Mike Beam, Crew Chief of the No. 6 Con-way Freight Ford F-150

Personal Profile
Birth Date: December 17, 1955
Marital Status: Married, Nancy
Children: Erin, Emily, Sara
Hometown: Hickory, NC
Residence: Hickory, NC

At age 24, Mike Beam started his NASCAR Sprint Cup career by signing on as a mechanic at Richard Petty Enterprises. It was a strong beginning, one that saw him promoted to the role of crew chief for the team that same year. Since then, he’s worked with many notable drivers, including Richard Petty, Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Elliott Sadler, as well as former Roush Fenway driver, Ricky Craven. Beam has three Cup victories (two with Elliott and one with Craven), 16 poles, 55 top-five and 137 top-10 finishes.

Beam’s passion for racing began at a much earlier age when he sold seat cushions for his church as a way to get into Hickory Motor Speedway and watch the excitement. From a modest home, Beam found his niche in racing as a mechanic and right out of high school, followed his dreams of becoming a crew chief.

Working in the Late Model Sportsman Division, which later became the Busch Grand National Series, at age 21, Beam took his driver Butch Lindley straight to the top with a championship title. He remained with the team for two more seasons, taking top honors again the next year, before moving into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where he has earned a respectable reputation as one of the best in the garage area.

Beam brings numerous years of NASCAR Sprint Cup experience to Roush Fenway Racing. His Cup career began in 1981 and since then, Beam has served as crew chief with several highly respected organizations and later, took on team management roles at both Bill Elliott Racing and Galaxy Motorsports. The Dover race in September 2001 marked Beam’s 500th start as a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The 2005 season was his first in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition. He spent the first half of the season as Ricky Craven’s crew chief, and in July transitioned from the No. 99 to the same position with Todd Kluever’s No. 50.

2006 was a phenomenal year for Beam, who led the No. 6 team to a second-place finish in the Truck Series owner standings. Mark Martin wheeled the No. 6 Scotts Ford to a series-high six wins, along with drivers David Ragan, Auggie Vidovich and Peter Shepherd contributing to strong finishes for the team. In 2007, Beam was paired with 2003 series champion Travis Kvapil. Their effort produced four wins and a sixth-place finish in the point standings.

In 2008, Beam will once again crew chief the No. 6 Ford F-150. This time he will be paired with rookie driver Colin Braun to contend for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.