HAMPTON, Ga. — It didn’t take long for Steve Hmiel to find a job after he left Dale Earnhardt, Inc. two weeks ago. On Friday, he was named as the manager of competition at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
“I have said many times in reference to drivers that when good ones become available, you owe it to your organization to make a run at them. Well the same is true for leaders,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “Steve became available and I got him. I couldn’t be happier.  He brings over 30 years of hands-on NASCAR experience with him and a skill set that perfectly complements those of John Fernandez.”
Fernandez will continue to manage the long-term strategic direction of the CGRFS race operations while Hmiel will focus more on the competition management and preparation —including race engineering. Both Hmiel and Fernandez will report directly to Ganassi.
“I really couldn’t be happier about this move,” Hmiel said.  “I knew that the next role that I would accept would have to be in the perfect situation and this one is. Chip and Felix have an organization that is on the verge of great things, and I really look forward to helping take them to the next level.”
Hmiel began working in NASCAR more than 30 year ago with Petty Enterprises and helped Richard Petty win Cup championships in 1975 and 1979 as car chief. Petty also won the Daytona 500 in 1979 and 1981. Hmiel would then go on to win another championship in 1984 as the crew chief for Terry Labonte and Bill Hagan Racing.
In 1987, he helped Jack Roush and Ford step up from Trans-Am racing to NASCAR to form the foundation of Roush Racing as their first general manager. From 1989-96, he helped to create a racing dynasty, as Roush never finished out of the top six in points during that span.
In 1998, Hmiel left Roush for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and that same year brought home both the team’s first Craftsman Truck and Busch titles.  He would go on to work closely with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. while helping him win 17 Cup races, including the 2004 Daytona 500.
“I told you anytime somebody good comes along, if you’re doing the right thing for your team, drivers and sponsors, you want to take a look at him,” Ganassi said. “It didn’t take me long to take a look at Steve.
“I think it fits in great [with what Tony Glover does]. There are plenty of duties there. Glover is my weekend guy and a great team manager. In a sense, you need more upper managers. Somebody has to make sure the cars are getting set up right, getting to the race track and going around in circles.
“It is still about racing, but it does help to have strength in upper management.”