from TBA to "No Vacancy"
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive September 27, 2002
3:36 PM EDT (1936 GMT)
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Tony Gibson, who has championship experience with Jeff Gordon, Alan Kulwicki and Rob Moroso, will serve as driver Steve Park's crew chief beginning with the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season.
Park signed a one-year contract extension with Dale Earnhardt Inc. last month to continue driving the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet in 2003.
Gibson, 37, currently serves as Gordon's car chief, the position he held for the 2001 championship-winning No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet.
"I am really fortunate to have worked with Jeff Gordon and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports over the past five years," Gibson said. "I have always been a part of championship caliber organizations, and this move gives me an opportunity to pursue a Winston Cup championship as a crew chief.
"I feel confident that the resources at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and the experience I can bring will help Steve Park and DEI win races. From there, our focus will be on winning championships."
After working from 1995-97 as Bill Elliott's crew chief on Elliott's self-owned team, Gibson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 1998 as Gordon's chief mechanic for the 1998 Winston Cup championship effort.
Previously Gibson, a native of Daytona Beach, Fla., was chief mechanic of Alan Kulwicki Racing for three years, including the late Wisconsin driver's 1992 championship season.
After working with his older brother, ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Mark Gibson, Tony moved to NASCAR in 1989, where he worked with crew chief Steve Bird on the late Moroso's NASCAR Busch Series championship team.