Longtime NASCAR crew chief Ryan Pemberton died at the age of 54 on Sunday. Pemberton was a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series for 637 races, where he earned five victories.Â
Most recently, Pemberton served as JR Motorsports’ competition director for 10 years. JRM CEO Kelly Earnhardt Miller released a statement following the news on social media.
“Ryan Pemberton was instrumental to JR Motorsports’ success during the decade he spent with us. He had such a passion for competition and, as a leader, knew how to motivate everyone he worked with.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pemberton family. pic.twitter.com/Zu7kXIwyPz
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) January 15, 2024
Notably, Pemberton scored his first victory with Joe Nemechek and MB2 Motorsports in 2004 at Kansas Speedway.Â