Mike Bumgarner

Learn more about JRM's Director of Competition

Name: 
Mike Bumgarner
Birth Date: 
Feb. 15, 1975
Hometown: 
Huntersville, N.C.
Position: 
Director of Competition
 
Mike Bumgarner has always been involved in the preparation of the cars JR Motorsports runs in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This season, Bumgarner assumed control as director of competition and will be responsible for the overall technical process at the company.

In 2017, Bumgarner served as race operations manager for JRM, overseeing the production and maintenance of the team’s inventory of Chevrolet Camaro racing cars. He assumed that position when the team expanded to four full-time cars. In that role, Bumgarner performed many of the duties he now holds as director of competition, working with crew chiefs and engineers on quality control, process and overall strategy as well as overseeing the competition departments for the team.

The 47-year-old North Carolina native spent last season as crew chief for driver Josh Berry and the No. 8 team at JRM, leading the team to a fourth-place finish the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Berry won three times in 2022 on the way to a berth in the Championship 4 and was in the thick of the battle for the series championship until the very late stages of the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

In 2021, Bumgarner was crew chief for Michael Annett in the team’s No. 1 Chevrolet, his first full-time season as a crew chief since 2013, and guided the team to the playoffs despite a late-season leg injury to Annett that required relief drivers in seven races. Berry, who had run a partial schedule for JRM over the first half of the season, stepped in for five of those races and earned a victory in the playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That triumph propelled the team to the Round of 8 in the owner’s standings, and the team had an opportunity to advance to the Championship 4 at Martinsville Speedway.

Despite not advancing to the final round, Bumgarner and the team earned an eighth-place finish in the owner’s points on the strength of one win (Berry at Las Vegas), five top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Berry’s five starts in the No. 1 saw the Tennessee native amass the victory, two top-five and four top-10 finishes.

Bumgarner has been a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief in the past, for Terry Labonte at Hendrick Motorsports. He was on the pit box for Labonte’s final race with HMS in 2006 after serving as the two-time champion’s car chief for the previous 10 seasons.

In 2016, Bumgarner called the inaugural winner-take-all championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with driver Elliott Sadler. In that race, Sadler had a chance to earn the championship taken away when he was bogged down on a restart by a slower car that had stayed out in the lead with old tires. Sadler eventually finished third in the race and second in the championship.

Previously he was a full-time crew chief in 2013 for JRM on the No. 5 car, working with drivers Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne. His career totals in the NXS are quite impressive, too. In 130 starts over parts of seven seasons, Bumgarner’s cars won eight races, notched 38 top-five and 72 top-10 finishes and earned four poles.

Bumgarner came to the team in 2013 after 17 years with Hendrick Motorsports in a variety of roles. He also worked for King Racing, owned by drag racing superstar Kenny Bernstein, in the NASCAR Cup Series.

XFINITY Series Schedule

  • March 30 01:30 PM ET
    ToyotaCare 250Richmond Raceway
  • April 6 07:30 PM ET
    NXS Spring Race at MartinsvilleMartinsville Speedway
  • April 13 01:30 PM ET
    Andy’s Frozen Custard 300Texas Motor Speedway
  • April 20 04:00 PM ET
    Ag-Pro 300Talladega Superspeedway
  • April 27 01:30 PM ET
    A-GAME 200Dover International Speedway