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Addington keeping options open

- jutter@charlotteobserver.com
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Steve Addington, who will step down as crew chief for driver Kyle Busch following Sunday's race at Talladega, said he believes the change was made because "they want to try to bring a breath of fresh air into the No. 18 car."

Addington and Busch have won 12 races in the nearly two years they have worked together at Joe Gibbs Racing.

"I'm the guy that has the performance on his shoulders, which – I got big shoulders – I can carry that," Addington said Friday in an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio.

"And it was, we didn’t make the Chase, but we won four races and a lot of guys would like to have our season. But it just didn't work out and I'll move on and good things will come for me."

Addington said he was notified Monday afternoon that the change was being made.

"I've got a lot of respect for this organization and the people in it," he said. "But you sit back and you wonder, what do you got to do because you beat a lot of great guys in this garage in the past 18 months. And you start questioning what do you got to do to be successful in this business?

"I've been with the No. 18 car for five years and the past two years have been awesome, and I think it's just, you just question what you have to do to make it over here."

Addington will be reassigned at JGR, but said he is keeping all his options open.

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