September 23, 2014 - Three NASCAR Tech Grads Join Kevin Harvick's Pit Crew as the No. 4 Team Competes in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
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Three NASCAR Technical Institute graduates from Tony Stewart’s 2011 Championship team joined Kevin Harvick’s pit crew earlier this month, after a swap by Stewart-Haas Racing to strengthen Harvick’s title chances in his first year with the team. The move – which swapped Tony Stewart’s No. 14 pit crew team with Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 pit crew team – represents an impressive milestone for the three standout graduates, and reinforces the caliber of a NASCAR Tech education.
Harvick had been critical of the No. 4 team's pit stops this season and said earlier this month that the regular-season finale had to be addressed for him to have a shot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
“Stewart HAAS Racing is just one of many NASCAR teams that employ top graduates from NASCAR Technical Institute,” said John Dodson, vice president of NASCAR and community relations at NASCAR Technical Institute. “This was the same pit crew that guided Tony Stewart to his NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in 2011, so it’s a smart and strategic move for the team. Having three NASCAR Tech graduates on this crew speaks volumes about our program and the strong relationships we have in the motorsports industries.”
The three NASCAR Tech grads on the five-person pit crew include:
• Jackman: Mike Casto | Hometown: Proctor, West Virginia
• Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith | Hometown: Concord, North Carolina
• Rear Tire Carrier: Mike Morneau | Hometown: Oxford, Maine
NASCAR Tech arms its students and graduates with the tools needed to find their niche in racing. Strong industry partnerships and a focus on helping students align passion with real-life skills help NASCAR Tech students graduate ready for real-world success and hard work. For these three graduates, dedication paid off.
“Having won a championship already, the knowledge and training these graduates possess will give Kevin Harvick an edge in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship,” said Dodson.
Harvick’s new pit crew members are not the first NASCAR Technical Institute graduates to have landed successful careers in NASCAR. Penske Racing currently employs 29 NASCAR Tech graduates on its NASCAR Sprint Cup and Indy Car Teams and Roush Yates Racing Engines has hired a number of the school’s graduates over the years to build the engines used in almost every NASCAR Series. Most recently, NASCAR Tech graduate Shannon Rursch was promoted to crew chief for Dylan Kwasniewski’s Nationwide Team – a milestone for the school.
