In the middle of his final season as a NASCAR Cup Series driver, Dale Jr. and his team are saying goodbye to a major player that has been with them for the last 12 years – and they will not be filling his position again.
According to a new announcement by Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s racing team, Hendrick Motorsports, their General Manager, Doug Duchardt, will be exiting the team’s roster at the end of June. Duchardt has been with HMS for 12 years and has stood as the General Manager since 2013.
The team’s statement shared their gratitude for the impact Duchardt has made for them during his time there and expressed their well-wishes for his future.
“Doug joined us during a difficult time in our history and helped provide stability and leadership,” HMS owner, Rich Hendrick said in the statement. “I’ll always be grateful to him for accepting that challenge and for his ongoing dedication and countless contributions. We all wish him the very best in his future endeavors, which will most certainly be successful. He’s a special friend and person.”
Hendrick Motorsports also shared that while Duchardt will be departing mid-season, they will not be filling his position with another candidate and, instead, will be transitioning his duties and responsibilities will be reassigned to various existing team members.
Duchardt’s time with HMS had him overseeing race card design, engineering and production. With his oversight the team’s cars won six consecutive NASCAR Cup Series and many other accolades.
“Being a member of this family of talented people for more than 12 years has been an unparalleled privilege,” Duchardt said in the press release. “It was a difficult decision to make, but I feel this is the right time in my life to pursue other goals. I’m incredibly thankful to Rick (Hendrick) and all of my teammates for a truly rewarding experience and for the countless relationships that will continue on.”
There’s no telling how this may or may not affect the team’s performance this season, but the executives appear quite confident in the current team setup going forward.
We wish Duchardt the best in his future career moves. Watch him discuss his favorite HMS race win in the video below.