Chad Norris is a name synonymous with experience and success in the world of NASCAR. With a career spanning numerous years and encompassing various roles, Norris has left an indelible mark on the sport. This article delves into his journey, highlighting key moments and achievements that have defined his career.
Early Career and Crew Chief Roles
Norris's career in NASCAR has seen him work alongside numerous top-name drivers, including Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Trevor Bayne, Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr., and Brennan Poole. His experience spans across all three levels of NASCAR, amassing an impressive record of achievements.
In 255 races, Norris has secured three wins, 30 top-five finishes, and 107 top-10 finishes, along with six pole awards. His expertise and leadership have been instrumental in the success of the teams he has been a part of.
One of Norris's notable roles was as the crew chief for Carl Edwards. However, due to health concerns, Osborne transitioned into a management role within the organization.
Partnership with Brennan Poole
Most recently, Norris spent two seasons with Brennan Poole in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS), leading them to the NASCAR Playoffs in both 2016 and 2017. During these seasons, Poole achieved four Top 5 finishes and 17 Top 10 finishes each year, though he finished outside the Top 10 in points.
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GMS Racing and Spencer Gallagher
In 2018, Norris joined GMS Racing to work with Spencer Gallagher. As it ended up, Chad Norris was the lead wrench for a group of drivers who wheeled the #23 car in 2018. Spencer Gallagher drove selected races that season, and pulled off a win at Talladega. In all eight different drivers drove the car including both Bill and Chase Elliott; AJ Allmendinger, Alex Bowman Johnny Sauter and others. Spencer ran well as he had ten top ten finishes in his 19 starts. It was also nice to see Bill Elliott make his final NASCAR start after being out of a NASCAR race car for six years. Elliott ran on the road course of Elkhart Lake WI to wrap up his career.
"Chad will bring a lot of good and solid knowledge to this XFINITY program," said General Manager Mike Beam. "Spencer showed a lot of improvement last season and I feel like Chad can take him to the next level. With Chad's veteran knowledge and experience I know Spencer and this No. 23 team will succeed and excel."
John Hunter Nemechek
John Hunter Nemechek would drive the #23 for Gallagher Motorsports in 2019 in the Truck series. They had an eighth place finish to kick off the season at Daytona and finished second two weeks later at Las Vegas. Six of the next seven races produced Top 10 results. The duo ran well and amassed enough points to earn they way into the playoffs. In the Chase, Nemechek didn't run poorly; but it wasn't good enough to advance past the first round. For the season he finished seventh in the points and had six Top 5 and 19 Top 10 finishes. Due to a sudden illness of Matt Tifft, Nemechek was called upon to finish out the final three races in the Cup Series. He ran well enough to impress the owners of Premium Motorsports that they hired him to wheel their car full time in 2020.
Brett Moffitt
Norris was paired up with past Truck series Champion Brett Moffitt in 2020 as they raced the GMS Chevy in the Truck Series. This after GMS Xfinity driver John Hunter Nemechek, left to race in the Cup Series. Norris replaced outgoing Jerry Baxter who went to work with Bubba Wallace in the Cup Series. Moffitt would see a drop in his wins for the season from 2019 as he had four wins the previous season and only one in 2020. He did have almost as many top five and top tens. It wasn't as if didn't have a shot at winning. He did claim one win at Kansas; and finished second at Daytona on the road course, Bristol and the other Kansas race. He had ten Top 5 and 16 Top 10 results and made the Chase. He made it all the way to the Championship race at Phoenix and no one could keep up with Sheldon Creed and Zane Smith. Moffitt finished the race tenth and was third in the points.
Petty GMS Motorsports and Ty Dillon
More recently, Norris was appointed as the interim crew chief for Ty Dillon and the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for Petty GMS Motorsports. This change was part of a series of personnel adjustments made by the organization in preparation for the 2023 season, which would see Noah Gragson joining the team. Effective immediately, Chad Norris - who has served as Competition Director for GMS Racing over the last two years - will serve as interim crew chief of Ty Dillon’s No.
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“This year has been a growing year at Petty GMS,” said Joey Cohen, Director of Competition and Engineering for Petty GMS. “Our goal is to provide both Erik [Jones] and Noah [Gragson] with strong teams next season and the opportunities to win races and contend for a championship. We also see an opportunity to increase the performance of Ty [Dillon] and the No. 42 group for the remainder of the season.
Norris took over the duties from Jerame Donley the final eight races, as he worked with Ty Dillon. They finished 16th at Texas; and it was the only finish better than 23rd while together. He also worked five races in the Truck series with driver Jake Garcia and owner Bill McAnally. They had a best finish of 16th in their starts.
The switch to Norris is the first of what is supposed to be many changes to the team as it prepares for the 2023 season, which will see Noah Gragson joining the team in the No.
Here's a summary of Chad Norris's NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) season:
| Year | Team | Driver | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | [Team Name] | Brennan Poole | 0 | 4 | 17 |
| 2017 | [Team Name] | Brennan Poole | 0 | 4 | 17 |
| 2018 | GMS Racing | Spencer Gallagher | 1 | N/A | 10 |
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