For many of the individuals that work in NASCAR, the crew chief position is one to which most aspire. It is an objective on the career path, a goal, a dream. Other than car owner, it is probably summit of the NASCAR team hierarchy.
When the opportunity for a promotion to the crew chief position presents itself, it is something most men in the garage reach out and take hold of with pride and determination to do the best job possible with the task in which they have been charged.
Sometimes, however, the opportunity presents itself at the most unexpected times. For Jason Burdett, car chief on the #88 UPS Racing Team, the latter has been the case.
When the #88 UPS Racing Team was penalized in Richmond in early May, NASCAR also announced the suspension of crew chief Slugger Labbe for a period of four weeks. The appeal process allowed Labbe to continue working the next weekend but once the appeal committee denied the team's request, the crew chief duty fell on the shoulders of Burdett.
Burdett relished the opportunity, despite the circumstances of the situation.
"To be a crew chief, obviously, is my goal, eventually, for sure," Burdett explained. "I hate the circumstances that happened to put me in this position, but you have to take advantage of the situation and try to do what's best for you, too."
Burdett, a long-time employee of Robert Yates Racing (RYR), was with the #88 RYR team when Jarrett won the 1999 NASCAR championship. He left RYR to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2001, where he served as car chief with the #24 team and driver Jeff Gordon the same year Gordon won the fourth of his four championships. In 2002, Burdett moved to the newly formed #48 team with rookie driver Jimmie Johnson where he served as car chief until returning to RYR in May 2003.
"Jason is a long time employee of RYR and deserves this opportunity," Labbe said. "Jason has been involved with the #88 team for years as car chief and certainly understands the handling of the race car and the different things that I would communicate to Dale Jarrett. He is the best person to do this for our #88 team because the communication has already been started with the driver and crew members."
Burdett sat atop the pit box making calls on race weekend beginning with the All- Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 20th. The team finished seventh in that event but was eliminated from competition the next weekend when Jarrett was spun on the first lap of the Coca-Cola 600. Jarrett finished 24th at Dover, and then 38th at Pocono after the team suffered brake problems during the second half of the race. The race at Pocono was the last of Burdett's races as interim crew chief.
"It's definitely been a dream situation as far as being a crew chief," Burdett said. "It would be a lot easier if we had everything totally figured out so that we could just come in and keep going with a package that we have been running and we're having success. We're still searching for that package and it's been a lot more work."
If nothing else, Burdett believes he has gained a lot as a mechanic during the past four weeks and as a car chief.
"When you're the car chief, you are more worried about getting the work on the car right and getting it done," Burdett said. "When you are the crew chief, you're worried about getting it done perfectly. It's real easy to get into a situation of micromanaging a team."
"I think when Slugger does come back, it will help me realize how important every little thing is for when you go to make your final decision," he concluded.
