Leavine Family Racing (LFR) announced Tuesday Travis Mack as the new crew chief of the No. 95 Chevrolet for driver Kasey Kahne for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
Mack, the current car chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports sharpened his skills at JR Motorsports in the same role for Regan Smith and Chase Elliott in the NASCAR XFINITY Series before returning to HMS in 2015.
Mack, a Louisville, Ky native also served as interim crew chief for the No. 88 Cup team in Sept. at Richmond Raceway when Greg Ives was suspended for a lug nut violation the previous week at Darlington Raceway.
Mack, 34, was no stranger to motorsports growing up, as he raced at various local race tracks at a young age and built his first street stock race car at the age of 15.
While in college to become a surgeon, Mack honed his mechanical skills while working on an ARCA team and quickly moved to the role of car chief. He won three championships at Clements Racing with driver Frank Kimmel before making the trip east to Charlotte to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2004.
Before becoming a car chief, Mack worked with drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as a shock specialist and front-end mechanic. After his stint at JR Motorsports, including the 2014 XFINITY Series championship with Elliott, he returned to HMS’s Cup program.
“As crew chief, Travis brings leadership and a solid experience to Leavine Family Racing,” said Jeremy Lange, vice president and general manager of LFR.
“His passion for racing and desire to win will fit well in our organization and, collectively, we all are looking forward to 2018 and beyond.”
Kahne, 37, will leave Hendrick following the 2017 season after six seasons aboard the No. 5 Chevrolet. Overall, the Enumclaw, Wash. native has earned 27 poles, 18 wins, 92 top-five and 175 top-10 finishes.
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