Inside the Garage: Q&A with crew chief Owens

If you Google search Trent Owens, pages of driver stats and race results appear.

That's because Owens, 32, used to be a NASCAR driver. A good part of crew chiefs were before taking that highly-coveted post above the pit box.

Owens is no different from his predecessors, and well into his first full season coaching veteran driver Dave Blaney, 45, the neophyte says he couldn't be happier.

He should be. Blaney is now second in the point standings after bringing home his first top-five finish of the season last weekend in Nashville.

Q: You're a new crew chief and Blaney has some years on you. Did that give you much of a complex?

Owens: I was a little nervous ... a little stressed. I hoped he would like what I'm doing. It was more me putting pressure on myself, and looking back, it was probably more than I should have. He just wants to have a fast car.

Q: You were a driver; you competed in the Craftsman Truck Series. Blaney ever razz you?

Owens: Yeah we joke with each other pretty well. In Nashville it was so cold, Blaney asked me to go qualify the car, because it was so cold. I told him I didn't want to get the back-up car off the truck.

He laughed and said 'you sure you can get it going fast enough.' We have a good friendship; we talk about things other than racing. It brings a level of comfort and makes the weekends easier.

Q: At what point were you reassured you were in the right position?

Owens: Last season [running a limited schedule] we won in Charlotte [Oct. 13]. It was a wild night. We had gotten a lap down due to a flat tire. We fought for the [free pass], got it and won the race. It was a great feeling. That let us know that what we were doing was right. (Continued)