CONCORD, N.C. (March 18, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher has a familiar face atop the pit box for the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series season. For the second year in a row, Scott Graves serves as the crew chief for the No. 60 team.
“Scott and I, along with the whole 60 team, gained a lot of momentum in the closing stages of the 2014 season,” said Buescher. “I was excited that the majority of the team was able to remain together coming into this year. I think that as a team we are capable of running for a championship this season.”
Graves, who has been with Roush Fenway for nine years, enters his third full-time season as a crew chief. Before his work with the No. 60 team, he led the No. 17 team, piloted by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in 2013.
“The responsibilities of the crew chief are to set the direction of the team,” said Graves. “I manage all of the different parts of the team from the mechanics, pit crew, engineers and driver to make sure as a team we are headed in the right direction and getting the best results that we can.”
In 2006, Graves joined Roush Fenway as a team engineer on the No. 99 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) entry driven by Erik Darnell. On the strength of one pole, four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, Darnell captured NCWTS Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the 2006 season.
Since his first season at Roush Fenway, Graves has served as an engineer in all three of NASCAR’s top series, working with drivers including, Matt Kenseth, David Gilliland, Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard, Carl Edwards and Darnell.
In 2011, Graves served as the team engineer on the No. 60 Ford driven by Edwards. The season was a huge success, with Edwards and team earning eight wins, seven poles, 23 top-fives, 27 top-10s and leading 1,887 laps en route to capturing the 2011 NASCAR XFINITY Series Owner’s Championship.
Graves says winning that Owner’s Championship for Jack Roush is his biggest accomplishment since joining Roush Fenway.
2012 saw Graves split his crew chief duties between the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) and NASCAR XFINITY Series. Graves earned one win with Edwards at Watkins Glen International and one pole with Bayne at Bristol Motor Speedway.
After graduating from Texas Tech University in 1994 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Graves served as a manufacturing engineer and project engineer for companies including Halliburton, Dana Corporation and SPM Flow Control.
“I was always interested in racing as a kid and eventually started racing in SCCA [Sports Car Club of America] once I was able to afford it,” Graves said. “I’ve always had an interest in cars and enjoy the competitive nature of the sport. It’s a challenge that continuously pushes me, which is something I enjoy.”
The Clifton Springs, N.Y. native now calls Mooresville, N.C. his home, where he lives with his wife Dana and their two children.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series heads to Auto Club Speedway this weekend for 300 miles of racing on Saturday afternoon. The race will air live on FOX SPORTS 1 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Buescher and Graves enter the weekend second in the championship point standings, just 14 points behind leader Ty Dillon.
Scott Graves Fast Four:
1. Favorite Movie: Avatar
2. Favorite Food: I really like Italian food
3. Item you would bring to a deserted island: A fishing pole
4. Favorite Sports Team: I watch a lot of different sports but don’t really have a favorite outside of what I am directly involved with. It may be a little cheesy, but I would have to say Roush Fenway Racing, my son’s soccer team and my daughter’s gymnastics team.
Scott Graves Fast Four NASCAR Style:
1. Coolest Trophy in NASCAR: Probably the Daytona 500 trophy
2. Track you’d most like to win at: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
3. Track you wish the NASCAR circuit visited: I wish we could go back to Montreal
4. Two Tires or Four: Depends….might just stay out
Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series competition with drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Reed, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace. Now in its 28th season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and producing multiple award-winning digital and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by Jack Roush, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.
