CONCORD, N.C. -- Ever wonder who makes sure that your favorite driver has everything he needs before a race?
For Chase Elliott, that person is Jordan Allen.
Allen serves as the interior mechanic for the No. 24 Chevrolet SS at Hendrick Motorsports. His responsibilities include managing everything from Elliott’s helmet to his shoes, firesuit and even his seat and seatbelt.
Throughout the work week, Allen makes sure all the parts and pieces are ready for the race. And when the big day arrives?
“I just make sure everything is good – getting the helmet inside of the car, making sure the radios work, making sure that he’s got all his stuff ready to go,” Allen explained. “And then, putting Chase in the car right before the race. Just getting him ready to go, motivated and psyched up.”
Allen started his full-time NASCAR career at JR Motorsports as a tire specialist on the No. 88 car. While he was there, he caught the eye of then-No. 5 team crew chief Alan Gustafson, who saw Allen’s work ethic and gave him an interview.
In the fall of 2008, he was officially offered a job at Hendrick Motorsports to work on the No. 5 car before moving to the No. 24 car with Jeff Gordon -- and he has now made the transition to working with Elliott.
“Hendrick Motorsports has always been the best program you could possibly go to,” Allen said. “It’s the Patriots, it’s the Chicago Bulls of the ‘90s, it’s the Yankees. It’s the team that has year-in and year-out, even in its struggling years, still competed for a championship.”
While it was a dream come true for Allen, he acknowledged that it can be a tedious job that requires a large amount of travel and long hours at the shop. However, Allen’s competitive nature and love of racing is what motivates him to be up and at it every morning.
“This is a way to work on cars and make cars go fast and compete every weekend,” Allen said. “You get to see everything that you put into your job perform on the racetrack. I get to watch the fruits of my labor every weekend when Chase is driving the car.”
Ultimately, Allen said, there’s no place else he’d rather work.
“It’s kind of hard to argue when your boss has now 12 championships, 245 wins, crazy amounts of top-fives and top-10s,” he said of Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick. “If you’re going to work some place, why not work for the best?”