By Jerry Jordan, Editor
Cole Custer will get to keep his Xfinity Series crew chief, Mike Shiplett, who will help the NASCAR Rookie of the Year contender in the No. 41 Ford as other changes were also announced by the organization Wednesday.
Rodney Childers will continue to sit on top of the pit box for Kevin Harvick but Mike “Buga” Bugarewicz, who called the shots for Clint Bowyer, will swap places with John Klausmeier. That puts Buga with Aric Almirola, and Klausmeier with Bowyer.
Klausmeier joined Almirola’s crew in 2018 and helped him get a win at Talladega Superspeedway, in addition to 29 Top 10’s. Both years, the duo has made the NASCAR playoffs. Buga helped Tony Stewart get his final Cup Series win before his retirement in 2014. After that he took on crew chief duties for Bowyer and the pair have won twice since then and made the playoffs for the past two years.
“Our biggest asset at Stewart-Haas Racing is our people, and we strive to put each person in the best position to succeed,” said Greg Zipadelli, Vice President of Competition, SHR. “Our driver/crew chief pairings for next season reflect this ideology, and we believe this lineup provides the best opportunity to win every time we unload our Ford Mustangs at the racetrack.”