Stewart signs Hendrick engineer

Grubb has spent the last six years with Hendrick, joining the team in 2003 as engineer. He took reigning champion Jimmie Johnson to his maiden Daytona 500 victory in 2006 when filling in for suspended crew chief Chad Knaus, eventually winning two of the four races he worked alongside the Californian.

Last year Grubb was also instrumental in giving Casey Mears his first and only Sprint Cup victory to date, serving as his crew chief for the whole season before moving up to the role of engineering manager for Dale Earnhardt Jr's and Casey Mears' teams this year.

The 32-year-old will now call the shots from the pits for two-time champion Tony Stewart starting with next year's Daytona 500.

"Darian is incredibly smart and ultra-competitive, and I saw that firsthand when he took the reins of the 48 team and won the Daytona 500 right out of the box with them and again at Las Vegas," Stewart said.

"He's exactly what we need for the success we want to attain as a company, but he's also exactly what I need in a crew chief. He's thorough, he's confident and he's not afraid to tell me what I need to hear.

"As a driver, that's who I need on top of my pit box, and as an owner, that's who I need on our race team."

Grubb will continue to work with Hendrick cars and engines in 2009, as Stewart Haas Racing will benefit from the technical support that Haas CNC has enjoyed for the past few years from the top Chevrolet squad.

"I've never wanted to step outside the Hendrick Motorsports operation until this opportunity came up," Grubb said.

"I'm just extremely excited about being able to continue my Hendrick knowledge and being able to use those chassis and engines and everything else going forward and just keep building this organization's strength outside of Hendrick Motorsports."

"This opportunity is a great chance for me to be able to step out and be able to almost take off on my own and try to help build up the organization and surround myself with good people that are capable of going to win championships."

Stewart has reportedly offered a deal to Red Bull Racing Team's General Manager and Vice President Jay Frye to join his newly formed outfit but he has declined comment on the issue.