Longtime Phoenix Racing crew chief Nick Harrison will leave the company after this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway. Harrison has been with the organization since the 2009 season maning both the Nationwide and Cup Series for the organization. Harrison won a Cup race with Brad Keselowski in the 2009 season at Talladega and has two Nationwide Series wins to credit as well.
Harrison will move from Phoenix Racing and join Richard Childress Racing to be the crew chief of the #33 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry. Harrison’s move creates a vacancy over at Phoenix Racing for the remainder of the 2013 season and that role will be filled by veteran crew chief Jimmy Elledge who will come out of retirement to crew chief the final six races of the season for the organization. Elledge has been in retirement this season as he is helping advance his daughter Karsyn’s racing career.
Elledge has 417 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races under his belt as a crew chief. He has one career win which came in the 2001 season with the late Bobby Hamilton at Talladega. Elledge was last in the Sprint Cup Series in 2010 when he was the crew chief of the #82 Red Bull Racing Toyota and driver Scott Speed. In 2011 and 2012 Elledge was the crew chief of Justin Allgaier in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and won two races with the #31 Brandt team.
Harrison joins the #33 team which has won just two races in the 2013 season and sits 10th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner points. He will replace veteran crew chief Ernie Cope who has been with RCR since 2011 when the organization purchased Kevin Harvick Inc. from Kevin Harvick. Cope has nine career NASCAR Nationwide Series victories to his credit and eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories to his credit.
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