Ives, who turns 43 in September, has been a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief since 2015.
Between his time atop the pit box for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Alex Bowman, he has lead his team to 10 Cup wins. Prior to that, he won the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with Chase Elliott.
Bowman is locked into the 2022 playoffs, courtesy of his victory at Las Vegas in March. Much of the credit for that victory can go to Ives himself, who had Bowman take two-tires ahead of an overtime restart, which promoted him to the front row for the dash to the finish.
Ives posted the following statement on social media, announcing his planned departure:
“After 17 seasons on the road and making countless memories, I’ve decided to step away as a crew chief at the end of 2022. There are many reasons, but the most important one is the chance to focus on my family and spend more time with our kids as they grow up. Leading the No. 48 has been one of the great privileges of my life, and I’m excited to go into the playoffs and chase a championship with Alex and this incredible group of people.
“I’m also looking forward to the next step in my career, which will be here with my Hendrick Motorsports family. I’ll never have the words to properly express how grateful I am to be able to live out my dream of working in racing or properly thank everyone who has supported me along the way. Thank you for everything.”
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