NASCAR Crew Chiefs Ready for 2023 Season

February 17, 2023

On Sunday, February 19, 40 drivers will compete for one of the most coveted honors in sports: the right to be crowned DAYTONA 500 Champion.

It takes a team effort to earn a win at any track on the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) circuit, especially at Daytona International Speedway, and it starts with those that prepare the race cars at the shop and extends to the drivers wheeling the three Team Penske Ford Mustangs around the iconic 2.5-mile superspeedway.

In advance of this season’s opening race at Daytona, we caught up with the Crew Chiefs who will be leading Team Penske team to get their outlook on the 2023 NCS season.

Jeremy Bullins – No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang

Bullins returns to the No. 2 team after a strong 2022 campaign with driver Austin Cindric, who secured last year’s Rookie of the Year honors. Together the pair started their first season together with the ultimate victory, a third DAYTONA 500 victory for Team Penske.

“Coming off a great season where Austin was able to secure Rookie of the Year and win the DAYTONA 500, we feel like we have a lot of momentum heading into his second season. The experience he gained last year will give him a leg up to be better yet and try to improve on his performances. We certainly know the areas we need to work on to be better, and that’s really been our focus with the No. 2 car in this offseason. Hopefully we’ll continue to take steps forward and improve as a team.”

Jonathan Hassler – No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang

Hassler begins his second season leading the No. 12 team with Ryan Blaney in 2023. The combination saw Blaney surpass a career high in top-five finishes and a win in the All-Star Race. 

“Our 2022 season was about as good as it could be without being great. We certainly had speed in a lot of races and were able to run up front. We were in position for a lot of wins but couldn’t close the deal. I was excited to come on board with Ryan last season, and I am just as excited to push on into 2023. Ryan and every member of this team are focused on building a culture of continual improvement. We know we’ll find a lot of success, and with some minor adjustments, we can be up front and contend for wins.”

Paul Wolfe – No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang

Paul Wolfe and Joey Logano led the No. 22 Ford Mustang team to the organization’s third NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2023 and it marked Wolfe’s second NCS title as a crew chief.

“Certainly, some of the positives going into this year are that there haven’t been any changes to the No. 22 team. Now that all the teams have had a year with this car, it’s going to be about the details. We have to be careful not to be caught up in the success we had in the first year and have to keep finding those small gains so that we don’t fall behind. Joey did a really nice job of adapting to the new car. Him being a veteran and having so much success with the old car, the time and effort he puts into preparation keeps our whole team motivated. Having great teammates will continue to be important as we continue to figure this car out. There’s no reason why we can’t have a shot at back-to-back championships.”

Live coverage of the DAYTONA 500 begins on Sunday, February 19th at 2:30 P.M. ET on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90.