Todd T. Parrott (born February 9, 1964) is an American stock car racing crew chief. He last worked for B. J. McLeod Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing as a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series. He is most well-known for his long tenure at Robert Yates Racing as Dale Jarrett's crew chief on the No. 88 Ford. The duo won 27 races together as well as the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship.
Parrott also worked with Ernie Irvan, Elliott Sadler, and David Gilliland while at Yates. Over his career, Parrott has also worked for Petty Enterprises, Hall of Fame Racing (which was in a partnership with Yates), Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports (the successor team to Petty Enterprises), Tommy Baldwin Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Circle Sport, Leavine Family Racing, and Premium Motorsports. Parrott won two races with Sadler in 2004, and his last two wins as a crew chief came with Marcos Ambrose at RPM in 2011 and 2012.
He last served as a crew chief in 2020 and at the time was one of the most successful active crew chief in the Cup Series with 31 career wins, behind Chad Knaus (81 wins) and Paul Wolfe (32).
Career
Early Career: Working with Family
Parrott spent his early years working with his father Buddy, and brother Brad for DiGard Motorsports, and Curb Motorsports. Todd and Brad would then go to work for car owner and legendary drag racer Raymond Beadle and the Blue Max team under crew chief Barry Dodson. Both brothers were crew members on Rusty Wallace's 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship team. Following the disbanding of the Blue Max team after the 1990 Winston Cup season the Parrott brothers would follow Wallace to the newly formed Penske Racing South, where Todd worked as a chassis specialist and tire manager, as well as a tire carrier during pit stops. Two thirds of the way through the 1992 season Todd and Brad would be reunited with their father Buddy, who was hired as Wallace's crew chief. Together they formed the core of the crew that won the 1993 Unocal Pit Crew Championship, and 19 races between 1992-1994. Buddy departed at the end of 1994, while Todd would remain at Penske until October 1995, with Brad following Todd to Yates soon after.
1995–2005: Robert Yates Racing
Parrott's first crew chief position was working with Ernie Irvan in 1995 at Yates Racing on the new #88 Ford for two races. When the No. 88 went full time in 1996, Parrott became the crew chief for Dale Jarrett, winning the 1999 Cup Series championship. After 2002, Parrott worked for periods with several Yates drivers including Jarrett, Elliott Sadler, Travis Kvapil, and David Gilliland.
2006: Petty Enterprises
In 2006, Parrott left RYR to crew chief the famous No. 43 Petty Enterprises Dodge, driven by Bobby Labonte, but returning to Yates during the season to work with rookie David Gilliland, who had just replaced Sadler in the No. 38 car.
2006–2009: Second stint at Yates (including Hall of Fame Racing) After Parrott returned to RYR, he and Gilliland won the pole for the Talladega race. The pair remained together for the entire 2007 season. However, for 2008, Parrott was moved to the other Yates car, the No. 28 (formerly No. 88), with Travis Kvapil. For 2009, Parrott was moved Hall of Fame Racing, a satellite team to Yates Racing which switched from Toyota to Ford that year after previously having an alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing. HOF would begin operating out the Yates shop in 2009. The driver was Bobby Labonte, who Parrott reunited with after previously working with him in 2006, but once again, the duo failed to make it through a full season, and Parrott was replaced on the No. 96 car by Ben Leslie during the season. Both Hall of Fame Racing and Yates Racing would close down after the 2009 season due to lack of sponsorship, with Yates equipment and owner points being inherited by Front Row Motorsports.