A thinking man's racer: Danny Gill's business education and mechanical know-how—not to mention a huge competitive streak—make him one of the truck series' savviest crew chiefs

Sporting News, The, June 14, 2004 by Lee Spencer

Danny Gill has learned that the grass isn't always greener in the other NASCAR garages.

But after a short stint in working at NASCAR's highest level, Gill is perfectly content to be leading the points race in the Craftsman Truck Series as the crew chief of the No. 46 Chevrolet driven by Dennis Setzer.

"I've seen both sides of it, and we're still racing over here," says Gill. "I've seen the grinds of Cup and had I never had the opportunity, sure I would have wanted to get to Cup, but right now I want to be the winningest crew chief in the Craftsman Truck Series."

Gill's background will help him accomplish that task. The 35-year-old Nashville native has experience behind the wheel and with a wrench. Gill started racing mini stocks and late models at Nashville Speedway in the mid-1980s and continues to compete on a limited basis.

"I try to get in a car at least once or twice a year," Gill says. "That's the biggest advantage I have as a crew chief--understanding how the car feels. I can take what I'm learning with the new setups, and it helps me a lot. I have felt what the driver is driving, and I know how to respond when he has a question."

Gill's dream of driving full time evaporated as the costs of racing continued to rise. He knew that continuing his education was the safest route. He attended Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, where he graduated in 1992 with a degree in business administration and currently lives.

Gill continued working in racing, focusing on chassis development and fabrication, first independently, then as a crewman with Nashville-based Sadler Racing and Bobby Hamilton Racing in 1998. Gill advanced to truck chief on BHR's No. 18 Dodge in 1999 and to crew chief the following year. As a rookie chief, Gill won the first three poles of the 2000 season and caught the attention of Hamilton, who recruited Gill midway through the season to lead his Cup team at Morgan-McClure Motorsports. When Hamilton moved to Andy Petree Racing, Gill followed and was assigned to Kenny Wallace, but he missed the truck series and his family in Tennessee. In 2001, Gill became crew chief for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, which had hired Setzer to drive the No. 46 Chevrolet. In June of that year, Gill helped Morgan-Dollar achieve its first CTS win.

"Danny Gill is one of the best crew chiefs that I have ever worked with as far as calling a race from the top of the pit box," Setzer says. "He is the best at judging when to pit, what to do during the pit stops and what changes to make. It takes a special guy to make those kinds of calls under pressure like that.

"He's a lot like me when it comes to competitiveness. He no more wants to lose a card game than a race. We get to compete at a lot of things on the road 25 times a year, and I know that the drive to win is definitely something that Danny instills in all of his guys."

Gill returned to BHR for the first six months of 2002. In June of that year, he was back with the No. 46 team, which has been on a championship course ever since. Last season, the team finished second in the points standings behind Travis Kvapil, but the No. 46's stats--three wins, 15 top fives and 22 top 10 finishes--were the best since the team's inception in 1998.

"Danny has all the tools to be a crew chief in any series," Hamilton says. "He's a good planner, a good organizer, and he's very, very competitive. When he first came on board he was probably too competitive, and that was difficult with three teams. But his people skills have improved a ton, and I think he could be a top five crew chief anywhere he chose to race."

Gill's marriage of classical education with practical racing knowledge has enabled him to become one of the savviest chiefs on pit road.

"Chemistry is the biggest thing on any race team, and the confidence that Dennis has in me filters into the entire race team," Gill says. "Rob Morgan and David Dollar believe in me, and I feel like I've had a hand in helping to build the team to where it's at today. My business degree has helped me manage a small budget and do a lot on less. It's a very competitive racing series, and with Toyota coming in with big money behind them we couldn't compete without help from General Motors.

"But this should be our year. God has mapped out the perfect life for me. I've accomplished everything I've ever wanted, and I want to work with Dennis until the end of his career. I hope that's a long time from now."

TSN's TRUCK POLL

     Driver            TSN points   Truck Series points

 (1) Carl Edwards         529             904 (2)
 (2) Dennis Setzer        525             924 (1)
 (3) Rick Crawford        487             868 (3)
 (4) Mike Skinner         411             847 (4)
 (5) Bobby Hamilton       393             800 (5)
 (6) Jack Sprague         383             767 (8)
 (7) Travis Kvapil        345             788 (6)
 (8) David Starr          342             765 (9)
 (9) David Reutimann      332             743 (12)
(10) Chad Chaffin         327             724 (13)

Through race No. 6, at Dover. For a complete TSN Power Poll
rundown and an explanation of the points breakdown, go to
www.foxsports.com/named/public/NASCAR/CUp/PowerPoll.

The WIX filters 2004 LAP Leader Award

For each event within
the three racing divisions--NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series.
NASCAR Busch Series and
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series--WIX
Filters will present the
driver who leads the most laps
of each race with the WIX Filters
Lap Leader Award.

2004 NASCAR
NEXTEL
CUP SERIES

Tony Stewart (#20 Chevy)

MBNA 400 "A Salute to Heroes"
Dover International Speedway

LAPS LED: 234

SEASON LEADERS

1. Tony Stewart (#20 Chevy)   3 pts.

2. Matt Kenseth (#17 Ford), Kurt Busch
(#97 Ford), Dale Earnbardt Jr. (#8 Chevy),
Jeff Gordon (#24 Chevy)       2 pts.

2004 NASCAR
BUSCH
SERIES

Kyle Busch (#5 Chevy)

CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 *
Lowe's Motor Speedway

LAPS LED: 93

SEASON LEADERS

1. Kyle Busch (#5 Chevy),
Martin Truex Jr. (#8 Chevy)   3 pts.

3. Matt Kenseth (#9 Ford)     2 pts.

"Results from last weekend unavailable; race was postponed by rain.

2004 NASCAR
CRAFTSMAN
TRUCK SERIES

Mike Skinner (#42 Toyota)

MBNA America 200
Dover International Speedway

LAPS LED: 85

SEASON LEADERS

1. Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy,
Mike Skinner (#42 Toyota),
Carl Edwards (#99 Ford)       3 pts.

To catch up on
the latest standings
in our Busch Series
Power Poll, drop by
www.foxsports.com,
keywords: Busch
Power Poll.