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Robin Pemberton leaving job with NASCAR at end of year

NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton is leaving the sanctioning body.

NASCAR announced Tuesday that Pemberton would vacate his position at the end of 2015. The statement did not mention the word "retirement." Pemberton has been with NASCAR since 2004.

“Robin has left an indelible mark on the sport while at NASCAR,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. “He joined us at a critical time and very quickly gave our highly visible competition group the credibility and confidence it needed to be successful with the industry. He traded a successful career as a competitor to help lead the sport for 12 seasons. We’re extremely grateful for his many contributions.”

You likely remember Pemberton from his "Boys have at it" quote in 2010. The term became the – not necessarily rightful – theme for NASCAR over the ensuing years and has been repeated millions of times (likely little to no exaggeration) by NASCAR fans when discussing the way the sanctioning body governs the actions of its drivers.

The statement proudly mentions Pemberton's contributions to the newest car body design. NASCAR introduced the sixth version of its Cup Series cars in 2013. He will help with the transition to his successor.

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish during my time at NASCAR,” Pemberton said. “This sport has been my entire professional career and working with all the competitors and the auto manufacturers for the last 12 seasons has been a thrill. I feel good knowing that the work this team has done has had a positive impact on the sport.

“I look forward to the next challenge.”

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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!