One of the major keys to being successful on raceday is preparation. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about the racecar, the race track, the crew guys, whatever. If you aren’t prepared, you won’t win. But we will leave most of those things for another post. For this one, let me start by painting you a little picture.
So there you are, sitting in your team’s pit, hanging out in between pit stops. You’ve taken up residence in your favorite chair, are drinking a nice bottle of Perrier, and are discussing with the jackman President Obama’s new stimulus package. All of a sudden you hear the spotter call out on the radio “He’s got a flat! Right rear! He’s on pit road!”
Now everyone is scrambling. Get the tires to the wall! Grab the flat tire jack! Where’s my gun?!
“He’s ten away!”
As you step on the wall and see the car hauling ass toward you, you realize you aren’t wearing your gloves or helmet. Crap.
We regret to inform you that you just lost your job.
Part of that all important preparation is being ready at all times during the race for something to happen. Wrecks, flat tires, dead batteries, and a myriad of other problems can happen at any time. How prepared a team is to handle those situations during the race will determine where they finish.
You’ll often see crew guys during races who are hanging around their pit area not wearing their gloves or helmets. I understand sometimes it sucks (especially on hot days) to be all covered up. But, when something goes wrong, those guys are always the ones left scrambling to find their gear, and will usually just barely make it over the wall. If they were smarter, they’d either leave their stuff on, or make sure they know damn well where it is.
In my case, if I take my helmet off at all, it is never more then an arm length away. I’ll be damned if I end up being the one telling the crew chief I screwed up a pit stop, and the race, because I couldn’t find my helmet.
Related posts:
- Helmet Cam: Pit Stops Through Our Eyes
- What Time is It? GAME TIME!
- Teams With Backup Pit Crews Becoming The Norm
- Screwed Up Pit Stops Are Part of the Game
- Ever Tried to Do Your Job Backward?
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on Feb 26th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Awesome insight!!! Thank you for sharing. I had never thought about the helmet and gloves staying on between stops until now. I can understand how uncomfortable that must be. Thank you again.
on Feb 26th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I saw were Bobby Burrell, who along w/ two other crew members of Yates racing, was injured in the 2001 Homestead race is working part time for Mayfield’s All Sport team. That accident, which prompted NASCAR to ultimately require crew helmets, along w/ SR’s death that same year luckily forced NASCAR into opening it’s eyes to saftey in, and out of, the cockpit. My question to TC is: what does NASCAR say about the construction of the crew helmets, and other gear for that matter? Personal preference, or req’d specs?
on Mar 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
Neon: I’m not sure what NASCAR’s official stance is on helmets. Firesuits, gloves, and shoes must all be SFI I know…