91°µÍø

The role of crew chief is a respected position, and one that can garner as much respect — or criticism — as that of the driver. It is critical to the success of the team, and Ken Black and Greg Anderson had that in mind when they wisely tapped Rob Downing as KB Racing crew chief 20 years ago. At the end of Downing's first season with the team, a young Nate VanWassenhove came on board as a crewmember, and over the past two decades, he has remained dedicated to the success of the team now known as KB Titan Racing (KBT). This season, VanWassenhove has moved up and into a crew chief role alongside some of the most successful in the business.

NHRA Winternationals winner Dallas Glenn was the first to give public notice that the braintrust had expanded.

"I got pretty lucky that Rob Downing, Dave Connolly, and Nate VanWassenhove gave me a really, really good car for the final round," said Glenn in his post-race interview with the media at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Many who follow 91°µÍø Pro Stock are aware that Downing and Connolly — the driver-turned champion crew chief who joined KB Racing in 2019 — have been at the helm when it comes to crew chief calls, but not many had heard VanWassenhove's name until that Sunday afternoon in the Pomona pressroom.

As is true for everyone in the sport, VanWassenhove has a story. His began with an initial foray into Pro Stock as a crewmember for Scott Geoffrion, the boisterous character who earned nine national event wins over the course of his career as one half of the "The Dodge Boys." 

VanWassenhove first handed Geoffrion his résumé in the fall of 2002 and was asked to join the team the following season. It was several years after the turbulent crescendo of the Geoffrion, Darrell Alderman, and Wayne County Speed Shop tale, and it was an opportunity VanWassenhove — who completed certification through the GM Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP) at the College of Southern Idaho — was eager to seize.

"It turned out to be very interesting," he said. "I basically lived out of my suitcase, drove the truck, and went from race to race, hotel to hotel. It was a good starting point, but by that time, they weren't full-time racers. It wasn't until I got to KB Racing that I realized what full-time racing with a professional team was."

VanWassenhove's experience was accelerated by fate, as Geoffrion's team, unable to secure funding, was shuttered at the conclusion of his first season. That happened to be when KB Racing was looking to hire.

"It was perfect timing," he said. "I hung up the phone after learning we weren't going to go racing next year [with Geoffrion] and had a message from Greg at almost the same time. He said Jason Line was going full time and asked if I wanted to come to KB Racing."

VanWassenhove was hired in December of 2003 and initially drove the race hauler and worked on the back-half of Line's Pro Stocker. From there, he transitioned into maintaining the clutch and transmission, and eventually, he became Downing's right-hand man and assistant crew chief. His primary role was making transmission and clutch calls for the team's stable of factory hot rods, and he gradually became part of the think tank, pitching in to troubleshoot with team leaders.

"Nate has been with us a long time," said Anderson. "Everybody who works here has to wear a lot of hats and be able to do pretty much anything that needs to be done – there are just too many things that go on, too many surprises in racing and things that have to be done in a hurry when you have this many cars. We try to teach all our people to do everything, from the rear bumper to the front bumper of the race car, and Nate is a hard worker. He absolutely deserves the chance."

So far in his first season on the crew chief roster, VanWassenhove has been part of two wins (Camrie Caruso in Phoenix and Glenn in Pomona) and a No. 1 qualifier (Caruso, Pomona). KBT also claimed low elapsed time at the Winternationals and top speed in both Phoenix and Pomona.

"We've got a great team, and that makes it easy to work," said VanWassenhove, who's been part of the historic team for 162 of their 178 wins. "There is a little more responsibility in this role, a little more weight on your shoulders. You feel it more when you do something wrong. But I like coming in every day and just trying to make everything better. It's good, and I'm up for the challenge."