NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief Steve Letarte is often considered a darling to the media for his talkative ways.
Steve Letarte (Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Now Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief will leave the garage behind and turn that gift for gab into a way to earn a paycheck.
Letarte will leave his position with Hendrick Motorsports after the 2014 season to become part of the broadcast team for NBC in 2015.
NBC returns to the ranks of NASCAR broadcasting partner in 2015. They have already tabbed current Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton as one of their incoming analysts and Rick Allen as their lead announcer. NBC will broadcast the final 20 races of the Sprint Cup season starting in a 2015. It’s a deal with NASCAR that runs through the 2024 season. The network will also be involved in Nationwide Series broadcasts.
“You never want to see a talented and all-around quality person like Steve move on, but we understand this is an exciting opportunity for him and his family,” Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said in a statement. “He has all the tools to be a terrific broadcaster, and I know our fans will enjoy hearing his perspective. We’re looking forward to a successful year in 2014 with Steve and Dale leading the No. 88 together.
“They have some of the best chemistry in the garage, and we know they’ll build on last season and continue to be a championship-contending team.”
Letarte spent five years as Jeff Gordon’s crew chief at Hendrick before spending the last three guiding Earnhardt’s team in the Hendrick stable.
“As soon as I met with [NBC executive producer] Sam Flood and his team at NBC Sports it became obvious to me how excited they are to be covering NASCAR in 2015 and beyond,” Letarte said in a release. “Their excitement, along with my love for racing, solidified my decision to move away from the pit box and into the broadcast booth.”
NBC will televise the final 20 Cup races and 19 Nationwide races each season from 2015-2024.
Gordon won 10 races under Letarte and Earnhardt one. Letarte began working at Hendrick Motorsports in 1995 at 16 years old.
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