Slugger Labbe won't be atop Paul Menard's pit box after the October 11 race at Charlotte.
Richard Childress Racing announced Wednesday that Labbe was taking a leadership role with the team's research and development efforts and would be moving away from his role as Menard's crew chief.
Justin Alexander will take over as Menard's crew chief.
“I’m looking forward to slowing down in my NASCAR career a little bit and spending more time with my family,” Labbe said in a statement. “This is a good move for RCR, Paul and the No. 27 team, and I’m going to be there to help Justin with the upcoming transition.
Alexander came to RCR in January from Hendrick Motorsports. He was the lead engineer for Jimmie Johnson in 2005, became an R&D engineer in 2006 and the lead engineer for Jeff Gordon in 2009.
Menard and Labbe won the 2011 Brickyard 400 together. This season, Menard is 21st in the points standings and has four top fives and 11 top 10 finishes. Labbe has five career wins as a crew chief including the 2003 Daytona 500 with Michael Waltrip. He's been with Menard since the beginning of the 2010 season.
Hopefully the team doesn't leave any notes on Menard's car during the transition.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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