Chase Elliott’s Car Chief Matt Barndt Leaves Hendrick for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

Pit This Time may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our coverage. Learn more.

Chase Elliott will have a new car chief in 2027. Matt Barndt, the car chief on Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet, has left Hendrick Motorsports to become a Truck Series crew chief at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.

FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass reported Friday that Barndt will crew chief Christian Eckes. Hendrick has not said who will replace him on the No. 9.

https://x.com/bobpockrass/status/2121340517770543263

A Chain of Moves at MHR

Barndt’s move is part of a larger shuffle at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, according to Pockrass:

• Matt Barndt becomes Christian Eckes’ crew chief.
• Kevin Bellicourt, Eckes’ crew chief, becomes MHR’s general manager.
• Darren Fraley, Kris Wright’s crew chief, will crew chief Daniel Hemric.
• Dewey Townsend, who crew chiefed MHR’s No. 20 Truck, will crew chief Nick Sanchez, who joins MHR’s No. 18 full time in 2027.

Car Chief vs. Crew Chief

A car chief isn’t the same as a crew chief. The crew chief leads the team and makes strategy calls during the race. The car chief is second in command and serves as the team’s lead mechanic, overseeing the car’s preparation.

Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, has led the No. 9 since Elliott’s first full Cup season in 2016. Elliott has won all 23 of his Cup races with Gustafson, including the 2020 championship. Gustafson previously crew chiefed Jeff Gordon from 2011 to 2015.

Elliott’s Tough Second Half

Elliott won early in 2026, at Martinsville in March and at Texas four races later, and was third in points after 11 races. From there, he had just one top-five finish before the Chase and fell to eighth by the start of the postseason.

In the 10-race Chase, he had two top-five finishes and led one lap. He finished 12th in the final standings, with 13 top-10 finishes and a 15.1 average finish.

His season ended with a pit road stack-up at Homestead that damaged his car and left him 22nd. Read more.

See all the 2027 crew chief changes so far.