NASCAR’s Greatest Crew Chief

With the announcement this week of 5 new inductees into NASCAR’s Hall Of Fame, NASCAR has recognized some of its greatest competitors. The third induction class will include Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Richie Evans, Dale Inman and Glen Wood. Each of these people have stamped their name on NASCAR in many ways, but for most newer fans, the name of Dale Inman may be a mystery.

It is easily understood, however, that Inman could be relatively unknown to the casual fans of the past 20 years. After all, for most of his career he stood in the shadow of one of NASCAR’s largest heroes. Richard Petty won seven championships, 200 races, and will forever be known as the “King” of NASCAR. He dominated the sport for the better part of two decades. Yet much of his success may have never come about if not for Dale Inman.

Dale Inman, Petty’s first cousin, was the first person to personify what we associate today with title “Crew Chief.” He was Petty’s crew chief from 1960 until leaving the team after winning the Daytona 500 in 1981. He had 192 victories and 7 championships with Richard Petty, along with 10 straight, and 27 total in 1967. His ability to set up the 43 and to keep the handling to Petty’s liking in no small part helped Petty become the “King.”

After leaving Petty in 1981, Inman worked with Dale Earnhardt on the #2 Wrangler car for part of the season. Earnhardt, the defending champion, left the team mid-season due to an owner change, but had several top 5 finishes with Inman in what could have been a budding relationship. Earnhardt would go on to race for Richard Childress and win 6 more championships, while Inman would join Terry Labonte a few years later for Labonte’s first championship.

His role in creating the basis for the crew chief position, along with his 190 plus wins and 8 championships definitely makes Inman the most important, if not the best crew chief of all time.

There are those, such as Leonard Wood, who would later be credited as one of the best and smartest crew chiefs in NASCAR history. However, to place Wood, and others of that day, in context, they were generally hailed as great for finding a way to beat the 43. While Wood and others tried to outsmart other teams by being innovative, Petty, with Inman, simply dominated. They pounded out every race with consistent, powerful cars and a driver that often would assume the lead as if it were a birthright.

NASCAR fanatic or casual fan, anyone can appreciate the special ability and character it takes for a person to build the caliber of career that Dale Inman built over three decades. Not only did he work with a high caliber athlete, but he excelled with him consistently for 21 plus years as his crew chief. Then to top it off, he reached the top of the sport again with another driver. Well known or not, he was definitely the best.

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Posted in: Dale Earnhardt,Dale Inman,Nascar,Nascar Blog,Richard Childress,Richard Petty,Terry Labonte