Former NASCAR crew chief and analyst, Jeff Hammond, to speak at the Partlow Insurance Sports Breakfast and ride in the Glo Fiber Grand Feature Parade

Jeff Hammond

Jeff Hammond’s love of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® is equal to that of longtime fans of Bloom Nation. Tommy Price, president of the Festival, is now welcoming Hammond’s return as a speaker at the Partlow Insurance Sports Breakfast.  Jeff was the Firefighters’ Marshal in 2016.  Jeff says, “Apple Blossom to the spring is what Macy’s Parade is to Christmas”

Jeff Hammond joined FOX Sports at the conclusion of the 2000 NASCAR season as an analyst for FOX NASCAR’s inaugural year of MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES coverage, moving over from his duties at Roush Fenway Racing as Kurt Busch’s crew chief.

From 2001 to 2013, Hammond served as an analyst for FOX NASCAR SUNDAY, the network’s prerace show at the time, alongside Chris Myers and Darrell Waltrip.  In 2014, he covered stories on pit road, becoming the first former crew chief to serve in that capacity for network television’s NASCAR coverage.

In 2006, Hammond received his first Sports Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Sports Person–Studio Analyst. Hammond visited America’s troops serving overseas in Baghdad and Southwest Asia as part of the NFL on FOX’s Thanksgiving Day coverage in 2010 and in Korea as part of the NFL on FOX’s Thanksgiving Day coverage in 2011.  His broadcasting resume includes work for FX, ESPN, Turner, and TNN.  He has co-hosted the nationally syndicated NASCAR Country radio show.

In 2019, Hammond was awarded the prestigious Smokey Yunick Award.  A year later, Jeff was awarded the Fireball Roberts Hard Charger Award.  Hammond may be heard weekly on Performance Racing Network’s “Fast Talk” on Monday evenings and on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “Late Shift” with Brad Gillie on Tuesday evenings.

In 1974, at the age of 17, the legendary crew chief began his NASCAR career as a tire changer for Walter Ballard. He transitioned to the role of jack man and served in this capacity for all three of Cale Yarborough’s Cup Series championships before winning the 1981 championship as Darrell Waltrip’s jack man.  In 1982, Hammond took the helm as crew chief for the first time atop the pit box for Waltrip at the pinnacle of the future Hall of Famer’s career.  Together, the pair visited Victory Lane an impressive 43 times, including Waltrip’s 1989 Daytona 500 victory.  Hammond, known as a methodical strategist, was Waltrip’s pit boss for two of his three Cup Series championships (1982 and 1985), and won the 1989 GM Goodwrench Teamwork of Excellence Award.  He retired with 508 races as a crew chief.

In 2021, Hammond returned to the Crew Chief ranks as only one of four Crew Chiefs chosen for the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience series.  Hammond would get his first win in this new racing series with driver and eventual series champion, Tony Stewart.

Hammond co-owns and operates Pit Training and Instruction (PIT) facility, a 24,000 square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C.  PIT also owns 5 Off 5 On Race Team Performance and specializes in training current NASCAR pit crew members, in addition to assisting aspiring pit crew members gain the skills and knowledge they need to break into and succeed in NASCAR.  Through PIT, Hammond also conducts team-building exercises for corporations and serves as a motivational speaker for several Fortune 500 companies, including ExxonMobil, Northrop Grumman, and O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Hammond attended East Carolina University, where he played football.  He resides near Charlotte, N.C., with his family.

Jeff will be speaking at the Partlow Insurance Sports Breakfast at The Tolley Dental Zone in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics and Events Center at Shenandoah University at 8 a.m. and riding in the Glo Fiber Grand Feature Parade, which steps off at 1:30 p.m. through the streets of historic Winchester.

Tickets for Festival events are available at www.thebloom.com/events.