NASCAR Officials

ROBIN PEMBERTON
• Vice President of Competition

Robin Pemberton, possessing more than two decades of experience in the sport and known as one of its premier crew chiefs, joined NASCAR in August 2004 as the Vice President of Competition.

Pemberton's primary role is to serve as a liaison between NASCAR and the competitors in all three national series -- the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series -- and be part of the decision-making process on competition issues.

All three national series directors report to Pemberton, who reports directly to NASCAR President Mike Helton.

Pemberton, 51, came to NASCAR from Ford Racing, where he served as the division's NASCAR field manager since January of 2003. However, he is more noted for his success as a crew chief in the Cup Series, where he handled cars for Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and Kyle Petty.

During his 17-year tenure as a crew chief, Pemberton and his drivers collected 23 victories and 250 top-10 finishes. He then moved on to a management position with Petty Enterprises, where he was named the organization's vice president and general manager in February 2001.

JOHN DARBY
• Sprint Cup Series Director

John Darby reached the pinnacle of a racing career that spans more than three decades when he was named the Sprint Cup Series director at the outset of the 2002 season.

Darby, a 52-year-old native of Rockford, Ill., culminated his climb through the racing ranks that began when he started his own race team in 1971 in the Street Stocks division at Rockford Speedway. He moved on to the Late Model Stock Car Division as an owner and crew chief in 1976 and a year later he claimed his first championship at Rockford.

Darby retired as a team owner in 1982 and focused on a career as a race official. He began as a technical official at Rockford Speedway and moved through the ranks, which included the NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour, NASCAR Modified Tour, ARTGO, All Pro and NASCAR Goody's Dash Series.

In 1989, he became the technical director in the NASCAR Sportsman Division and by 1993 a technical inspector with the Nationwide Series. A year later, he became a full-time Nationwide Series official and was in charge of overseeing the engine department.

In 1999, he moved into the role of the Nationwide Series director after spending the previous season being groomed for that position by his predecessor, Ray Hill. He spent three seasons as the Nationwide Series director before he was named the Cup Series director.