RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Geisler living dream as NASCAR crew chief
Travis Geisler went from the short tracks of Western Pennsylvania to snag a job as the top mechanic on a NASCAR Sprint Cup team.
The 27-year-old native of Cranberry, Butler County, was promoted earlier this week to crew chief - the head coach of a race team - for the No. 77 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
"It's certainly a sense of accomplishment," said his father, Lynn Geisler, who races at area dirt tracks. "I can't help but be happy for him and he should be proud of himself. He's done it in a short time because there really are no charted waters here. He's got it done."
The younger Geisler spoke to his father briefly on Monday to inform him of the promotion, but he didn't have much time to chat. He takes over for former crew chief Chris Carrier and must turn around a struggling race team that is 33rd in the points standings.
"He's so busy trying to get things in order," Lynn Geisler said.
Travis Geisler, who now lives and works in North Carolina, recently predicted Penske Racing would undergo changes in the coming months.
"The one thing about working in this sport is you become very comfortable with change. Very few teams stay the same," Geisler said.
"It's hard to explain what working in this environment is like. It's not like a normal job," he added. "Things don't operate under a normal pretense. It's a crazy job and that's what makes it fun and alluring as a career."
Geisler graduated from Sewickley Academy in Pittsburgh and earned a mechanical engineering degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He raced at area short tracks, including Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, and drove a part-time schedule in NASCAR's minor league Busch Series in 2004.
He later concentrated his efforts on the mechanics of the car and joined Yates Racing as a race engineer in 2006. He has spent the past two years at Penske.
"Travis is another example of our willingness to promote from within," Penske Racing President Tim Cindric said in a statement. "His depth of knowledge as a racer and engineer, as well as his proven ability to work with both drivers and crews, will be a great addition to the entire Mobil 1 team."
It is not known how long Geisler will remain as crew chief, but Lynn Geisler said he expected him to continue in that role for the rest of the season to build chemistry between the driver and crew.
Hornish has struggled as a rookie in the Sprint Cup Series, but won the 2006 Indianapolis 500 and three IndyCar championships while driving open-wheel cars for eight seasons. The two had met on just two occasions before this week.
Before the promotion to crew chief, the undisputed high point of Geisler's career came in February when his team won the season-opening race at Daytona. It was the first Daytona 500 victory for team owner Roger Penske - a man who has succeeded in just about everything in racing.
"We got our rings (in early July)," Geisler said last month. "You put it on just to let you know what a special accomplishment and something you'll have for the rest of your life."
The Geisels embraced each other in Victory Lane at Daytona. Father and son shared another special moment on Monday as Travis joked that his father now will have to change his allegiance in their fantasy racing league.
"He just basically said, 'You can quit taking the No. 12 car. You gotta take the 77 car now.' That's the kind of dry humor he has," Lynn Geisler said.
The Sprint Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for the Sharpie 500 Saturday night.
