Chad Little

Chad Little (born April 29, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He holds a degree in marketing from Washington State University, and a law degree from Gonzaga University. While attending Washington State University he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Chad Little
Little in 1998
Born (1963-04-29) April 29, 1963
Spokane, Washington
Achievements1987 NASCAR Winston West Series Champion
Awards1986 Winston West Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series career
217 races run over 16 years
2002 position77th
Best finish15th (1998)
First race1986 Budweiser 400 (Riverside)
Last race2002 MBNA Platinum 400 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 16 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
134 races run over 9 years
2002 position69th
Best finish2nd (1995)
First race1992 Fay's 150 (Watkins Glen)
Last race2002 Sam's Town 300 (Las Vegas)
First win1995 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last win1995 Ford Credit 300 (South Boston)
Wins Top tens Poles
6 44 1
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
1995 position69th
Best finish69th (1995)
First race1995 Fas Mart Supertruck Shootout (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

Little currently works at NASCAR as a managing director for technical inspection and officiating. Little had previously been director of the Camping World Truck Series, as well as the director of racing development for Mexico as well as the Whelen Modified Tour.[1] He keeps regular office hours in the sanctioning body's research and development center in Concord, North Carolina. He also was a part-time studio analyst for Speed Channel. He is the father of Jesse Little.

Early years

Little began racing the short tracks in Washington in the mid-1980s. He soon began racing in the American Speed Association West late model series, the NASCAR Northwest Tour Series and the NASCAR Winston West Series. One year after being named the NASCAR Winston West Rookie of the Year, Little clinched that series' championship in 1987.

Little made his NASCAR Winston Cup debut in 1986 at Riverside International Raceway, driving the No. 28 Ford owned by George Jefferson. He started 25th and finished 13th. He ran the other Riverside race that year, but finished 35th after suffering engine failure. He ran both the Riverside races the next year, finishing 15th both times in the No. 95 Coors Ford.

The following year, Little was eligible for NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors and signed to drive the No. 90 for Junie Donlavey. However, his best finish was an eighteenth, at the Coca-Cola 600, and he was released early in the season. In 1989, he missed United Airlines Flight 232. About a third of the passengers aboard the flight perished during its emergency landing in Iowa. In 1990, Little and his father Chuck teamed to field their own entry, the No. 19 Ford sponsored by Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce. He ran eighteen races and had seven top-twenty finishes, garnering a 33rd-place points finish. The following season, Little made his first full-time attempt at winning the Cup championship, qualifying for 28 out of 29 races and posting a tenth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, finishing 27th in points.

Busch Series

In 1992, Little signed to drive the No. 66 TropArctic-sponsored Ford for Cale Yarborough, but was released six races into the season. Later he caught on to the No. 9 Ford fielded by Melling Racing, and had an eighth-place finish at Talladega. He also made his Busch Series debut that year, starting and finishing 29th in the No. 37 Maxx Race Cards-sponsored Oldsmobile at Watkins Glen International.

In 1993, Little, along with Greg Pollex and former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, formed Mark Rypien Motorsports, running the No. 23 If It's Paper-Bayer Select-sponsored Ford on a limited basis that year, posting a second-place finish at Dover International Speedway. The next year, the team went full-time and Little had ten top-five finishes, finishing third in points. He also drove the No. 97 Ford at the Daytona 500 that season, finishing 29th. In 1995, Little broke through and won six races during the course of the season, including the first two races of the season, at Daytona and Rockingham, and finished second in points, behind Johnny Benson. His other wins were at Loudon, Charlotte, Talladega and South Boston. Little did not win a race the following season, however, and slipped to sixth in points. He also ran nine Cup races, five in Pollex's No. 97 Sterling Cowboy-sponsored Pontiac Grand Prix, and another four for Diamond Ridge Motorsports, posting a 20th-place finish at Darlington Raceway,

Winston Cup
Little's 1997 Winston Cup car

In 1997, Little returned to the Cup Series, running the No. 97 Pontiac for Pollex with a sponsorship from John Deere. He finished seventh at the Food City 500, but the team struggled to make races. Late in the year, Jack Roush purchased the team to be added to his stable for 1998. Little ended 1997 36th in points.

In 1998, Little drove for Roush full-time with Jeff Hammond as crew chief. Running 32 out of 33 races, he had seven top-tens, including a second-place run at Texas, finishing behind Mark Martin, and finished a career-high 15th in points. He was unable to duplicate that performance in 1999, posting just five top-tens and finishing 23rd in points. After just one top-ten in 2000, Roush announced Little would not drive the 97 the following season. Late in the year, Little was pulled out of the car and replaced by his successor, Kurt Busch with Hammond still as crew chief. During the season, he also ran a handful of races in the Busch Series. Originally running the No. 30 for Innovative Motorsports, he was released and posted a top-ten in a one-race deal with PPI Motorsports.

Little had 217 career Cup starts in all.

Final years as driver

In 2001, Little signed to drive the No. 74 Staff America-sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo for BACE Motorsports in the Busch Series. He had six Top 10’s and finished ninth in points. He started off 2002 running for BACE, but the team closed after three races due to sponsor issues. He made his final Cup start in a BACE car at Dover that year, finishing 33rd. He has not run NASCAR since.

Post-driving career

In 2004, Chad called several Truck and Xfinity races from the booth.

Chad later provided competition support for the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series, and became the tour director for the Whelen Modified Tour.

Starting in 2013, Chad took on the role of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series managing director.[2] On February 2, 2015, NASCAR announced that Little would be moving into a new role, as a managing director of technical inspection and officiating. His role as director was replaced by another former driver, Elton Sawyer.[3]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series
NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NWCC Pts Ref
1986 Jefferson Racing 28 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT RSD
13		 POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD
35		 70th 182 [4]
1987 95 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR NWS BRI MAR TAL CLT DOV POC RSD
15		 MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR RSD
15		 ATL 60th 236 [5]
1988 Stoke Racing 19 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD
23		 POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN CLT
DNQ		 NWS CAR 45th 405 [6]
Autosports Enterprises MCH
27		 BRI DAR RCH DOV
15		 MAR
Jefferson Racing PHO
19		 ATL
1989 Donlavey Racing 90 Ford DAY
36		 CAR ATL
35		 RCH
22		 DAR
37		 BRI NWS MAR
26		 TAL
34		 CLT
18		 DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH
26		 BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 38th 602 [7]
1990 Little Racing 19 Ford DAY
DNQ		 RCH
16		 CAR ATL
19		 DAR
16		 BRI
DNQ		 NWS MAR TAL
15		 CLT
24		 DOV SON
37		 POC
18		 MCH DAY
27		 POC TAL
19		 GLN MCH
22		 BRI
DNQ		 DAR
35		 RCH
32		 DOV MAR
17		 NWS
24		 CLT
40		 CAR
25		 ATL
27		 33rd 1632 [8]
Moroso Racing 20 Olds PHO
21
1991 Little Racing 19 Ford DAY
14		 RCH
16		 CAR
22		 ATL
18		 DAR
36		 BRI
14		 NWS
DNQ		 MAR
27		 TAL
38		 CLT
25		 DOV
29		 SON
28		 POC
23		 MCH
26		 DAY
29		 POC
12		 TAL
12		 GLN
11		 MCH
25		 BRI
14		 DAR
36		 RCH
34		 DOV
16		 MAR
24		 NWS
21		 CLT
10		 CAR
23		 PHO
30		 ATL
21		 27th 2678 [9]
1992 Cale Yarborough Motorsports 66 Ford DAY
39		 CAR
22		 RCH
23		 ATL
23		 DAR
33		 BRI
23		 NWS MAR TAL CLT 31st 1669 [10]
Melling Racing 9 Ford DOV
26		 SON POC
37		 MCH
21		 DAY
24		 POC
17		 TAL
8		 GLN MCH
17		 BRI DAR
34		 RCH
27		 DOV
29		 MAR NWS CLT
33		 CAR
24		 PHO ATL
17
1993 DAY
24		 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT
34		 DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS 51st 216 [11]
Mark Rypien Motorsports 19 Ford CLT
33		 CAR PHO ATL
1994 97 DAY
29		 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 68th 81 [12]
1995 DAY
DNQ		 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT
42		 DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL
18		 IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
DNQ		 CAR PHO
DNQ		 ATL 53rd 146 [13]
1996 Pontiac DAY
33		 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL
DNQ		 CLT
43		 DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL
DNQ		 IND GLN MCH
36		 CLT
22		 CAR PHO ATL
22		 44th 627 [14]
JTC Racing 45 Chevy SON
DNQ
Diamond Ridge Motorsports 29 Chevy BRI
23		 DAR
20		 RCH
40		 DOV
41		 MAR
DNQ		 NWS
1997 Mark Rypien Motorsports 97 Pontiac DAY
DNQ		 CAR
DNQ		 RCH
34		 ATL
19		 DAR
27		 TEX
26		 BRI
8		 MAR
42		 SON
DNQ		 TAL
34		 CLT
DNQ		 DOV
31		 POC
DNQ		 MCH
25		 CAL
19		 DAY
42		 NHA
30		 POC
28		 IND
42		 GLN
42		 36th 2081 [15]
Roush Racing MCH
42		 BRI
20		 DAR
11		 RCH
40		 NHA
28		 DOV
29		 MAR
35		 CLT
23		 TAL
40		 CAR
16		 PHO
25		 ATL
18
1998 Ford DAY
7		 CAR
21		 LVS
10		 ATL
DNQ		 DAR
17		 BRI
35		 TEX
2		 MAR
16		 TAL
34		 CAL
6		 CLT
35		 DOV
37		 RCH
13		 MCH
16		 POC
30		 SON
23		 NHA
22		 POC
16		 IND
28		 GLN
16		 MCH
10		 BRI
23		 NHA
14		 DAR
18		 RCH
12		 DOV
17		 MAR
36		 CLT
8		 TAL
8		 DAY
20		 PHO
20		 CAR
40		 ATL
11		 15th 3423 [16]
1999 DAY
9		 CAR
21		 LVS
14		 ATL
9		 DAR
28		 TEX
13		 BRI
24		 MAR
17		 TAL
42		 CAL
22		 RCH
35		 CLT
24		 DOV
28		 MCH
28		 POC
32		 SON
16		 DAY
29		 NHA
24		 POC
22		 IND
43		 GLN
14		 MCH
6		 BRI
30		 DAR
20		 RCH
42		 NHA
28		 DOV
7		 MAR
31		 CLT
18		 TAL
36		 CAR
21		 PHO
16		 HOM
39		 ATL
6		 23rd 3193 [17]
2000 DAY
23		 CAR
18		 LVS
19		 ATL
6		 DAR
15		 BRI
23		 TEX
13		 MAR
27		 TAL
25		 CAL
15		 RCH
39		 CLT
20		 DOV
20		 MCH
32		 POC
17		 SON
25		 DAY
16		 NHA
42		 POC
20		 IND
19		 GLN
12		 MCH
22		 BRI
30		 DAR
21		 RCH
29		 NHA
33		 DOV MAR CLT TAL
18		 CAR PHO HOM ATL 32nd 2634 [18]
2002 BACE Motorsports 74 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL
DNQ		 RCH CLT
DNQ		 DOV
33		 POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL CAR PHO HOM 77th 64 [19]
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1989 Donlavey Racing Ford 28 36
1990 Little Racing Ford DNQ
1991 30 14
1992 Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 14 39
1993 Melling Racing Ford 17 24
1994 Mark Rypien Motorsports Ford 17 29
1995 DNQ
1996 Pontiac 30 33
1997 DNQ
1998 Roush Racing Ford 21 7
1999 26 9
2000 29 23

Busch Series
NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 NBGNC Pts Ref
1992 Little Racing 37 Olds DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR DAR BRI HCY LAN DUB NZH CLT DOV ROU MYB GLN
29		 VOL NHA TAL IRP ROU MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR HCY 120th 76 [20]
1993 Mark Rypien Motorsports 23 Ford DAY CAR RCH DAR
33		 BRI HCY ROU MAR NZH CLT
7		 DOV
2		 MYB GLN MLW TAL
29		 IRP
37		 MCH
33		 NHA
37		 BRI
22		 DAR
3		 RCH DOV ROU CLT
14		 MAR CAR
41		 HCY ATL
23		 32nd 1171 [21]
1994 DAY
3		 CAR
15		 RCH
22		 ATL
14		 MAR
27		 DAR
18		 HCY
22		 BRI
24		 ROU
15		 NHA
5		 NZH
11		 CLT
34		 DOV
17		 MYB
5		 GLN
8		 MLW
7		 SBO
5		 TAL
6		 HCY
8		 IRP
5		 MCH
2		 BRI
12		 DAR
5		 RCH
14		 DOV
15		 CLT
4		 MAR
5		 CAR
5		 3rd 3662 [22]
1995 DAY
1		 CAR
1*		 RCH
32		 ATL
29*		 NSV
2		 DAR
4		 BRI
3		 HCY
23*		 NHA
1		 NZH
19		 CLT
1		 DOV
9		 MYB
32		 GLN
2*		 MLW
8		 TAL
1		 SBO
1*		 IRP
20		 MCH
21		 BRI
4		 DAR
40		 RCH
16		 DOV
13		 CLT
34		 CAR
35		 HOM
26		 2nd 3284 [23]
1996 Pontiac DAY
19		 CAR
33		 RCH
20		 ATL
15		 NSV
15		 DAR
37		 BRI
12		 HCY
11		 NZH
11		 CLT
13		 DOV
29		 SBO
8		 MYB
16		 GLN
8		 MLW
21		 NHA
32		 TAL
21		 IRP
27		 MCH
11		 BRI
25		 DAR
12		 RCH
3		 DOV
9		 CLT
4		 CAR
10		 HOM
7		 5th 2984 [24]
1998 Roush Racing 9 Ford DAY CAR LVS NSV DAR BRI TEX HCY TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV RCH PPR GLN MLW MYB CAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR
30		 RCH DOV CLT GTY CAR ATL HOM 108th 73 [25]
2000 Innovative Motorsports 30 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX
DNQ		 NSV TAL
DNQ		 CAL
12		 RCH
DNQ		 NHA CLT
31		 DOV
DNQ		 SBO MYB GLN MLW NZH PPR GTY IRP 66th 398 [26]
PPI Motorsports 97 Ford MCH
10		 BRI DAR RCH DOV
BACE Motorsports 74 Chevy CLT
DNQ		 CAR
32		 MEM PHO HOM
DNQ
2001 DAY
9		 CAR
15		 LVS
16		 ATL
15		 DAR
24		 BRI
12		 TEX
31		 NSH
27		 TAL
11		 CAL
18		 RCH
20		 NHA
14		 NZH
20		 CLT
21		 DOV
11		 KEN
6		 MLW
20		 GLN
16		 CHI
17		 GTY
13		 PPR
16		 IRP
3		 MCH
16		 BRI
9		 DAR
13		 RCH
6		 DOV
4		 KAN
36		 CLT
17		 MEM
16		 PHO
13		 CAR
17		 HOM
27		 9th 3846 [27]
2002 DAY
14		 CAR
24		 LVS
21		 DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL RCH NHA NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI GTY PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL CAR PHO HOM 69th 312 [28]

SuperTruck Series
NASCAR SuperTruck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 NSTSC Pts Ref
1995 RPM Racing 11 Ford PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW CNS HPT IRP FLM RCH
32		 MAR
DNQ		 NWS
DNQ		 SON MMR PHO 69th 162 [29]
gollark: The future is transistors. My computer already has several billion in it and probably many fewer diodes.
gollark: Transistors > diodes.
gollark: Can we get a transistor cult? I don't believe in diodes or religions, but I do believe in transistors.
gollark: We need one cult per person to achieve true equality.
gollark: I don't believe in the diode cult or giannis cult. They don't really exist.

References
  1. http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2012-12-19/nascar-camping-world-truck-series-chad-little-director-wayne-auton-nationwide
  2. "NASCAR revises competition personnel structure". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  3. "NASCAR moves Chad Little to inspection role; Elton Sawyer to lead Truck Series". Fox Sports. February 2, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  4. "Chad Little – 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  5. "Chad Little – 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  6. "Chad Little – 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  7. "Chad Little – 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  8. "Chad Little – 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  9. "Chad Little – 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  10. "Chad Little – 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  11. "Chad Little – 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  12. "Chad Little – 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  13. "Chad Little – 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  14. "Chad Little – 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  15. "Chad Little – 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  16. "Chad Little – 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  17. "Chad Little – 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  18. "Chad Little – 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  19. "Chad Little – 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  20. "Chad Little – 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  21. "Chad Little – 1993 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  22. "Chad Little – 1994 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  23. "Chad Little – 1995 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  24. "Chad Little – 1996 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  25. "Chad Little – 1998 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  26. "Chad Little – 2000 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  27. "Chad Little – 2001 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  28. "Chad Little – 2002 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  29. "Chad Little – 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series by Craftsman Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
Achievements
Preceded by
Hershel McGriff		 NASCAR Winston West Series champion
1987		 Succeeded by
Roy Smith
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