Adding to his already impressive résumé, crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle will climb atop the pit box for a sixth NASCAR Cup Series season leading driver William Byron and the iconic No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team. Fugle has his goals set to build off his successful first five campaigns with the 15-time Cup Series championship organization and make a run for the championship in 2026.
Growing up in Livonia, New York, Fugle’s passion for auto racing was evident early. In addition to working at his family’s salvage yard, he cut his teeth in dirt racing, competing in a 600cc micro sprint and working on a friend’s dirt modified at the local level. After high school graduation, Fugle attended Rochester Institute of Technology before following his dream of working in NASCAR by moving to North Carolina to continue his education. Upon graduating from UNC Charlotte with a degree in mechanical engineering, he took his first job in the sport at Robert Yates Racing, where he started as an engineering intern and shock specialist. After two years, Fugle transitioned to Germain Racing as an engineer before being promoted to a NASCAR Xfinity Series crew chief in 2009 for driver Michael Annett.
After his time at Germain, Fugle made the move to Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in 2013, taking over crew chief duties for the team’s multi-driver entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In his rookie season, he captured six wins before securing his first series owner championship for KBM. After that initial season, Fugle took home both the driver and owner championships in 2015 with rookie Erik Jones and doubled up with Christopher Bell in 2017. He went on to capture his fifth owner championship for KBM in 2019 when he once again called the shots for the organization’s all-star entry.
In 2016, Fugle was paired with Byron during his Truck Series rookie campaign. The duo had a record-breaking season, notching seven victories, leading 727 of 3,439 laps (21%), and claiming three poles as Byron wrapped up rookie of the year honors and secured the owner championship, narrowly missing the driver title due to an engine failure.
In eight seasons, Fugle amassed 28 wins with KBM, tying him for second all-time for wins by a crew chief at the truck level. He accumulated 24 poles, 78 top-five finishes and 119 top 10s across 168 races on top of the pit box for the organization. In those races, Fugle worked with 15 drivers and visited victory lane with six of them, third-most by a crew chief in the truck series. Of those six drivers, Byron’s seven wins are the second-most Fugle scored with one driver, behind only 10 with Kyle Busch.
In October 2020, it was announced that Fugle would join Hendrick Motorsports to reunite with Byron as the new crew chief of the storied No. 24 team after seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus was promoted to a leadership role. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports, Fugle has been a part of 15 Cup Series wins with Byron. Highlighted by back-to-back DAYTONA 500 victories in 2024 and 2025, Fugle and the team have made the playoffs in all five years at the premier level with three consecutive Championship 4 appearances, finishing a season-best third twice. In 2025, Fugle and Byron also won the regular season championship.
Fugle resides in Salisbury, North Carolina, with wife Carie, sons Reed and Blake, and daughters Avery and Ellie. Away from the racetrack, he enjoys attending his children’s sporting events and school functions, and spending time outdoors with his family. His hobbies include hiking and gardening.
