McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) has unveiled its full-time crew chief lineup for the 2027 NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series, and included are some pretty major changes… highlighted by several leadership transitions and even a high-profile new addition.
All three of the organization’s planned full-time entries for 2027 – the No. 18 (Nick Sanchez), No. 19 (Daniel Hemric), and No. 91 (Christian Eckes) – will feature changes to who is calling the shots, with two inter-organization shuffles and one completely new hire.
Darren Fraley is set to move from his previous post as crew chief of the No. 81 to join 2021 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Daniel Hemric on the team’s flagship No. 19. The pair will be reunited to begin Hemric’s third year with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, after Fraley served as race engineer for the No. 19 when Hemric first arrived at the organization.
Fraley replaces long-time NASCAR crew chief Kevin Bellicourt, who, beginning in 2027, will transition into the role of General Manager of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
Edward “Dewey” Townsend will tackle his first season as a full-time NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series crew chief in 2027, serving as shot-caller for Nick Sanchez and the No. 18 Chevrolet Silverado RST. Townsend is considered one of the sport’s rising young crew chiefs, and has already developed a working relationship with Sanchez, during their time at AM Racing to start 2026. Last year, Townsend served as shot-caller of the team’s part-time No. 20 Chevrolet, which had Toni Breidinger, Daniel Dye, Mason Massey, and Brendan Gaughan behind the wheel.
Townsend replaces Mark Hillman, a long-time crew chief of MHR’s No. 18 entry, who instead, moves into the role as Operations Manager, with Stephen Poswiatowski moving from the No. 19 team to assume the position of Lead Engineer, tasked with maximizing General Motors tools across all teams in house.
Finally, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing has made a strategic hire, tapping Matt Barndt as crew chief of the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado RST with Christian Eckes. Barndt joins the team from Hendrick Motorsports, having served as the car chief for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro. Eckes and Barndt will be paired together as they look to make a championship run.
Dave Elenz, who joined McAnally-Hilgemann Racing last season as a crew chief, will move into an advisory role.
“We have high expectations of ourselves, to win races and compete for championships”, team owner Bill McAnally said. “Having Kevin [Bellicourt], Matt {Barndt], Darren [Fraley], and Dewey [Townsend] put us in the right spot to build on how strong we ended the season and will prepare us to come out of the box even better in February. We’re confident in the direction we’re going and excited about how we’re developing for 2027.”
The 2027 NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series campaign will begin at Daytona in February 202 7, with the season-opener taking place Friday, February 19.
