Gratitude is the first word that comes to mind when Jason Ratcliff, crew chief for Taylor Gray in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, reflects on his career in NASCAR. For those who have worked with him at Joe Gibbs Racing, there is plenty of that, too. “I love Jason” are the first words that come to mind for Xfinity Series wins leader Kyle Busch and 13-time Cup Series victor Christopher Bell.
To say Gray has one of the best in his corner as he tries to advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs might be an understatement. Ratcliff is the current wins leader among Xfinity crew chiefs with 57 as the series heads to Kansas Speedway for Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 (4 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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Looking back on his career, Ratcliff began working with his father, George, buying and selling used cars and without a plan to be in NASCAR someday. He worked as a mechanic before helping a high school girlfriend’s father with his dirt sprint car. Between bouncing around Texas and Louisiana, he always enjoyed the aspect of local racing.
With family centered not far from Talladega Superspeedway, Ratcliff caught the NASCAR bug. Still, he gave little thought to making a career in the sport; instead, he worked for an electrical business after high school.
“NASCAR was always something right there in the forefront, but never anything that I thought I’d be a part of someday,” Ratcliff told NASCAR.com.
After stopping at Sadler Brothers Racing for his first NASCAR gig, Ratcliff served as crew chief for Brewco Motorsports, where he scored a pair of victories with Jamie McMurray in 2002 and three more in 2003 with David Green, placing second in the championship battle to Hendrick Motorsports’ Brian Vickers.
That success opened the eyes of Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2005, Ratcliff jumped at an opportunity to crew chief J.J. Yeley in the Xfinity Series. It wasn’t until 2008 that he scored his first victory with JGR, when he was paired with Kyle Busch. Joining Toyota that same year was a bonus.
“When Toyota came in, I felt like we were making progress as a team, but we got the extra resources we needed to revamp everything,” Ratcliff said. “We had to change bodies, manufacturers, so you have to relocate engine mounts, and it’s a big undertaking and a good time that if there were things we could do differently, now is the time to do it.”
Connecting with Busch — who joined JGR from Hendrick Motorsports — was the catalyst for Ratcliff’s career. The then-12-time Cup Series victor opted to run the full 2009 schedule with JGR to chase the driver’s championship. Mission accomplished, with the No. 18 team winning nine races, leading a series record 2,698 laps and winning the championship.
As Ratcliff became more familiar with Busch — who returned for the bulk of the 2010 campaign — the duo set out on a mission to break Sam Ard’s record of 10 victories in a single season, which had stood since 1983. They won 13 races, setting the new benchmark.
“Before the season even started, we said, let’s tie that record,” Ratcliff said. “To get it and then surpass it was not anything we expected we could do, but it was a great time and a great accomplishment. Records are made to be broken; somebody will do it.”
“I think the thing with Jason was the mutual respect for one another,” said Busch, who looks back fondly on his days with Ratcliff. “I got to work with him at JGR and could understand why this guy is as good as he is. He is one of my favorite crew chiefs that I’ve had over the years.”
After collecting eight additional trophies with Busch in 2011 and Greg Zipadelli departing JGR for Stewart-Haas Racing, Ratcliff remained patient, receiving his first shot as a Cup Series crew chief with Joey Logano. When Matt Kenseth replaced Logano in the No. 20 car for the 2013 season, the new pairing had instant chemistry. They won their third race together at Las Vegas Motor Speedway en route to a six-win season and finished runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in the championship battle. In six years calling the shots for the No. 20 Cup car, Ratcliff compiled 15 victories.
“Until you’re there, you feel like you can do it, but until you go out and do it, there is a little bit in the back of your mind saying, ‘am I capable?\"” Ratcliff said of his Cup experience. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the greatest drivers that this sport has seen.”
With a JGR driver shuffle ahead of 2018, Ratcliff returned to the Xfinity Series to crew-chief Bell. Originally, he thought it was a confusing internal move, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, winning 15 races in two seasons together. Ratcliff returned to the Cup Series in 2020 as Bell joined Leavine Family Racing for a stopgap season.
“While I didn’t really want to do that deal — not that it had anything to do with Christopher — I felt like I belonged in Cup,” Ratcliff said, “but what a blessing in disguise for me. If you would ask me if I would go back and do something different, no way.”
Bell, who was originally bummed about being split from Ratcliff ahead of the 2021 season, believes he played an integral role in his development.
“I remember having him instill confidence in me and knowing what to expect going into the weekends and having my back and feeling like we’re on the team together,” Bell said. “He was a great leader of the group. He is in the top of crew chiefs that I have ever driven for.”
Ratcliff hopped off the road following the 2023 season and became the equivalent of JGR’s competition director, splitting time between working with drivers and crew chiefs. With a late crew chief change internally at JGR for the 2025 season, team owner Joe Gibbs called Ratcliff and asked for a favor, hoping he would call the shots for rookie Gray. Ratcliff agreed, though he knew it wasn’t a long-term position.
MORE: Ratcliff’s career stats as crew chief
Ratcliff is 70% certain that he will return to the pit box in 2026, wanting to see things unfold.
“I like what we’re doing this year and feel like we’ve made a lot of progress,” Ratcliff said. “I think Taylor is poised to be a championship contender. As long as we’re making progress, it keeps me fired up and going. I’m willing to come back next year.”
Whenever Ratcliff hangs up the headset, he will be the winningest crew chief in Xfinity Series history (currently with 57). And there are no words to express the ride.
“Until I’m actually removed from the sport, I’m not sure that it will sink in as long as I’m competing,” Ratcliff said. “It’s pretty amazing, and I have a lot of people to be thankful to for not only working with me but supporting me.”
