Veteran NASCAR crew chief has died suddenly
Ryan Pemberton served as a crew chief in 561 NASCAR Cup Series events. He most recently held the position in 2012 with drivers Tony Raines and Dave Blaney.
Hear from Kelley Earnhardt Miller below.
He collected two NASCAR Cup Series wins as a crew chief. The first came with Joe Nemechek in 2004. He picked up another win in 2009 with Brian Vickers.
He also has three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins in the books as a crew chief.
For 2012-2022, he stepped off the pit box and served as the competition director for JR Motorsports.
He passed away on Sunday at age 54.
JR Motorsports comments
JR Motorsports issued the following statement on Monday:
“Ryan Pemberton was instrumental to JR Motorsports’ success during the decade he spent with us,” Kelley Earnhardt Miller of JR Motorsports opened in a statement.
“He had such a passion for competition and as a leader, knew how to motivate everyone he worked with. He will always be part of the JRM family.”
She concluded, “Our hearts go out to his wife Andrea and daughters Payton and Britton during the tremendously difficult time.”
