Furniture Row fills three key positions

Furniture Row Racing has announced that it has filled three key positions as it prepares to run a full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2010 with driver Regan Smith.

Ryan Coniam has been promoted to crew chief while Mark McArdle joins the team as managing director of competition and Pete Rondeau, also new to the team, will serve as car chief for Smith's #78 Chevrolet Impala.

"What's exciting about Ryan, Mark and Pete spearheading three essential areas is that it brings a special synergy to Furniture Row Racing," general manager Joe Garone said. "I worked with Mark back when we helped start PPI Motorsports in the Cup series. Ryan and Regan worked together at Ginn Racing and Mark and Pete were team-mates at Richard Petty Motorsports.

"We have good chemistry which most likely will shorten the all-important learning curve. The addition of these three individuals has generated a new wave of optimism to our team."

Coniam joined Furniture Row Racing in early November following two years as a race engineer at Michael Waltrip Racing. During his stint at MWR he was the race engineer for Michael McDowell's entry in 2008, and the past year he was liaison between MWR and Germain Racing while overseeing the race engineering duties for driver Max Papis.

"I am both excited and humbled to have been offered a position that I have dreamed about," he said. "With the driving talent of Regan plus the resources at Furniture Row Racing, I am full of confidence that we can achieve success in 2010."

McArdle, a successful veteran of Indy Car and Stock Car racing, previously worked at Richard Petty Motorsports where he served as vice president and managing director of competition.

"I am full of enthusiasm and eagerly look forward to this new endeavour," he said. "What is appealing is the team's unyielding commitment to build on its already solid foundation."

Rondeau, 44, joins Furniture Row Racing from Richard Petty Motorsports where he served as the team's director of research and development from July 2005.

"It's an exciting time at Furniture Row Racing and I am happy to be joining the organisation," he said. "This is a great opportunity and can't wait to kick off the 2010 season at Daytona."