Hendrick Motorsports Engineer Tapped as Ross Chastain's New Crew Chief for 2026 Season

Trackhouse Racing Team announced a significant leadership change for its No. 1 Chevrolet team, with Brandon McSwain set to take over as crew chief for driver Ross Chastain starting in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. McSwain, currently an engineer with the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team, will replace Phil Surgen, who has guided Chastain since the 2021 season.

The partnership between Chastain and Surgen has been a highly successful one, marked by all six of Chastain’s career Cup Series victories. The duo achieved considerable success in the 2022 season, coming close to winning the Cup Series championship. Most recently, they secured a prestigious victory in the 2025 Coca-Cola 600, a crown jewel event in the NASCAR calendar. Over the past four seasons, they have consistently qualified for the playoffs three times, concluding the 2025 season ranked tenth in the final championship standings. Surgen is slated to transition into a new role within the Trackhouse organization, though specific details of his new responsibilities have not yet been disclosed.

McSwain brings a wealth of technical knowledge from his six-year tenure at Hendrick Motorsports, a powerhouse organization in NASCAR. While his direct crew chief experience is limited, he has stepped in to fill the role for Rudy Fugle on the No. 24 Chevrolet, driven by William Byron, on several occasions. Under Byron’s championship-contending efforts, the No. 24 team has reached the Championship 4 for the past three consecutive seasons, underscoring McSwain’s contributions to high-level performance.

McSwain’s career also includes a successful stint with JR Motorsports, where he was part of the championship-winning teams in both 2017 and 2018, working with drivers William Byron and Tyler Reddick respectively. This background suggests a strong foundation in developing winning strategies and fostering driver-crew chief synergy.

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This crew chief change at Trackhouse Racing is part of a broader strategic restructuring within the organization. Recent months have seen internal adjustments, including crew member reassignments and the appointment of a new president of racing operations. These moves come as the team navigates a period of adjustment, with overall performance this season not matching the heights of previous years, with the notable exception of Shane van Gisbergen’s impressive road and street course victories. The organization appears to be making calculated moves to optimize its competitive standing across all its entries.

The transition to McSwain signals Trackhouse Racing’s commitment to leveraging deep engineering expertise at the crew chief position. The move suggests a focus on data-driven decision-making and technical innovation, areas where Hendrick Motorsports has consistently excelled. Chastain, known for his aggressive driving style and consistent performance, will look to build upon his existing success with a new strategic partner atop the pit box. The anticipation for the 2026 season will undoubtedly be high as the team integrates McSwain into its operations and aims to climb back to championship contention.