HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Crew chief Blake Harris is reportedly leaving Hendrick Motorsports after the 2026 NASCAR season to take a role with a different team.
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Kelly Crandall of Racer broke the news on Friday after the Cup Series teams completed practice. She spoke to multiple people with knowledge of the situation, who confirmed that Harris will leave the No. 48 team and Alex Bowman after four seasons.
Crandall's sources also said that Harris will remain in the Chevrolet camp. He will move to Trackhouse Racing to pair with Shane van Gisbergen on the No. 97 team. He will replace Stephen Doran.
Neither Cup Series team has officially announced any crew chief changes. These announcements are expected shortly after the season ends.
Harris, a former car chief at Furniture Row Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, has led the No. 48 team since the 2023 season. He and Bowman have celebrated one win together — the streets of Chicago in 2024.
They seek their second and final win together this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway before Harris moves over to Trackhouse Racing.
Prior to joining Hendrick Motorsports, Harris spent the 2022 season as the crew chief of the No. 34 team at Front Row Motorsports.
Doran got his first full-time crew chief opportunity in 2024 as part of a collaboration between Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing. He worked with the No. 71 team and Zane Smith, who signed a multi-year deal with Trackhouse Racing.
The situation changed in 2025. Trackhouse replaced Smith with van Gisbergen on the re-numbered No. 88 team. Doran remained as the team celebrated five wins.
This season, Doran, van Gisbergen, and the re-numbered No. 97 team have celebrated two more wins. Van Gisbergen is currently 17th in the Cup Series standings heading into the final race.
With Harris moving to Trackhouse Racing, the attention will turn to the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman has one season left in the car before retiring. Connor Zilisch will then take over the entry in 2028 to continue his Cup Series career.
