Two of the biggest names in NASCAR admitted they had no voice in recent crew chief changes. Alex Bowman and Shane van Gisbergen confirmed they were not consulted before their teams swapped leaders. The moves happened right after the 2026 season ended, leaving drivers to accept new bosses they did not choose. This shift shows a clear power gap between the people behind the wheel and the teams that hire their staff.
Drivers Feel Shut Out
Alex Bowman, who is wrapping up his final Cup season in 2027, lost Blake Harris as his crew chief. Harris is moving to Trackhouse Racing to lead Shane van Gisbergen’s team. Bowman told Autoweek he was not part of the decision-making process. When questioned regarding his participation in the crew chief situation, “I haven’t really been a part of that,” Bowman replied, according to Autoweek. He added that other people likely have a better view of the changes. The Arizona native noted that not every race team operates the same way, which makes finding the right fit harder for drivers.
Van Gisbergen faces a similar reality with his own crew chief, Stephen Doran, returning to Spire Motorsports. He described the process as simply accepting who you get and making it work. “You kind of just get put with who you are and work it out from there,” Van Gisbergen said. He believes the final call rests entirely with the team owners and managers.
Why Leadership Matters More
Because of this, he needs a crew chief who can step up and make tough calls. “I’m not the most natural leader in the world,” Bowman said. He explained that having a strong leader in the booth is vital for his success. “I’m shy and awkward and kind of stick to myself. So having a good, strong leader as a crew chief is important.”
The changes ripple through the organization. Spire offered a team-wide engineering role to Travis Peterson, who had been Michael McDowell’s crew chief. Meanwhile, Austin Dillon will also have a new crew chief in 2027. Richard Childress Racing now has Richard Boswell as vice president of competition; he served Dillon for the last two seasons. These shifts happen fast, and the drivers are left to adapt or accept the outcome.
Van Gisbergen summed up the situation with a simple statement about where the power lies. “It’s up to the team, I guess,” Van Gisbergen said. The lack of driver input is now a settled fact for the 2027 season.
