![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie Ryan Preece has a new crew chief, but he's someone who already was on his #47 JTG-Daugherty Racing team. Eddie Pardue has gone from engineer to crew chief, replacing Tristan Smith. Smith, meanwhile, has gone fr om crew chief to engineer ahead of Sunday's 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Pardue has 18 races of experience as a Cup Series crew chief, 17 of those with driver Jeffrey Earnhardt in 2017, but his best finish in the series as a crew chief was in his first race with Greg Biffle in 2008. Most of Pardue's experience as a NASCAR national-series crew chief came in the NASCAR Xfinity Series where he has three wins in 338 races.
Preece has three top-10 finishes in his first 30 races of his first full season of Cup Series competition with a best finish of third coming with the series visited Talladega earlier this year.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
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