Paul Clapprood

Paul Clapprood (born March 1966) is an American NASCAR crew chief, who replaced Kevin Eagle of the No. 44 for Niece Motorsports. He was the crew chief for the JD Motorsports No. 4 in the Xfinity Series in 2019, where he worked with a multitude of drivers, including Ross Chastain, who also drives for Niece part-time in Trucks.

Biography
Clapprood made a risky call at the beginning of Stage 3 to stay out for a wave-around, but due to the track’s abrasive nature, Ross Chastain was forced to come back down pit road under green for four new Goodyear Eagles.

Clapprood, who was co-crew chief with Lavalette on that 2000 championship team, is now a Nationwide Series crew chief for veteran Mike Bliss. Ironically, that car is No. 44, and the number is painted in a similar style to that which graced Fiore’s Modifieds all those years.

Other information
Clapprood has been named interim crew chief for the No. 71 Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The change is effective immediately.

Clapprood, who took over the crew chief duties from Doug Randolph, will be on top of the pit box for this weekend's Helavua Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedeway

"We are pleased to give Paul this opportunity and we wish Doug all the best," said team owner, Kevin Buckler. "Paul has demonstrated his abilities with the car in the past and has been very dedicated to our program since we started our Sprint Cup operation. We will be on a methodical two-week process to hire a full-time crew chief and will expect an announcement after Infineon."

Penalty report at Homestead-Miami Speedway
NASCAR released a hefty penalty report late Tuesday afternoon, with infractions occurring in all three national series over the weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Clapprood, the crew chief of the No. 44 truck of Ross Chastain, was fined $2,500 for one unsecured lug nut. Chastain finished third in the event.