Steve Addington Out as Kyle Busch's Crew Chief

Despite turning in a four-win 2009 season and leading Kyle Busch to a series best eight victories last year, Steve Addington (far right, with Busch) is being replaced by Dave Rogers as crew chief of Busch's No. 18 Toyota beginning with the Nov. 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Addington, 45, who has served as crew chief of the No. 18 car for five years, will be reassigned within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization, according to a news release from the team on Tuesday.

"We evaluate all of our teams on an ongoing basis and believe this is a change that will make the 18 team stronger as we prepare for next season,'' said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. "We think highly of Steve and the job he has done and we look forward to him remaining a part of the JGR family."

With Addington calling the shots last year, Busch qualified for the Chase for the Championship, but he just missed making the 12-driver field -- by eight points -- this year. In the six Chase races to date, Busch has only two top-five finishes and has dropped to 14th in the championship -- his worst points finish since a 20th place position during his 2005 rookie year.

Rogers, a crew member on Tony Stewart's 2002 championship team at JGR, is in his fourth season as crew chief on the team's No. 20 Nationwide Series car. He led JGR to its first Nationwide Series owner's championship in 2008 with nine wins using four different drivers. The car has five wins this year.

"Dave has proven himself a talented crew chief and we think he will work well with Kyle,'' Gibbs said. "We hope that by making the move following this weekend's race at Talladega (Ala.) they can use the final three weeks of the season to begin working on communication and setups for the 2010 season.''

Busch has not issued a comment yet.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)

10-27-2009 @ 12:04PM

LarryMoss09 said...

BIG MISTAKE

10-27-2009 @ 12:58PM

No Touching! said...

NASCAR needs to dump the COT. The car doesn't handle or pass well. Until they make some major changes a Hendrix car is going to win every year, most likely the 48.

10-27-2009 @ 5:01PM

pnut166 said...

Steve Addington`s respone: "Too much estrogen in the 18 for me!"

10-27-2009 @ 1:04PM

Matt Hopkins said...

This is nothing more than an overreaction to a less than great season. Last year was a fantastic season as far as race wins. You cannot expect that every year. Most teams would be estatic with a season like the 18 car has had. How many drivers are out there who have not won 4 races in a career, let alone a season? 14th place in the points sure beats 35th.

10-27-2009 @ 8:06PM

Dean said...

Are you talking about Mikey? LOL

10-27-2009 @ 1:24PM

sszewczyk said...

I think this is hysterical. Wasn't it Kyle who was bustin on Jr. for getting a new crew chief.
Also they should just hand Johnson the trophy already and call it a season.

10-27-2009 @ 1:28PM

Mark said...

I was at Martinsville on Sunday. Listening to my scanner and specifically Kyle Busch's frequency, I cannot believe the way he whines and complains to his entire crew. Very sarcastically he said " I can't pass the slowest f***ng car out here. Thanks guys" I don't how anyone could work for or with this punk.

10-27-2009 @ 1:29PM

sdh4194 said...

My grandma could win in the #20 nationwide car. Rogers deserves this promotion.

10-27-2009 @ 1:30PM

illsell4u said...

Last year was a fluke for Kyle Busch. He only performed well the first 2/3 of the season. By the time the chase came around the other teams had learned how to handle and set up the car. This year, the other teams have advanced even further. Note the new speed record set this week at Charlotte as proof.
Also, look back at his entire career, not just last year. He was nothing special before last year and has been nothing special since. He wins in Nationwide, BFD. Send any top five Sprint Cup driver to Nationwide full time and they will kick his ass in Nationwide just like they do in Sprint.
mbl

10-27-2009 @ 1:46PM

LMVC said...

His bad attitude will be his down fall.

10-27-2009 @ 2:04PM

ed rockwell said...

a quote from one of the posters

"I think this is hysterical. Wasn't it Kyle who was bustin on Jr. for getting a new crew chief.
Also they should just hand Johnson the trophy already and call it a season." YES BUT KYLE AT LEAST RAN GOOD, jr SUC.S

10-27-2009 @ 8:44PM

Brad said...

Excuses Excuses,,,,and who's making them now. LMAO Jr. has had a terrible year yet is still a nice guy on the other hand poor poor Kyle is still an asshole and for him that's a LIFE SENTENCE. LMAOROF

10-28-2009 @ 1:00AM

anzajoe said...

junior sucks? SO DO YOU ED SUCKWELL. your last name is SUCKWELL, isn't it? quit changing it.
who sucks better now, ah?

10-27-2009 @ 2:12PM

keith and lori said...

Remember when Tony Eury Jr was replaced as Dale Jr's crew chief, Kyle made a smart comment to the effect "that it's always the crew chief, nver the driver"....basically insinuating people were laying the blame for Jr's season on Eury's shoulders. I wonder if the same applies here....maybe Kyle sucks(which in reality, he really, really does) and they're just blaming it all on Addington

10-27-2009 @ 2:28PM

faddeosr said...

Kyle, Please DO NOT come back to BUFFALO, Every time you open your mouth your IQ COMES THROUGH<
LOUD & CLEAR !!! No wonder you are loosing fans, NO ONE RESPECTS YOU ! Your world doesn;t work on the track because you Mr, are on the wrong side of the man upstairs. Your attitude is stinks and I hate listening to after a race , because you never accept blame on yourself, you are an obnoxious little man. Joe Gibbs time for Bible classes for this young man, he does nothing for your image, or ypur Beliefs. CUT HIM LOOSE

10-27-2009 @ 2:39PM

jlwagcom said...

i amsuprised some body hasent punched thh little pr--kright square in the nose.

10-27-2009 @ 2:45PM

HELLO POO said...

I dont know how anyone can work with this jerk. He thinks he is better then anyone else on the track, well tell that to Jimmy Johnson Kyle!!!!

Greg said...

Mike,

You are right. This guy does know how to drive anything and the people at Gibbs did indeed look at the past, present and looked even further in the future and saw a trend. People this is a business and things change all the time. I know I get orders for engines here at TRD that asks for 20 and then next week 35. It is almost impossible to develop 35 engines a week that are almost 800 HP. But the Japanese and Americans here in California did it three weeks ago.
My point is things have to CHANGE in order to be more competitive.

Greg

10-27-2009 @ 3:43PM

nzcr14opposing view said...

STEVE ABINGTHON DID NOT DUMP KYLE BUSHEY SO THE TEAM can get more competitive.STEVE IS A GOOD CREW CHIEF and he is COMPETITIVE ENOUGH.
You do not see CHAD KANVAS DUMPING JJ or STEVE LETARGY DUMPING JG or DARRLIN SCRUB dumping TS etc etc.
S.abinton dumped the kilye because the kylie is a punk,a cackey scumbag, an obnoxious species IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK WITH,He is also a STUCKED UP
HEAD which thinks he is above everybody else.
GET A CLUE DUDE.

10-27-2009 @ 2:55PM

uttley123 said...

If I was Steve Addington, I would be doing back-flips right now in the parking lot, celebrating the fact I wouldn't have to work with a primadonna like Kyle Busch. I am not denying the fact that he does have talent, but somewhere along the line, people have to be getting tired of listening to him whine about everything. If he was able to convey his point to his Crew Chief in a smart and correct way, perhaps he would have made the chase. Instead, he gets PO'd at the car and everyone else and has terrible finishes.
I don't think anything was wrong with Steve Addington at all. His replacement will have little or no effect on the teams performance next year. They will finish worse than where they are now. In fact, I seriously doubt that Rodgers will finish the 2010 season in the position as Crew Chief. He too, will get tired of the spoiled brat behind the wheel and Rodgers will find himself looking for work elsewhere while JGR keeps the wrong driver. Once his performance, or lack there of comes to an end, JGR will not opt to renew his contract and the dumbass will be looking for a ride with another team. Kyle, if you read this, you are welcome to respond.