Kurt Busch has had a very nice season. He's won two races, made the Chase and seems to be headed for a solid top-five points finish, which would be fitting because the 2004 Cup champ has spent nearly the entire '09 season in the top five.

On Sunday he grabbed his second win under the guidance of longtime crew chief Pat Tryson, who joined Penske Racing in 2007 and turned around the laboring No. 2 car made famous by Rusty Wallace. Tryson and Busch have won five races and made two Chases in less than three seasons together.

However, the Monday following the season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Tryson will be leaving Busch's team, departing to call the shots for Martin Truex Jr.'s new ride at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010. The fact that he's leaving isn't a surprise, crew chiefs change jobs nearly as often as Major League Baseball managers or NFL coordinators. Truex will be Tryson's fourth driver in five seasons (Mark Martin and Greg Biffle preceded Busch). But the fact that he's managed to keep the team operating at a championship-caliber level despite his lame-duck status (Penske allows him to come into the office only one day a week, so as to not steal any secrets for 2010) is beyond unusual. It's unprecedented.

It is not, however, the most surprising crew chief move that we've ever seen in NASCAR. Some of the biggest names in the history of wrench handlers have grabbed their toolbox and headed for the door in the middle of successful seasons, careers and even in Victory Lane.

Which ones are the most memorable? I had a feeling you might ask.