Greg Zipadelli will fill in for Rodney Childers, who will serve a one-race suspension after a lug nut violation following last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas, as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Zipadelli is listed as the crew chief in NASCAR’s team roster portal.
Zipadelli, who has served as Stewart-Haas Racing’s competition director in recent years, is a decorated crew chief.
The 54-year old has guided drivers to 34 NASCAR Cup Series wins over the years and he was the crew chief for two of Tony Stewart’s three NASCAR Cup Series championship seasons (2002 and 2005). Zipadelli filled in as crew chief for Clint Bowyer in two NASCAR Cup Series races last season, scoring a best finish of 10th at Richmond in the fall.
Zipadelli also won three of four starts as a crew chief last season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Chase Briscoe driving his car.
The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team finished ninth this past weekend, and Harvick sits seven points below the cut line in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with two races remaining in the Round of 12. While Talladega Superspeedway isn’t the most intense race for a crew chief, as the draft is the great equalizer, it has to feel nice for Harvick to have the experience of Zipadelli to fall back on without Childers at the track.
Tony Gibson will serve as the competition director for SHR this weekend according to NASCAR.com.
