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Greg Zipadelli, crew chief of 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie Of The Year Tony Stewart, is no stranger to success. He proved his worth as a crew chief in 1999 when his team posted the greatest rookie season in the history of the sport. Stewart won a rookie-record three races and finished fourth in points.
Zipadelli may be relatively new in NASCAR's top series, but the Connecticut native's wealth of experience on successful race teams has kept the No. 20 Home Depot team consistently in the top 10 of 2000. Zipadelli won the 1996 Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring title with Mike Stefanik, and the 1988 Featherlite Modified Series, NASCAR Touring title with Mike McLaughlin.
Zipadelli grew up around racing. His first exposure to the sport came at an early age, working with his uncle on a modified owned by his father. In his time with the family team, he had the opportunity to work with several drivers who went on to great careers, including Richie Evans, Brett Bodine, Todd Bodine and McLaughlin. He became crew chief in 1985 following his father's decision to expand the family business.
Zipadelli's made racing his fulltime career in 1990 when McLaughlin was offered a ride with Mike Greci, a prominent Featherlite Modified Series team owner in Connecticut, and requested that Zipadelli be his crew chief. Zipadelli was...