Chad Little

Charles Glen Little Jr. (born April 29, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He holds a degree in marketing from Washington State University and a J.D. degree from Gonzaga University. While attending Washington State University, he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Little currently works at NASCAR as managing director for technical inspection and officiating. Little had previously been director of the Camping World Truck Series, as well as the director of racing development for Mexico and the Whelen Modified Tour. He keeps regular office hours in the sanctioning body's research and development center in Concord, North Carolina. He also was a part-time studio analyst for Speed Channel. He is the father of Jesse Little.

Early years Little began racing the short tracks in Washington in the mid-1980s. He soon began racing in the American Speed Association West late model series, the NASCAR Northwest Tour Series and the NASCAR Winston West Series. One year after being named the NASCAR Winston West Rookie of the Year, Little clinched that series' championship in 1987.

Little made his NASCAR Winston Cup debut in 1986 at Riverside International Raceway, driving the No. 28 Ford owned by George Jefferson. He started 25th and finished thirteenth. He ran the other Riverside race that year but finished 35th after suffering engine failure. He ran both the Riverside races the next year, finishing fifteenth both times in the No. 95 Coors Ford.

The following year, Little was eligible for NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors and signed to drive the No. 90 for Junie Donlavey. However, his best finish was an eighteenth, at the Coca-Cola 600, and he was released early in the season. In 1989, he missed United Airlines Flight 232. About a third of the passengers aboard the flight perished during its emergency landing in Iowa. In 1990, Little and his father Chuck teamed to field their own entry, the No. 19 Ford sponsored by Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce. He ran eighteen races and had seven top-twenty finishes, garnering a 33rd place points finish. The following season, Little made his first full-time attempt at winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship, qualifying for 28 out of 29 races and posting a tenth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, finishing 27th in points.

Busch Series In 1992, Little signed to drive the No. 66 TropArctic Ford for Cale Yarborough but was released six races into the season. Later, he caught on to the No. 9 Ford fielded by Melling Racing and had an eighth-place finish at Talladega. He also made his Busch Series debut that year, starting and finishing 29th in the No. 37 Maxx Race Cards Oldsmobile at Watkins Glen International.

In 1993, Little, along with Greg Pollex and former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, formed Mark Rypien Motorsports, running the No. 23 If It's Paper-Bayer Select Ford on a limited basis that year, posting a second-place finish at Dover International Speedway. The next year, the team went full time and Little had ten top-five finishes, finishing 3rd in points. He also drove the No. 97 Ford at the Daytona 500 that season, finishing 29th. In 1995, Little broke through and won six races during the course of the season, including the first two races of the season, at Daytona and Rockingham, and finished second in points, behind Johnny Benson. His other wins were at Loudon, Charlotte, Talladega and South Boston. Little did not win a race the following season, however, and slipped to sixth in points. He also ran nine Winston Cup Series races, five in Pollex's No. 97 Sterling Cowboy Pontiac Grand Prix, and another four for Diamond Ridge Motorsports, posting a 20th-place finish at Darlington Raceway,

Winston Cup

In 1997, Little returned to the Winston Cup Series, running the No. 97 Pontiac for Pollex with sponsorship from John Deere. He finished 7th at the Food City 500, but the team struggled to make races. Late in the year, Jack Roush purchased the team to be added to his stable for 1998. Little ended the 1997 season 36th in points.

In 1998, Little drove for Roush full time with Jeff Hammond as crew chief. Running 32 out of 33 races, he had seven top-tens, including a second-place run at Texas, finishing behind Mark Martin, and finished a career-high 15th in points. He was unable to duplicate that performance in 1999, posting just five top-tens and finishing 23rd in points. After just one top-ten in 2000, Roush announced that Little would not drive the No. 97 the following season. Late in the year, Little was pulled out of the car and replaced by his successor, Kurt Busch, with Hammond still as crew chief. During the season, he also ran a handful of races in the Busch Series. Originally running the No. 30 for Innovative Motorsports, he was released and posted a top-ten in a one-race deal with PPI Motorsports.

Little had 217 career Cup starts in all.

Final years as driver In 2001, Little signed to drive the No. 74 Staff America Chevrolet Monte Carlo for BACE Motorsports in the Busch Series. He had six top-tens and finished ninth in points. He started off 2002 running for BACE, but the team closed after three races due to sponsor issues. He made his final Cup start in a BACE car at Dover that year, finishing 33rd. He has not run NASCAR since.

Post-driving career In 2004, Chad called several Truck and Xfinity races from the booth.

Chad later provided competition support for the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series, and became the tour director for the Whelen Modified Tour.

Starting in 2013, Chad took on the role of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series managing director. On February 2, 2015, NASCAR announced that Little would be moving into a new role, as a managing director of technical inspection and officiating. His role as director was replaced by another former driver, Elton Sawyer.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 1986 Jefferson Racing 28 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT RSD13 POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD35 70th 182 1987 95 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR NWS BRI MAR TAL CLT DOV POC RSD15 MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR RSD15 ATL 60th 236 1988 Stoke Racing 19 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD23 POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN CLTDNQ NWS CAR 45th 405 Autosports Enterprises MCH27 BRI DAR RCH DOV15 MAR Jefferson Racing PHO19 ATL 1989 Donlavey Racing 90 Ford DAY36 CAR ATL35 RCH22 DAR37 BRI NWS MAR26 TAL34 CLT18 DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH26 BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 38th 602 1990 Little Racing 19 Ford DAYDNQ RCH16 CAR ATL19 DAR16 BRIDNQ NWS MAR TAL15 CLT24 DOV SON37 POC18 MCH DAY27 POC TAL19 GLN MCH22 BRIDNQ DAR35 RCH32 DOV MAR17 NWS24 CLT40 CAR25 ATL27 33rd 1632 Moroso Racing 20 Olds PHO21 1991 Little Racing 19 Ford DAY14 RCH16 CAR22 ATL18 DAR36 BRI14 NWSDNQ MAR27 TAL38 CLT25 DOV29 SON28 POC23 MCH26 DAY29 POC12 TAL12 GLN11 MCH25 BRI14 DAR36 RCH34 DOV16 MAR24 NWS21 CLT10 CAR23 PHO30 ATL21 27th 2678 1992 Cale Yarborough Motorsports 66 Ford DAY39 CAR22 RCH23 ATL23 DAR33 BRI23 NWS MAR TAL CLT 31st 1669 Melling Racing 9 Ford DOV26 SON POC37 MCH21 DAY24 POC17 TAL8 GLN MCH17 BRI DAR34 RCH27 DOV29 MAR NWS CLT33 CAR24 PHO ATL17 1993 DAY24 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT34 DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS 51st 216 Mark Rypien Motorsports 19 Ford CLT33 CAR PHO ATL 1994 97 DAY29 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 68th 81 1995 DAYDNQ CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT42 DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL18 IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLTDNQ CAR PHODNQ ATL 53rd 146 1996 Pontiac DAY33 CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TALDNQ CLT43 DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TALDNQ IND GLN MCH36 CLT22 CAR PHO ATL22 44th 627 JTC Racing 45 Chevy SONDNQ Diamond Ridge Motorsports 29 Chevy BRI23 DAR20 RCH40 DOV41 MARDNQ NWS 1997 Mark Rypien Motorsports 97 Pontiac DAYDNQ CARDNQ RCH34 ATL19 DAR27 TEX26 BRI8 MAR42 SONDNQ TAL34 CLTDNQ DOV31 POCDNQ MCH25 CAL19 DAY42 NHA30 POC28 IND42 GLN42 36th 2081 Roush Racing MCH42 BRI20 DAR11 RCH40 NHA28 DOV29 MAR35 CLT23 TAL40 CAR16 PHO25 ATL18 1998 Ford DAY7 CAR21 LVS10 ATLDNQ DAR17 BRI35 TEX2 MAR16 TAL34 CAL6 CLT35 DOV37 RCH13 MCH16 POC30 SON23 NHA22 POC16 IND28 GLN16 MCH10 BRI23 NHA14 DAR18 RCH12 DOV17 MAR36 CLT8 TAL8 DAY20 PHO20 CAR40 ATL11 15th 3423 1999 DAY9 CAR21 LVS14 ATL9 DAR28 TEX13 BRI24 MAR17 TAL42 CAL22 RCH35 CLT24 DOV28 MCH28 POC32 SON16 DAY29 NHA24 POC22 IND43 GLN14 MCH6 BRI30 DAR20 RCH42 NHA28 DOV7 MAR31 CLT18 TAL36 CAR21 PHO16 HOM39 ATL6 23rd 3193 2000 DAY23 CAR18 LVS19 ATL6 DAR15 BRI23 TEX13 MAR27 TAL25 CAL15 RCH39 CLT20 DOV20 MCH32 POC17 SON25 DAY16 NHA42 POC20 IND19 GLN12 MCH22 BRI30 DAR21 RCH29 NHA33 DOV MAR CLT TAL18 CAR PHO HOM ATL 32nd 2634 2002 BACE Motorsports 74 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CALDNQ RCH CLTDNQ DOV33 POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL CAR PHO HOM 77th 64

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1989 Donlavey Racing Ford 28 36 1990 Little Racing Ford DNQ 1991 30 14 1992 Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 14 39 1993 Melling Racing Ford 17 24 1994 Mark Rypien Motorsports Ford 17 29 1995 DNQ 1996 Pontiac 30 33 1997 DNQ 1998 Roush Racing Ford 21 7 1999 26 9 2000 29 23

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Pts Ref 1992 Little Racing 37 Olds DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR DAR BRI HCY LAN DUB NZH CLT DOV ROU MYB GLN29 VOL NHA TAL IRP ROU MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR HCY 120th 76 1993 Mark Rypien Motorsports 23 Ford DAY CAR RCH DAR33 BRI HCY ROU MAR NZH CLT7 DOV2 MYB GLN MLW TAL29 IRP37 MCH33 NHA37 BRI22 DAR3 RCH DOV ROU CLT14 MAR CAR41 HCY ATL23 32nd 1171 1994 DAY3 CAR15 RCH22 ATL14 MAR27 DAR18 HCY22 BRI24 ROU15 NHA5 NZH11 CLT34 DOV17 MYB5 GLN8 MLW7 SBO5 TAL6 HCY8 IRP5 MCH2 BRI12 DAR5 RCH14 DOV15 CLT4 MAR5 CAR5 3rd 3662 1995 DAY1 CAR1* RCH32 ATL29* NSV2 DAR4 BRI3 HCY23* NHA1 NZH19 CLT1 DOV9 MYB32 GLN2* MLW8 TAL1 SBO1* IRP20 MCH21 BRI4 DAR40 RCH16 DOV13 CLT34 CAR35 HOM26 2nd 3284 1996 Pontiac DAY19 CAR33 RCH20 ATL15 NSV15 DAR37 BRI12 HCY11 NZH11 CLT13 DOV29 SBO8 MYB16 GLN8 MLW21 NHA32 TAL21 IRP27 MCH11 BRI25 DAR12 RCH3 DOV9 CLT4 CAR10 HOM7 5th 2984 1998 Roush Racing 9 Ford DAY CAR LVS NSV DAR BRI TEX HCY TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV RCH PPR GLN MLW MYB CAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR30 RCH DOV CLT GTY CAR ATL HOM 108th 73 2000 Innovative Motorsports 30 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEXDNQ NSV TALDNQ CAL12 RCHDNQ NHA CLT31 DOVDNQ SBO MYB GLN MLW NZH PPR GTY IRP 66th 398 PPI Motorsports 97 Ford MCH10 BRI DAR RCH DOV BACE Motorsports 74 Chevy CLTDNQ CAR32 MEM PHO HOMDNQ 2001 DAY9 CAR15 LVS16 ATL15 DAR24 BRI12 TEX31 NSH27 TAL11 CAL18 RCH20 NHA14 NZH20 CLT21 DOV11 KEN6 MLW20 GLN16 CHI17 GTY13 PPR16 IRP3 MCH16 BRI9 DAR13 RCH6 DOV4 KAN36 CLT17 MEM16 PHO13 CAR17 HOM27 9th 3846 2002 DAY14 CAR24 LVS21 DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL RCH NHA NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI GTY PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL CAR PHO HOM 69th 312

SuperTruck Series NASCAR SuperTruck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts Ref 1995 RPM Racing 11 Ford PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW CNS HPT IRP FLM RCH32 MARDNQ NWSDNQ SON MMR PHO 69th 162