NASCAR Cup Series

David Gilliland Gets New Crew Chief For 2012

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Tryson has spent the past two season with Michael Waltrip Racing (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Tryson has spent the past two season with Michael Waltrip Racing (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Front Row Motorsports have announced that Pat Tryson has joined the team to work as David Gilliland's crew chief.  Gilliland, 35, will embark on his third year at the team in 2012, having finished a remarkable third in last year's Daytona 500 and wrapped up a slot in the top 35 in owner's points for the first five races of the year.  He was very pleased to welcome Tryson, a winner in the past with Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler and Mark Martin, to his no.38 Modspace team.

He’s a great ‘get’ for this team,” Gilliland said. “There’s just so much that he brings to the table with all his experience. I can’t wait to get started.”

Front Row signed last year's Coke Zero 400 winner David Ragan to drive their #34, and see Tryson's addition to the team as another step forward in their attempts to become a top team. 

We made some pretty big changes this offseason to really take this team to the next level, and adding Pat is just one more critical piece that we’ve put in place for our 2012 season,” team boss Jerry Freeze said. “With Jay Guy on the no.34 car and Derrick [Finley] returning full time to the competition director role, the depth and experience of our leadership team is better than it’s ever been before.”

I like what this team has done in the last few years, doing the right things and making the right changes to get better every season,” Tryson added. “Gilliland’s a competitive driver – he’s got the fire in his belly – and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

Tryson's move to Front Row is one of many crew chief changes that have taken place over the off season.   Having been replaced at Stewart-Haas Racing by Kurt Busch's former crew chief Steve Addlington, 2011 champion crew chief Darian Grubb moves across to Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin's #11 team, while his team-mate Joey Logano will link up with Jason Ratfcliffe, with Greg Zipadelli moving into a managerial position with Tony Stewart's outfit.  New Michael Waltrip Racing man Clint Bowyer will have Brian Pattie calling the shots for his #15 car, while Chris Heroy joins Juan Pablo Montoya at Chip Ganassi Racing at in an attempt to return the #42 team to the Chase for the first time since 2009.  After Ragan's #6 ride at Roush-Fenway Racing was wound up at the end of last year, Drew Blickensderfer stepped across to Richard Childress Racing to work with Jeff Burton, while Kenny Francis maintains his relationship with Kasey Kahne, moving across from the defunct Red Bull team to join Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports. Another high profile change sees the third placed man for the last two seasons, Kevin Harvick, taking on a third new crew chief in four years – Shane Martin rejoins Harvick after a successful Nationwide spell together in 2006-7.  Todd Gordon steps up to Penske Racing's main arm having been with their Nationwide arm for the last two years, where he will join AJ Allmendinger, while former Red Bull man Ryan Pemberton will work with Dave Blaney at Tommy Baldwin Racing.

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James joined The TCF team in January 2012 as the sites NASCAR news and features writer. Follow him on Twitter @james_newbold
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