2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Alan Gustafson is back for his 22nd season atop the pit box, pairing up with eight-time most popular driver Chase Elliott for the 11th year. Over their first 10 seasons together, the longest active driver/crew chief duo amassed 21 points-paying victories and a premier series title. Gustafson is currently tied as the second-winningest active crew chief in the Cup Series with 41 victories.
Growing up down the road from Daytona International Speedway, Gustafson developed a passion for auto racing at a young age. At eight years old, he began turning wrenches on the go-karts of childhood friend Casey Yunick, grandson of legendary car builder Smokey Yunick. As a mechanic, Gustafson moved quickly through the legend cars, late model and Sports Car Club of America ranks. After graduating from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, Gustafson enrolled at nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering.
Arriving in North Carolina in 1996 to pursue a career in motorsports, Gustafson teamed with driver Jimmy Foster to co-own a Goody's Dash Series team. He called the shots as both crew chief and engineer as the duo finished sixth in the standings. Gustafson then became a first-time NASCAR crew chief in 1997 after joining Addington Racing’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team and transitioned the following season to the NASCAR Xfinity Series as an engineer for Diamond Ridge Motorsports.
Gustafson's big break came in 1999 after leasing space from champion crew chief Gary DeHart, who saw promise in the young Floridian and offered him a chance to work in the chassis department at Hendrick Motorsports. After quickly proving himself, Gustafson joined the DeHart-led No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team in 2000 as shock specialist for two-time champion driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte. His hard work again paid off in 2002 when he was promoted to the No. 5 team’s lead engineer, a position he held for three seasons under crew chief Jim Long.
Before the start of the 2005 season, Gustafson was named crew chief for the No. 5 Chevrolet with rookie driver Kyle Busch. That year, he earned his first two NASCAR Cup Series victories as a crew chief while Busch captured rookie of the year honors. Gustafson spent 2006 and 2007 with Busch, winning at least one race each year and appearing in the Cup Series playoffs both seasons.
After a 2008 stint leading driver Casey Mears in the No. 5 Chevrolet, Gustafson was given the opportunity to work with another NASCAR Hall of Famer, Mark Martin, who also happened to be his childhood hero. In 2009, the team finished second in championship points after five wins with the talented Martin. The duo earned five victories, 21 top-five finishes, 32 top 10s, eight poles and 953 laps led in two seasons together.
At the end of 2010, Gustafson was named crew chief of the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet driven by another NASCAR legend, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon. In five seasons, he coached Gordon to several milestones including the driver’s 85th Cup victory, record fifth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hendrick Motorsports’ milestone 200th pole. All told, the pair scored 11 wins, 51 top-five finishes and 97 top 10s.
Gustafson embarked on another year of change in 2016 when he was first paired with Elliott. Gustafson led the young Elliott in a successful rookie season, highlighted by the DAYTONA 500 pole, 10 top-five finishes and 17 top 10s, culminating in Elliott receiving Rookie of the Year honors. The duo scored its first victory together in 2018 and continued the momentum, capturing the Cup Series championship in 2020. In a decade together, Gustafson and Elliott have also notched an All-Star Race victory (2020), pre-season Clash triumph (2025) and a pair of DAYTONA 500 poles (2018 and 2019).
The champion crew chief’s impressive resume only continues to grow with each passing season. In 21 years atop the pit box at Hendrick Motorsports, Gustafson has garnered an impressive 41 wins, 216 top-five finishes and 375 top 10s.
Gustafson has two sons, John Alan and Austin, and resides in Davidson, North Carolina, with wife Shannon. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, photography, landscaping and mountain and road biking.
