Bob Osborne Steps Down as No. 99 Crew Chief

Judging by the changes we've seen this year already in the Sprint Cup Series, off season will just have to be referred to as "Silly Season." 

Photo Credit: Jared Tilton for Getty Images

The past nine years have been great for Bob Osborne and Carl Edwards, eighteen wins and two second-place finishes in the point standings; but Bob announced today that he will no longer be the crew chief for the No. 99 of Carl Edwards due to unspecified health reasons that have "necessitated that I [he] change my role within the organization."

Bob isn't leaving Roush-Fenway Racing, though.  He will be a senior member of the organization's management team and steering committee (pretty fancy title if you ask me).  Chad Norris, who has been with the organization since 2005 will step in as Carl's crew chief.  During his time at Roush-Fenway, Norris has led the Research and Development test program, been a crew chief for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the Sprint Cup Series, and has been the crew chief for Trevor Bayne in the Nationwide Series, helping lead him to his first Nationwide win at Texas Motor Speedway. 

Carl Edwards stated, "I'm so thankful for what he's done for me as a driver, and he is without a doubt one of the smartest guys in the sport. I'm also appreciative of the fact that he'll continue to be a resource for me and our team as we focus on these final races. We're very fortunate to have Chad Norris as part of our organization to take over for the No. 99. I've known Chad for a long time and he is a fierce competitor. We've got our work cut out for us over the next seven races, and I've got every confidence Chad can lead our team to where we need to be."