JTG Daugherty Racing announces 2020 driver, crew chief lineup
Ryan Preece will drive the #37 next year |
JTG Daugherty Racing announced today the official driver, car number and crew chief lineup for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will take over the No. 47 Chevrolet, adding crew chief Brian Pattie to the organization. Ryan Preece will be at the helm of the No. 37 Chevrolet with crew chief Trent Owens.
Pattie joins JTG Daugherty Racing from Roush Fenway Racing where he was the crew chief with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. the past three seasons. A crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series for 16 years, he has six wins with three drivers, two of which were with Stenhouse Jr.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Brian Pattie to JTG Daugherty Racing," team owner Tad Geschickter said. “With Brian’s veteran experience and knowledge at NASCAR’s premier level, we know he is going to be a great asset to the organization and work well with Ricky Stenhouse Jr."
“I’m very grateful to have Brian join me at JTG Daugherty Racing next season," Stenhouse Jr. said. “Working together the past several seasons, our relationship away from the track has really developed and I know that will speed up the process of getting familiar and plugged into the team as quick as possible. He knows what I’m looking for and I know what he expects from me. This team is a great fit for both of us, and we’re looking forward to contributing to the success JTG Daugherty Racing has been building."
Owens enters his fourth year as the crew chief on the No. 37 car in 2020. He led the team to four top-10 finishes and 12 top-15 finishes in 2019, improving the team’s average finishing position from 21.0 to 17.8. Previously, he worked at Richard Petty Motorsports from 2014 through 2016, where he earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win with Aric Almirola at Daytona International Speedway in 2014.
“Trent is a veteran at our organization leading the charge on the No. 37 car for the past three seasons," Geschickter said. “He elevated a young driver in his second year in the series to consistently running in the top 15, and we have high expectations that he will be a great fit with Ryan Preece next year in his sophomore season."
“I’m really looking forward to working with Trent Owens this upcoming season," Preece said. “Our teams worked closely together in 2019. It was impressive to see what he’s done with the No. 37 team the last three years. I really want to continue building on that and bringing both cars into the top 15 regularly next year."
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 pm ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.