KANSAS CITY, Kansas – Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway will mark the last race for Michael Shelton as crew chief for John Wes Townley and Athenian Motorsports, the team confirmed to CATCHFENCE.com.
Shelton and the team will part on good terms as Shelton will take a new interest outside of racing, the team added. Shelton, the 2012 championship NCWTS crew chief for James Buescher has been with the Concord, North Carolina-based team since the end of the 2014 season.
Jimmy Villeneuve, the team’s current truck chief will replace Shelton while Athenian Motorsports says they are narrowing down candidates to take his current spot. Villeneuve who also has been with the team since the end of 2014 will assume his new role next week at Dover (Del.) International Speedway for the May 13 race.
Shelton will start his 134th truck race as crew chief Friday night and look to give Townley his second career win. Overall, Shelton has seven wins, 34 top-fives and 72 top-10s, including five poles. For Townley, Shelton steered the Watkinsville, Georgia native to his first career win at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway last October and has collected three top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes along the way.
In addition to Buescher and Townley, he has also worked with drivers Ben Kennedy and Scott Wimmer in trucks.
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