson (S.C.) College, Elenz began his occupation at Jasper Racing in 2001. He also labored at Ginn Racing from 2003 to 2007 and at Purple Bull Racing Crew from 2009 to 2011. At Purple Bull Racing Crew, Elenz modified into once a segment of the group’s first Cup Series victory (Michigan) in 2009 as the lead engineer.
In 2012, Elenz joined Hendrick Motorsports as an engineer. Working alongside crew chief Chad Knaus, Elenz modified into once an engineer on Jimmie Johnson’s Cup Series championship-a success crew in 2013. Elenz joined JR Motorsports as a crew chief for the 2015 season.
“I without a doubt personal watched Dave’s occupation maintain, and I without a doubt personal consistently been impressed with him as a person and as a competitor,” said Philippe Lopez, RPM’s opponents director. “As a streak engineer, he
has won races and a championship within the NASCAR Cup Series, and as a crew chief he has won races and championships within the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a extremely various community of drivers.”
