Roy McCauley, former crew chief of Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, passes away
This week, Roy McCauley, former Team Penske crew chief and winner of the 2008 Daytona 500 with Ryan Newman, died. McCauley served for twenty years with Penske in NASCAR and will be missed by fans, friends, family, and loved ones.
Roy McCauley worked with a number of drivers, most notably Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. He came to Team Penske in 2002 as a crew engineer. He worked his way up and earned a spot as a crew chief.
McCauley’s final season as a crew chief came in 2009. He worked part of the season with Brad Keselowski and 33 races with David Stremme. During his career, McCauley won two Cup Series races, seven poles, his drivers led 475 laps, and had an average finishing position of 22.3
Team Penske released a statement on McCauley’s death.
“It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to someone that has given so much to our team for over twenty years.
“Roy McCauley was a ‘make it happen’ kind of guy. He was a gifted engineer and one of our leaders. He served as crew chief for Team Penske’s first Daytona 500 victory in 2008 and then took the lead in transforming our processes within our NASCAR assembly shop.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife, Amy, and their family.”
Roy McCauley helped build Team Penske into what it is today. It was those years in the early 2000s, trying to figure things out, when McCauley did most of his work as a crew chief. Penske was not always racing for championships, let alone two in three years like they have now.
It was perhaps in the Xfinity Series where Ryan Newman and Roy McCauley did their best work. Six wins in nine starts in 2005 with four pole awards and an average finishing position of 3.1. You only see that kind of dominance in ARCA nowadays.
When McCauley stepped down from the pit box, he took on a new role. He worked to transform Penske from the inside out. He became one of those unspoken heroes who keeps the gears greased behind the scenes.
The NASCAR community is one that is tight-knit. Roy McCauley dedicated two decades of his life to stock car racing and Team Penske. His impact is immeasurable as it is for so many of the crew members in the sport.
Team Penske has a long history and is still setting records and breaking barriers. McCauley and his contributions are interwoven in that story. Thoughts and prayers with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.