Tim Elwell
SprintCarUnlimited.com continues its list of the Top 25 Crew Chiefs since 1990 with central Pennsylvania standout Tim Elwell. The No. 22 crew chief was part of one of the dominant teams in central Pennsylvania through the early 2000s. Elwell paired with three of the best in the region, hooking up with Lance Dewease, Fred Rahmer, and Greg Hodnett.
Accomplishments: Elwell’s resumé started to ramp up in 1999, when he turned the wrenches on the familiar Joe Harz No. 88H and had Lance Dewease behind the wheel. The team stayed together for two-and-a-half seasons and recorded 46 victories. Included in those triumphs was beating the World of Outlaws to capture the Williams Grove National Open. After Dewease and Harz parted ways after 2001, Fred Rahmer joined the team, and the winning continued. The Rahmer-Elwell combination was responsible for 75 wins in four years, including a preliminary night win during the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. Elwell was a major part of over 100 wins, two Tuscarora 50 victories, three Williams Grove Speedway track championships, three more track championships at Lincoln, and five Pennsylvania Speedweek titles before Joe Harz retired after the 2005 season. Greg Hodnett partnered with Al Hamilton in 2006, and Elwell followed. The team racked up 11 wins to add to the crew chief’s already impressive stats package. Elwell bumped around after his stint with Hamilton and finished his career with over 150 wins.
Did You Know: Hard work was a major part of Tim Elwell’s success in the Sprint Car game. That carried over to his post-racing career and business. Elwell opened up a funnel cake business called ‘Shorty’s Funnel Cakes,’ which is owned and operated by him and his wife Jonda, that has become a fixture at racetracks and fairs in the region. “He is a very hard worker and always has been,” Lance Dewease said. “I knew when he started the funnel cake business that he would be successful.”
Why Here: Regardless of the driver, you need an accomplished crew chief making decisions in the pit area. Lance Dewease and Fred Rahmer were two of the best, and Elwell was a big part of a seven-year stretch of success for Joe Harz Racing. A crew chief also has to deal with different personalities, and Elwell’s ability to communicate and bag victories in the process makes him an easy choice to be on this list.
They said it: “He was a very good, hard worker. He was very open minded, so you could work on things and try different things. His best thing was his communication. We communicated very well and was a really hard worker at it. Timmy is pretty laid back. He can get wound up, at times, but he doesn’t get too excited. That seems to work better than somebody who is hyped up or argumentative. This sport is a lot easier when you are laid back.” — Sprint Car Hall of Fame driver and central Pennsylvania legend Lance Dewease.