Why did RCR hire Keith Rodden as Austin Dillon’s new crew chief?

Why did RCR hire Keith Rodden as Austin Dillon’s new crew chief?

Austin Dillon and Keith Rodden

A 5th different crew chief will manage Austin Dillon’s No:3 crew in 8 years. Former HMS crew chief and RCR motorsports competition department official Keith Rodden will replace Justin Alexander in 2023.

Keith Rodden was the crew chief for Kasey Kahne at HMS in 2017. His lone win came with the driver that season at Indianapolis. He also worked as a substitute crew chief for William Byron in 2020. He has worked with Chip Ganassi, Richard Petty, and Red Bull as crew chief.

Dillon’s current crew chief Justin Alexander will serve as the director of vehicle performance from next season. Last month, he announced that he wanted to come off the pit box of the No. 3 team. All four wins of Dillon’s cup career came under Alexander.

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RCR vice president of competition Andy Petree opens up about Keith Rodden’s appointment

Austin Dillon
Andy Petree

During the Rodden announcement, Andy Petree, RCR vice president of competition, pointed out that the appointment is in line with RCR’s team approach. It also highlights its commitment from Chevy to elevating all its teams with a data-driven approach.

“The addition of Keith Rodden to the Richard Childress Racing team highlights the ‘One Team’ approach to our race program and the commitment that our manufacturer partner has made to elevating all of the Chevy NASCAR teams with a shared approach to data gathering and technical development,” said Andy Petree.

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Andy Petree is sure that Keith Rodden is the perfect match for Austin Dillon. They have known each other and have worked together since the start of Keith’s career. While thanking Justin Alexander for contributions to RCR’s success, Petree said he expects similar results in his new role.  

“I’ve known and worked with Keith Rodden since the beginning of his NASCAR career, and I can confidently say that he will be a great match for Austin Dillon and our team at Richard Childress Racing. We’d like to thank Justin Alexander for his contributions to the No. 3 team and know that he will do a great job continuing to support RCR in his new role,” added Andy Petree.

What are your thoughts on the appointment?

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