The circle K pit stop

Sporting News, The, Nov 11, 2002

Ryan McKinney

Racing was a family affair for Indiana native Ryan McKinney, who grew up helping his uncle run his car in the Modified Series at Anderson Speedway. Having earned his family racing spurs, McKinney went on to work as a mechanic, tire changer and crew chief in several Midwestern series, including NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge, the Slim Jim All-Pro Series and the IMCA Modified Series.

McKinney's move to North Carolina in 1997 produced a similar string of successes in NASCAR. After working far Donnie Allison's NASCAR Craftsman Truck team, McKinney moved to Robert Pressley's team In 1998. He then added the title of car chief to his resume when he took the reins for NASCAR Busch Series driver Tony Raines during the 2000 season.

This year, the fiercely competitive McKinney, 28, brought his decade of racing experience to Richard Childress Racing as a mechanic and front-tire changer for Jeff Green's No. 30 America Online team. As Green continues to climb in the points standings, McKinney has helped his driver beat the competition off pit road by providing some of the fastest pit-stop times in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.