McAnally-Hilgemann Racing has officially unveiled its crew chief roster for the upcoming 2027 NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series season.
The organization confirmed that Matt Barndt, previously the car chief for Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports, will join the team as crew chief for Christian Eckes and the No. 91 entry, according to Yahoo Sports.
The transition is supported by the shared sponsorship of NAPA Auto Parts between the two racing organizations.
Additional staffing changes include Kevin Bellicourt moving from his role as crew chief for Daniel Hemric into a new position as General Manager for the team.
Darren Fraley will replace Bellicourt as the crew chief for the No. 19 team, moving over from his previous role with the No. 81 entry.
Edward “Dewey” Townsend, who previously managed the team’s part-time No. 20 entry, has been tapped to lead the No. 18 team alongside newly signed driver Nick Sanchez.
Furthermore, Mark Hillman has been named the Operations Manager, while Stephen Poswiatowski transitions to the Lead Engineer role.
Team owner Bill McAnally expressed optimism regarding these organizational shifts as the team looks to improve upon its 2026 performance.
Regarding the team’s high ambitions, “We have high expectations of ourselves, to win races and compete for championships,” Bill McAnally stated.
He further emphasized the value of the new personnel, noting that, “Having Kevin, Matt, Darren, and Dewey put us in the right spot to build on how strong we ended the season.”
The team finished the 2026 season without a victory but showed significant late-season momentum with Eckes, who secured four runner-up finishes in the final six races.
Management remains focused on building a competitive foundation for the 2027 campaign, as the outlets reported.
The team expects these strategic adjustments to prepare them for a stronger start when the season officially opens in February.