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closeStewart-Haas announces hiring of Tony Gibson, Bobby Hutchens
By David Poole
dpoole@charlotteobserver.com
Friday, Nov. 14, 2008
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Bobby Hutchens, formerly the vice president of competition at Dale Earnhardt Inc., has been named director of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, the two-car Sprint Cup team owned by two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart.
Tony Gibson, currently the crew chief for DEI’s No. 8 team, will be the crew chief for the No. 39 U.S. Army team and driver Ryan Newman at the organization.
"These are two really important hires for our race team," said Tony Stewart, co-owner. "Bobby Hutchens brings a ton of technical and management experience and Tony Gibson has helped a lot of well-known drivers earn their recognition by getting them to victory lane. I'm very proud to have both of these guys as a part of my team."
Hutchens has a mechanical engineering degree from N.C. State University and has 20 years of Cup experience. He was part of four championships, in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994 with the Dale Earnhardt.
"Stewart-Haas Racing has an incredible amount of potential, and to be an integral part of what we all believe can be a championship-winning organization was an opportunity I could not turn down," Hutchens said. "It's important that a race team's front office is in sync with what's happening on the shop floor, and having lived in both worlds, I'm committed to making Stewart-Haas Racing a strong and efficient operation."
Gibson has been a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series since 2002, working with such drivers as Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Steve Park and Michael Waltrip. Prior to becoming a crew chief, Gibson served as car chief for such notable drivers as four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, 1992 Sprint Cup champion Alan Kulwicki and 1988 Sprint Cup champion Bill Elliott.
"I've known Tony a long time and have always respected him as a racer and as a person," said Gibson, who grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla. "He understands people, works well with them, and genuinely wants to see them succeed. And he's smart enough to know that their success is also his success. He's building an impressive race team, and I'm very happy to be a part of it and I look forward to working with him and Ryan."