Chew Calls An End to Driving Career
Team Will Return With Different Driver In 2014
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Bryon Chew announced today that he has retired as a full-time competitor.
Chew, from Mattituck, N.Y., began his NASCAR touring series career in 1999 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Chew ran 129 races across 10 seasons in the stock car division, and after sitting out two seasons, he moved on to the open wheel race cars of the Whelen Modified Tour in 2011.
Chew competed in 42 events in three seasons on the tour and recorded a best finish of fourth this past season at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. In the recently-completed 2013 season he finished 17th in the standings.
Chew spends his days as the general manager of the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac car dealership on Long Island. He cites his growing work and family responsibilities as reasons for stepping away.
“I’m running the business, I have three young kids, I have so much stuff going on right now,” Chew said. “With the time that I have to devote to this business growing more and more each year, I’m going to stop racing cars at this point.
“It’s time to make this decision now, at 42 years old, and get to the business and my kids. It’s a little upsetting. I’ve raced for 18 with NASCAR. It’s a tough decision.”
Although Chew left the door open for a spot start or two behind the wheel in the future, he emphasized that his No. 88 Chevrolet modified will return to the Whelen Modified Tour in 2014 and continue to compete on a full-time basis.
The team plans to name Chew’s successor in the No. 88 within the next couple of weeks.
“I might do a couple races during the year at some point – I’m not sure about that – but I will field the car,” Chew said. “I will have a car there full-time with somebody in it. I don’t have a driver picked out yet. My father and my crew chief are working on that, but we are definitely going to put someone in the car for the whole year.”
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR