Kevin Manion
Encyclopedia
Kevin Manion nicknamed Bono, is the current NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series crew chief
for the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
#1 Bass Pro Shops
/McDonald's
Chevrolet Impala
driven Jamie McMurray
. Manion lead the #1 car to wins in both the 2010 Daytona 500
and the 2010 Brickyard 400.
, United States
. He helped Bobby Fuller in the NASCAR Winston Modified Series at the age of 14. His first job was cleaning the car plus general mechanic work. Eventually he was promoted to tire changer. Between 1988 and 1992 he worked as a crew chief for Chris Woods on Late Models at Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts
.
Manion became the crew chief at Sheba Racing in Hudson, Massachusetts in 1993. His team worked a Modified car for Jeff Fuller and Steve Park. Tommy Baldwin
became the crew chief in 1993 and Manion became his main man. Steve Park, the team's driver, missed the 1993 championship by just three points.
as the driver and a crew chief of Tommy Baldwin. During this time, Manion and Baldwin shared a house and were later, in 1997, joined by Steve Park. Park's move coincided with his becoming the driver of the No. 3 AC/Delco Nationwide Series car owned by Dale
and Teresa Earnhardt. Manion would join Dale Earnhardt Inc. shortly after Park's move.
Manion became the crew chief of the No. 1 Chevrolet in Sprint Cup but later he was specially selected by Dale Earnhardt Jr and Teresa Earnhardt to head the newly formed Chance 2 Motorsports team in the Nationwide Series. That team proceeded to win two championships, 12 victories with Martin Truex Jr and three with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Manion went on to receive a Crew Chief of the Year award. The Chance 2 team's last year in 2005 was championship winning year.
Since 2006, Manion lead the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boat’s Team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2007, the team claimed their first Coors Light Pole Award, seven top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and their first Sprint Cup Victory at Dover International Speedway. The win secured Manion's team in the 2007 Chase for the Cup eventually finishing 11th in points. The team finished 15th in the points for the 2008 season with three top-five finishes and 11 top-10s.
In 2011, Manion fielded a car for Whelen Modified Tour
car for Ryan Newman
to run at New Hampshire International Speedway
. Newman won the race, but the car's intake manifold did not conform to NASCAR specification. Newman was later stripped of his win. Manion and crew chief Mike LaRochelle were suspended from NASCAR regional touring series events for the remainder of 2011. The win was awarded to Modified Series staple Todd Szegedy
.
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...
Sprint Cup Series crew chief
Crew chief
Crew chief may refer to:*Crew chief , the head person on a race team who directs both the driver and pit crew*Crew chief , Part of the Ford Work Solutions Package see Ford Sync...
for the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is a NASCAR team based in Concord, North Carolina, United States, owned by Dale Earnhardt's widow Teresa Earnhardt, Chip Ganassi, and Felix Sabates. This team was formed when Dale Earnhardt, Inc...
#1 Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
/McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
driven Jamie McMurray
Jamie McMurray
James Christopher "Jamie" McMurray is a professional American race car driver. McMurray is best known for winning the 2002 UAW-GM Quality 500 as a substitute driver in his second Winston Cup start, and is one of three drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year...
. Manion lead the #1 car to wins in both the 2010 Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
and the 2010 Brickyard 400.
Early life
Manion was born in Boylston, MassachusettsBoylston, Massachusetts
Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,355 at the 2010 census.-History:Boylston was first settled by Europeans around 1706 in the north part of the present-day town, most notably by the Sawyer family...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He helped Bobby Fuller in the NASCAR Winston Modified Series at the age of 14. His first job was cleaning the car plus general mechanic work. Eventually he was promoted to tire changer. Between 1988 and 1992 he worked as a crew chief for Chris Woods on Late Models at Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts
Agawam, Massachusetts
The Town of Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,438 at the 2010 census. Agawam sits on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from the City of Springfield, Massachusetts...
.
Manion became the crew chief at Sheba Racing in Hudson, Massachusetts in 1993. His team worked a Modified car for Jeff Fuller and Steve Park. Tommy Baldwin
Tommy Baldwin
Thomas "Tommy" Baldwin is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Arsenal, Chelsea, Millwall, Manchester United and Brentford. He was capped twice by England at under-23 level....
became the crew chief in 1993 and Manion became his main man. Steve Park, the team's driver, missed the 1993 championship by just three points.
NASCAR career
In 1994, Manion moved to North Carolina to further his racing career landing the job of general mechanic for Larry Hedrick Motorsports. The team had Ricky CravenRicky Craven
Richard Allen Craven is an ESPN broadcaster who works ESPN2's NASCAR Now and a race analyst for the network. Prior to his ESPN duties, he was a NASCAR driver who won in four different series—the K&N Pro Series, and the three national series. He occasionally served as a pit reporter when NASCAR...
as the driver and a crew chief of Tommy Baldwin. During this time, Manion and Baldwin shared a house and were later, in 1997, joined by Steve Park. Park's move coincided with his becoming the driver of the No. 3 AC/Delco Nationwide Series car owned by Dale
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
and Teresa Earnhardt. Manion would join Dale Earnhardt Inc. shortly after Park's move.
Manion became the crew chief of the No. 1 Chevrolet in Sprint Cup but later he was specially selected by Dale Earnhardt Jr and Teresa Earnhardt to head the newly formed Chance 2 Motorsports team in the Nationwide Series. That team proceeded to win two championships, 12 victories with Martin Truex Jr and three with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Manion went on to receive a Crew Chief of the Year award. The Chance 2 team's last year in 2005 was championship winning year.
Since 2006, Manion lead the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boat’s Team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2007, the team claimed their first Coors Light Pole Award, seven top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and their first Sprint Cup Victory at Dover International Speedway. The win secured Manion's team in the 2007 Chase for the Cup eventually finishing 11th in points. The team finished 15th in the points for the 2008 season with three top-five finishes and 11 top-10s.
In 2011, Manion fielded a car for Whelen Modified Tour
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
car for 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...
to run at New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
. Newman won the race, but the car's intake manifold did not conform to NASCAR specification. Newman was later stripped of his win. Manion and crew chief Mike LaRochelle were suspended from NASCAR regional touring series events for the remainder of 2011. The win was awarded to Modified Series staple Todd Szegedy
Todd Szegedy
Todd Szegedy, born May 6, 1976 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, is an American racecar driver. He was the 2003 champion of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.-Busch Series Career:...
.