Front Row Motorsports has made multiple changes to the competition department, which includes putting a new crew chief in charge of the No. 4 team.
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According to a press release, Drew Blickensderfer will take on a new role after two seasons guiding Noah Gragson split between Stewart-Haas Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The veteran will become the Competition Director and will work alongside Technical Director Seth Barbour.
Blickensderfer will not solely focus on the three Cup Series teams in this new role. He will also oversee the two full-time Craftsman Truck Series teams.
Grant Hutchens will take over as the crew chief for the No. 4 team in 2026. The Nebraska native brings extensive experience, albeit in a different role. He has previously worked at Evernham Motorsports, Team Penske, and Richard Childress. His history includes serving as a lead engineer for Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Newman.
New year, new roles.
2026 will see Drew Blickensderfer step into the role of Competition Director, while Grant Hutchens becomes the new No. 4 Crew Chief for Noah Gragson. Seth Barbour remains Technical Director, and Jonathan DeHart joins us as Aerodynamics Manager. pic.twitter.com/5d7l3qUm3y
— Front Row Motorsports (@Team_FRM) January 9, 2026
Hutchens has some experience as a crew chief. He previously guided Brad Keselowski for three races, Austin Cindric for four races, and Harrison Burton for two races. Cindric delivered the best performance with a runner-up finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Hutchens will now guide Gragson, who has 111 starts at NASCAR's top level. The Las Vegas native posted one top-five finish and three top-10s in his first season at Front Row Motorsports.
The other competition change at Front Row Motorsports is the addition of Jonathan DeHart, who joins as the Aerodynamics Manager. DeHart previously worked as a Body Production Manager at Hendrick Motorsports and an IndyCar Aero Car Chief for GM Racing
"We are very fortunate, and I am extremely excited to add experienced, talented people like Grant and Jonathan to leadership roles in the organization," said Front Row Motorsports team owner Bob Jenkins.
"With the inclusion of our Truck Series teams, we operate (5) full-time teams and I'm equally as excited to have Drew turn his attention to providing direction and guidance to our crew chiefs and competition group as a whole. Having Drew in this new role for us and Seth being able to focus on the technical aspects within our team, it puts us in a better position to execute on the track and achieve our goals in 2026."
