CONCORD, N.C. – Each Wednesday, a new edition of #MorningsWith airs live on the Hendrick Motorsports Twitter account, introducing fans to teammates all across the organization’s Concord, North Carolina, campus.
This week, we caught up with No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson, who is fresh off guiding Chase Elliott to his first career NASCAR Cup Series win – and Hendrick Motorsports’ 250th – last Sunday at Watkins Glen International.
From challenges earlier in the current season to eight-runner up finishes for the No. 9 team since 2016, Gustafson was relieved his young driver finally made it to Victory Lane.
“It was nice to get that with Chase,” Gustafson said. “He certainly deserves it and he’s a really good, young talent. Probably long overdue, so it was nice to finally break through.”
For Gustafson, who has been with Hendrick Motorsports for nearly two decades, being the crew chief to win No. 250 for Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick meant a lot.
“From the short time Mr. Hendrick’s been in the sport, relatively, the amount of wins he’s been able to accomplish is an amazing thing,” Gustafson said. “I’ve been fortunate to be a part of a lot of those wins through those milestones. They’re really extra special to me.”
Now, the No. 9 team’s focus is on this weekend’s upcoming race at Michigan International Speedway and continuing to make gains as the playoffs approach.
“We’re ready to go to Michigan,” Gustafson said. “It’s a track I think we can win at. We don’t just want to be in the (playoffs), we want to win the championship and be in Homestead. We’ve got work to do to get there, and there’s a lot of racing left.”
Hear more about Gustafson’s experience leading Elliott to his first Cup Series victory and Hendrick Motorsports to its historic 250th win in the full edition of #MorningsWith below.