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(AP) -- NASCAR champion Tony Stewart has fired Darian Grubb and hired a new crew chief.

Stewart-Haas Racing says Steve Addington has taken over the No. 14 Chevrolet effective immediately. Addington quit as Kurt Busch's crew chief last week.

Stewart won his third NASCAR championship a week ago, and begins his celebration this week in Las Vegas. Grubb will also be honored, but it will likely be awkward.

Grubb was told midway through the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship he was out at the end of the year.

That didn't change even after Stewart won five of the 10 Chase races and beat Carl Edwards for the title.

Grubb will have no shortage of job offers, and Rick Hendrick said Monday he's offered Grubb an engineering position.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)