Chad Knaus
Encyclopedia
Chad Anthony Knaus is the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief for Jimmie Johnson
. He is currently employed at Hendrick Motorsports. Knaus has 52 victories as Jimmie Johnson's crew chief and is the only NASCAR crew chief to win five consecutive championships. He has been a crew chief in NASCAR for 12 years. Over this time, he has worked for three teams: Melling Racing, Tyler Jet Motorsports, and Hendrick Motorsports.
, Chad Knaus grew up around the racetracks of the Midwest helping his father, John, race against the likes of Mark Martin
, Alan Kulwicki
, Rusty Wallace
and Dick Trickle
. By the time he was 14, Knaus served as crew chief during his father Rockford Speedway
championship season. The father-son combination also won the Great Northern Series championship and finished second in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series
. A few years and seven track championships later, Knaus moved to North Carolina in 1991 to pursue a job in national stock car racing.
After working with Stanley Smith's stock car team, Knaus landed a job working on the #24 Hendrick Motorsports team led by crew chief Ray Evernham and raced by driver Jeff Gordon. From 1993 to 1997, Knaus advanced from being a general fabricator to managing the entire chassis and body construction program for the #24 team. Serving as a tire changer on the original Rainbow Warriors pit crew, Knaus was a part of the 1995 and 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship teams.
Following the 1997 season, Knaus joined Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
as car chief, where he worked with Steve Park
and later Darrell Waltrip
. During the 1998 season, he moved to Tyler Jet Motorsports, and in 1999, the call came that would lead Knaus to Dodge
, Melling Racing, and his ultimate career goal. Ray Evernham
wanted Knaus to lead the Dodge development team, an opportunity he quickly accepted. During two Dodge test sessions, Knaus worked with Melling Racing driver Stacy Compton. The two worked well together, resulting in Knaus' hire as crew chief for Compton in 2001.
In 2002, Knaus was offered the position of crew chief for a rookie driver in the Hendrick Motorsports
stable, Jimmie Johnson. Knaus led the rookie team to unprecedented success in 2002, earning 3 wins, 6 top 5s, 21 top 10s, and 4 Bud Pole Awards. Johnson became the first rookie in Cup Series history to ever lead the point standings, eventually finishing fifth overall. He also finished second in Rookie of the Year
honors to Ryan Newman
. In 2002, Knaus took home the inaugural IRWIN "Crew Chief of the Year" award. During the 2002 season at Dover, Knaus was fined for swearing on national television during an interview.
For the 2003 campaign, the #48 team had 3 victories, 14 top 5s, and 20 top 10s. Johnson finished the season second in the points standings to Matt Kenseth
.
In 2004, the season began with some early disappointments in weeks two and three at Rockingham
and Las Vegas
. However, the team quickly rebounded with a week five win at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway
. Subsequent victories at the Coca-Cola 600
and the Pocono 500
helped solidify their place in the NASCAR
Chase for the Cup towards the end of the season. However, poor finishes at Talladega
(37th) and Kansas
(32nd) nearly stopped their chances to win the Nextel Cup, but three consecutive wins, and four in the final six races, put the #48 team 18 points behind leader Kurt Busch going into the final race. The second victory at the Subway 500
in Martinsville
on October 24, 2004, was marred by tragedy when Rick Hendrick
's son, Ricky Hendrick
, nieces and brother were killed in an airplane crash en route to the race. All eight passengers and both pilots died in the incident. The team eventually finished second in the Nextel Cup Series points, losing to Kurt Busch
by just 8 points.
Knaus and Johnson took a step back in 2005, finishing the season ranked fifth in the standings after a crash in the season ending race at Homestead
.
In 2006, Johnson and Knaus won their first Nextel Cup Series championship with 5 wins, 13 top 5s, and 24 top 10s.
2007 was the best season yet for Knaus and Johnson. The tandem took home their second straight championship with a series best 10 wins. Hendrick Motorsports was the dominant team in 2007, amassing 18 wins in 36 races. Knaus and Johnson led the Hendrick charge that saw the championship battle come down to a race between themselves and teammate Jeff Gordon
.
In 2008 Chad and Jimmie Johnson tied NASCAR history with three straight championships set by Cale Yarbrough. The Lowe's Racing team had 7 wins, 15 top-fives, 22 top-tens, and 6 poles.
In 2009 Chad Knaus shared 13 top-fives, 20 top-tens, 6 wins, and 1 DNF with his driver Jimmie Johnson.
Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Statistics
.
Knaus again found himself at the center of controversy during the road race debut of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow
. On June 23, 2007 the #24 crew (chiefed by Steve Letarte
) and the #48 crew entered the inspection line for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway
with the newest body style out of the Hendrick shop. While both cars fit the templates, NASCAR officials questioned the shape of the fenders in between the template points.http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/06/22/jgordon.jjohnson.sonoma.inspection/index.html Johnson was not allowed to qualify the car, and he started at the back of the field. Knaus was fined $100,000 and was suspended for six races.
perspective on the hot topics in NASCAR, as well as a preview of the weekend's race. Knaus is joined by Bootie Barker
of Germain Racing
and a weekly special guest. The program is anchored by Fox
broadcaster Larry McReynolds
. Knaus has also appeared in television commercials for Kobalt Tools by Lowe's
, the primary sponsor of the #48 car. He also voices the crew chief in NASCAR games which include NASCAR 08
and NASCAR 09
on the XBox 360
and PlayStation 3
.
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....
. He is currently employed at Hendrick Motorsports. Knaus has 52 victories as Jimmie Johnson's crew chief and is the only NASCAR crew chief to win five consecutive championships. He has been a crew chief in NASCAR for 12 years. Over this time, he has worked for three teams: Melling Racing, Tyler Jet Motorsports, and Hendrick Motorsports.
Early life
Born in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, Chad Knaus grew up around the racetracks of the Midwest helping his father, John, race against the likes of Mark Martin
Mark Martin (NASCAR)
Mark Anthony Martin is an American stock car driver currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As of 2012, Martin will drive for Michael Waltrip Racing, moving on from successful organizations such as Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing. He has the second most wins in the NASCAR...
, Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki , nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series...
, Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...
and Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
. By the time he was 14, Knaus served as crew chief during his father Rockford Speedway
Rockford Speedway
Rockford Speedway is a 1/4 mile short track high banked asphalt oval. It is located in the city of Loves Park on Illinois Route 173 near Rockford. Rockford Speedway is the only racetrack running under NASCAR sanction in Illinois....
championship season. The father-son combination also won the Great Northern Series championship and finished second in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series
Whelen All-American Series
The Whelen All-American Series is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local racetracks around the United States and Canada....
. A few years and seven track championships later, Knaus moved to North Carolina in 1991 to pursue a job in national stock car racing.
After working with Stanley Smith's stock car team, Knaus landed a job working on the #24 Hendrick Motorsports team led by crew chief Ray Evernham and raced by driver Jeff Gordon. From 1993 to 1997, Knaus advanced from being a general fabricator to managing the entire chassis and body construction program for the #24 team. Serving as a tire changer on the original Rainbow Warriors pit crew, Knaus was a part of the 1995 and 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship teams.
Following the 1997 season, Knaus joined Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a NASCAR-related organization located in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States working to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt. It was originally formed in 1980 by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on the closing lap of the 2001...
as car chief, where he worked with Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
and later Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
. During the 1998 season, he moved to Tyler Jet Motorsports, and in 1999, the call came that would lead Knaus to Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
, Melling Racing, and his ultimate career goal. Ray Evernham
Ray Evernham
Ray Evernham is currently a consultant for Hendrick Companies. In 1999, Evernham won the NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated “Person of the Year”.-Racer:...
wanted Knaus to lead the Dodge development team, an opportunity he quickly accepted. During two Dodge test sessions, Knaus worked with Melling Racing driver Stacy Compton. The two worked well together, resulting in Knaus' hire as crew chief for Compton in 2001.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career
In 2001, Knaus was crew chief for Mark Melling's operation, which was sponsored by Pinkerton Tobacco, with Compton as driver.In 2002, Knaus was offered the position of crew chief for a rookie driver in the Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
stable, Jimmie Johnson. Knaus led the rookie team to unprecedented success in 2002, earning 3 wins, 6 top 5s, 21 top 10s, and 4 Bud Pole Awards. Johnson became the first rookie in Cup Series history to ever lead the point standings, eventually finishing fifth overall. He also finished second in Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
honors to Ryan Newman
Ryan Newman
Ryan Joseph Newman is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the #39 United States Army/Tornados/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Tony Gibson. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in vehicle structure engineering...
. In 2002, Knaus took home the inaugural IRWIN "Crew Chief of the Year" award. During the 2002 season at Dover, Knaus was fined for swearing on national television during an interview.
For the 2003 campaign, the #48 team had 3 victories, 14 top 5s, and 20 top 10s. Johnson finished the season second in the points standings to Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Kenseth currently drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
.
Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
. However, the team quickly rebounded with a week five win at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
. Subsequent victories at the Coca-Cola 600
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, formerly known as the World 600, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held each year at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend...
and the Pocono 500
Pocono 500
The 5-hour Energy 500 is the first of two stock car races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in mid-June, the other being the Pennsylvania 500, usually held in early August. The Pocono 500 replaced a 400-mile race at Texas World Speedway on...
helped solidify their place in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Chase for the Cup towards the end of the season. However, poor finishes at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
(37th) and Kansas
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
(32nd) nearly stopped their chances to win the Nextel Cup, but three consecutive wins, and four in the final six races, put the #48 team 18 points behind leader Kurt Busch going into the final race. The second victory at the Subway 500
Subway 500
The Tums Fast Relief 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. It is currently the seventh race in the ten race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Since 2007, the race has been carried on ABC....
in Martinsville
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
on October 24, 2004, was marred by tragedy when Rick Hendrick
Rick Hendrick
Joseph Riddick Hendrick III , better known as Rick Hendrick, is the current owner of the American NASCAR team, Hendrick Motorsports and founder of the Hendrick Automotive Group and Hendrick Marrow Program. He attended Park View High School in South Hill, Virginia, and began his career in auto...
's son, Ricky Hendrick
Ricky Hendrick
Joseph Riddick Hendrick IV , also known as Ricky Hendrick, was an American NASCAR stock car driver and partial owner at Hendrick Motorsports, a team that his father Rick Hendrick founded. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 2, 1980, and began his career in racing at the age of fifteen...
, nieces and brother were killed in an airplane crash en route to the race. All eight passengers and both pilots died in the incident. The team eventually finished second in the Nextel Cup Series points, losing to Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch
Kurt Thomas Busch is an American NASCAR and NHRA driver. He drives the No. 22 Shell Oil Company/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and will race on an "opportunity permitting" basis in the Pro Stock division of NHRA...
by just 8 points.
Knaus and Johnson took a step back in 2005, finishing the season ranked fifth in the standings after a crash in the season ending race at Homestead
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
.
In 2006, Johnson and Knaus won their first Nextel Cup Series championship with 5 wins, 13 top 5s, and 24 top 10s.
2007 was the best season yet for Knaus and Johnson. The tandem took home their second straight championship with a series best 10 wins. Hendrick Motorsports was the dominant team in 2007, amassing 18 wins in 36 races. Knaus and Johnson led the Hendrick charge that saw the championship battle come down to a race between themselves and teammate Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
.
In 2008 Chad and Jimmie Johnson tied NASCAR history with three straight championships set by Cale Yarbrough. The Lowe's Racing team had 7 wins, 15 top-fives, 22 top-tens, and 6 poles.
In 2009 Chad Knaus shared 13 top-fives, 20 top-tens, 6 wins, and 1 DNF with his driver Jimmie Johnson.
Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Statistics
| Year | Driver | Races | Wins | Poles | Top 5 | Top 10 | DNFs | Season Rank | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Stacy Compton | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 33rd | ||||
| 2002 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 5th | ||||
| 2003 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 2nd | ||||
| 2004 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 8 | 1 | 20 | 23 | 7 | 2nd | ||||
| 2005 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 5 | 5th | ||||
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 5* | 1 | 13 | 24 | 1 | 1st | ||||
| 2007 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 1st | ||||
| 2008 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 22 | ||||||
| 1st | ||||||||||||
| 2009 | Jimmie Johnson | 35 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 1st | ||||
| 2010 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 23 | 4 | 1st | ||||
| 2011 | Jimmie Johnson | |||||||||||
| Totals | 300 | 53* | 19 | 107 | 164 | 35 | ||||||
- 2 Race wins (Daytona 500 & Las Vegas) he was suspended at the time.
Criticism
While working for Hendrick Motorsports Chad Knaus was accused of cheating after Jimmie Johnson's 2006 Daytona 500 qualifying run. Knaus made an illegal adjustment to the rear window, which resulted in his suspension from Sprint Cup events until March 22. Despite the loss of his crew chief, Johnson won the Daytona 500, and two of the first three races overall, with interim crew chief, Darian GrubbDarian Grubb
Darian Grubb was a NASCAR mechanic and crew chief for Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala driven by Tony Stewart. Before being employed at Stewart Haas Racing, Grubb worked for Hendrick Motorsports as an assistant and filled in as Jimmie Johnson's crew chief during...
.
Knaus again found himself at the center of controversy during the road race debut of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow
Car of Tomorrow
The Car of Tomorrow, sometimes called CoT or "Car of Today", is the car style for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Larger and boxier than the design it replaced, the Car of Tomorrow is safer, costs less to maintain, and was intended to make for closer competition.The car was introduced in the 2007 Cup...
. On June 23, 2007 the #24 crew (chiefed by Steve Letarte
Steve Letarte
Steve Letarte is the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He first began as crew chief for Jeff Gordon when he took over the job of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet from Robbie Loomis in September 2005. Letarte was born in Cornish, Maine.-Early Racing Career:Letarte began...
) and the #48 crew entered the inspection line for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
with the newest body style out of the Hendrick shop. While both cars fit the templates, NASCAR officials questioned the shape of the fenders in between the template points.http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/06/22/jgordon.jjohnson.sonoma.inspection/index.html Johnson was not allowed to qualify the car, and he started at the back of the field. Knaus was fined $100,000 and was suspended for six races.
Outside activities
Chad Knaus is a regular commentator on NASCAR Performance, a program that broadcasts from each track every week on Speed. Each program provides a crew chiefPit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
perspective on the hot topics in NASCAR, as well as a preview of the weekend's race. Knaus is joined by Bootie Barker
Bootie Barker
Robert "Bootie" Barker III is a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car racing series. Barker is the crew chief for the No. 13 Germain Racing GEICO Toyota Camry driven by Casey Mears in the Sprint Cup Series. In the past, Barker has worked for Ashton Lewis, Bill Davis Racing, Jasper...
of Germain Racing
Germain Racing
Germain Racing is an American NASCAR team. It is owned by the Germain brothers, Bob, Stephen, and Richard. The Germain family owns many car dealerships across the United States...
and a weekly special guest. The program is anchored by Fox
Fox Sports (Australia)
Fox Sports is an Australia group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Consolidated Media Holdings. Its main competitors are ESPN, which has little local content and the free-to-air digital channel One HD...
broadcaster Larry McReynolds
Larry McReynolds
Lawrence Joseph McReynolds III is a former NASCAR crew chief and currently serves as a racing analyst on Fox Sports, TNT and a columnist on Foxsports.com. He currently lives in Mooresville, North Carolina...
. Knaus has also appeared in television commercials for Kobalt Tools by Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, the primary sponsor of the #48 car. He also voices the crew chief in NASCAR games which include NASCAR 08
NASCAR 08
NASCAR 08 is the eleventh installment of the EA Sports NASCAR series. It was developed by EA Tiburon and released for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This is the earliest that EA has released a NASCAR game...
and NASCAR 09
NASCAR 09
NASCAR 09 is the twelfth installment in the EA Sports NASCAR series, it is the sequel to 2007 game NASCAR 08. It is developed by EA Tiburon and released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and mobile phones in North America on June 10, 2008. On March 12, 2008, EA announced Jeff Gordon as...
on the XBox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.