by Sherry Law

Created on: April 25, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

In the cock pit the stop-watch is king. A fast pit stop can mean the difference between celebrating on victory lane or spending the week analyzing what went wrong. Though finances dictate how many people are on a team's pit crew, NASCAR limits both the number of crew members allowed "over the wall" and the tools that can be used. During the first half of a race only seven crew members are allowed over the wall. These seven people must refuel, change tires, and make any repairs or mechanical adjustments that the car needs. And they must do this using only one jack, two gas cans and two impact wrenches. During the second half of the race an additional crew member is allowed to be over the wall, making a total of eight.

This is the era of pit crew specialization. Though on a smaller team a crew member may have to perform more than one function, the larger teams include THE CREW CHIEF, the FRONT TIRE CHANGER, the REAR TIRE CHANGER, the JACK MAN, the GAS MAN, the GAS CATCH MAN and the TIRE CARRIER and many more behind the scene personnel.

THE CREW CHIEF, or pit boss is the man in charge of everything that goes on in the pit. He is the one that decides when bring the car in off of the track for a pit stop or when to keep going - this necessitates trust between him and the driver. The decision of what is going to be done on each pit stop is his and he must make these decisions in seconds, based on what is going on at the time. The Crew Chief must be able to think ahead of the game and motivate both his pit crew and his driver. The Crew Chief must know all of the players on his crew and be able to choose the right person for the various jobs that need to be done. He must also be a good communicator - there is no time in the pit for misunderstandings. The crew chief must also be a good trouble shooter, often relying on verbal input from the driver to make a diagnosis of a potential problem while the car is still out on the track. Most crew chiefs have worked on every aspect of the race car and/or are former drivers. It is impossible for a team to have a winning season without the leadership of a good crew chief.

THE GAS MAN and the GAS CATCH MAN are, obviously, the two people responsible for refueling the car. The gas man uses a gas can fitted with a special valve that fits the car's gas port and empties the fuel quickly. These cans, full, weigh about 90 pounds. Two full cans are required for most pit stops. The CATCH MAN catches any overflow from the fuel tank. He attaches

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>