Greg Ives to step down as crew chief for Alex Bowman at end of 2022
Ives cites desire to spend more time with his family in a statement announcing his departure

Hendrick Motorsports' Greg Ives announced Friday morning that he will step away from being a crew chief at the end of the 2022 season. Ives, who currently serves as crew chief for the No. 48 Chevrolet driven by Alex Bowman, cited a desire to spend more time with his family after being a traveling crewmember for the last 17 years.
Ives, who turns 43 next month, joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic in 2004 after graduating from Michigan Technological University before being promoted to an engineering role on the No. 48 team. Ives would serve as a key member of the No. 48 team that won five NASCAR Cup Series championships in a row with driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus before getting an opportunity to work as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.
After winning the Xfinity Series title as crew chief for a young Chase Elliott in 2014, Ives was promoted to the Cup Series in 2015 to serve as the new crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The pair would win three races together before Earnhardt's retirement at the end of the 2016 season, and Ives has since guided Bowman to the first seven wins of his Cup career.
Some news to share. I’m so grateful for all the support. pic.twitter.com/9k2Ow4FnoR
— Greg Ives (@Ives_Greg) August 26, 2022
In his statement, Ives indicated that he would continue to work at Hendrick Motorsports in a new, undisclosed capacity.
"I'll never have the words to properly express how grateful I am to be able to live out my dream of working in racing or properly thank everyone who has supported me along the way," Ives said. "Thank you for everything."
With Ives stepping off the pit box, Alex Bowman's team will now look for a new crew chief for 2023 and beyond. Ty Sipes, the current car chief for the No. 48 team, would likely lead the list of internal candidates to takes Ives' role. Hendrick Motorsports could also seek to promote a current JR Motorsports crew chief, a group which includes former Cup Series crew chief Luke Lambert.
Under the guidance of Ives, Alex Bowman has one victory this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to go with three top five and 10 top 10 finishes. Bowman is currently 11th in points entering the final race of the regular season at Daytona.