It’s a short week for the Cup guys following the Monday race at Pocono.  This weekend, both the Nationwide and Cup Series travel to the Finger Lakes region of New York to race at the road course in Watkins Glen.  But before we head north to turn left and right, we’ve got more reader questions.  If you don’t know what this post is, until further notice, we will be answering any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.  So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us.  On to the questions…

1. From Measure:

I was noticing that Stewart/Haas racing is the only team with a ‘rolling wind tunnel’ as seen here: http://jalopnik.com/cars/nascar/haas-builds-rolling-road-wind-tunnel-252670.php Any chance if Stewart wins the championship this year, people will credit this wind tunnel and then everyone else will build one?

While the wind tunnel certainly helps with SHR’s R&D efforts, I don’t know if we can really say how big of a factor it is in his team’s success.  Haas had the tunnel before Tony Stewart came in.  And with the current economic climate, I doubt any teams would lay out the huge amount of capital it would take to put one of these together. – T.C.

2. From John:

I know both of you are on pit crews so how is the crew camera decided? As in who gets to wear it. Is it the broadcast crew or a sponsor decision? I know the roof and in cars are bought by sponsors. Also did you guys go home during the off week? I know the front carrier for the 88 did he was at my local dirt track. He is from the same town. Well thanks.

Actually, both of us aren’t on pit crews.  I (T.C.) am on a crew, but Journo is not.  See our “About the Insiders” page for more details on us.  I believe the TV folks decide who gets the crew cam each week.  Some guys like D.J. Copp get it on a regular basis (he is an ESPN analyst), but other then that I don’t really know how they choose.  For your second question, everybody uses their off weekends differently.  Some guys will get in a small trip, others will just hit up Lake Norman. – T.C.

3. From Mark:

What do the teams do with the hats after the hat dance?

I actually wrote a post a while back about the hat dance.  In the comments on the post, I answered this very question.  Some guys keep their hats, others give them away.  I personally have kept a few, and have given some away to fans. – T.C.

4. From Dave M:

Why don’t the in-car radios allow drivers to talk directly with their own teammates? The way it is now, conversations are ‘translated’ through the crew chief, which takes longer and probably looses some emotion along the way.

Actually, drivers can talk to each via radio if they are programmed to do so.  A team will normally have their own frequencies set up on channels 1 and 2.  They can then set up their teammates frequencies on the other channels if they so choose. – T.C.

5. From Cinde:

Why do the truck & nationwide cars NOT race the same tracks(all the time) at the same time as cup?

There are a lot of reasons for this. The first is that the sanctioning body just doesn’t think the cars would be any good at that track. Do we really want to see trucks or the Nationwide cars at Pocono? Probably not. Other than that there are a lot of different tracks that want dates and deserve dates, but can’t necessarily handle one of the series. NASCAR wants those dates and wants the sport to be in certain markets and that means you can’t have everyone together. Plus doesn’t it make the whole sport more interesting that we get three different kinds of racing, sometimes at three different tracks every weekend?- Journo

6. From Lauren:

Hey guys! Considering that NASCAR is currently under a rain delay, I have a couple questions considering this topic. First is, how does NASCAR communicate with the drivers if they are in their motorhome during the rain delay? Same goes for the teams? And what do to teams do and where do they go during a rain delay? Thanks!

This can happen a lot of different ways, but generally speaking there is just a chain of communication. Eventually news is going to make it’s way to the drivers, whether that is from a PR person or a team executive or crew chief or even a fellow driver, it’s different in every case. A lot of the time too, during rain delays, unless it is going to be a long delay the drivers stick around the hauler. Remember there are a ton of officials relaying messages. As far as the teams go, it depends on the severity of the rain. Most of the time everybody makes their way back to the garage area. Check TC’s response below (on #7) as to what teams do during delays. – Journo

7. From Ric:

When there are rain delays what do you guys do? Is there always something to do in the garage / truck or do you twiddle your thumbs / read a good book / watch a movie / play a video game / etc?

This is another topic that I’ve written a post about.  See it here.  Basically, rain delays suck. – T.C.

8. From Christopher:

Can you explain the Lucky Dog and/or wave around rule as it applies to cars more than one lap down?  At Pocono, Jimmy Johnson went at least 2 laps down, and some how got both of them back?  I understand the lucky dog when a car is the first one lap down.  But how did he go from two laps down to one?

The Lucky Dog, or Free Pass is awarded to the first car scored a lap OR laps down.  In Jimmie’s case, he was the highest running car that was any amount of laps down, so he received the pass.  The award applies to cars any amount of laps down, not just one.  So for example, if Dale Jr. is running 19th on the lead lap, and Robby Gordon is 20th, but he’s 27 laps down and a caution comes out, Gordon gets a lap back.  Why?  Because he was the highest scored car that was a lap or laps down. – T.C.

9. From Debbie:

I was wondering why the pace cars/trucks don’t run the same non treaded tires, slicks I guess, as the cars/trucks? You would think they would have a better “grip” so to speak on the track conditions when it starts to sprinkle or rain.

I don’t think running slicks would allow the pace car driver to feel out the condition of the track anymore than running normal street tires. I can’t give you a very definitive answer other than to say it’s not really necessary. – Journo

10. From Tom:

This week we saw the 48 team changing plugs, and the carburetor on pit road. Were those guys the regular over the wall guys or were those engine guys? Do all the teams have guys ready to just do engine work on pit road.

In the case of the 48, the guys over the wall and under the hood was a mix of both.  Most teams have at least one engine guy who is in a firesuit and prepared for any in-race diagnosis or repairs.  Many pit crew guys have the knowledge to aid in one of these situations, but usually an engine guy takes the lead. – T.C.

11. From DebbieB:

Hi, I enjoy your posts and learn alot from them. I was wondering if you knew why the females in victory lane don’t partake in the hat dance for the photos. I can understand why Miss Sprint doesn’t, but the wives/owners/girlfriends never do. I don’t even think I’ve seen Delana Harvick partake in this VL ritual. Any clues as to why they don’t? Thanks!

Women are actually not allowed to take part in the hat dance…I’m just kidding. Sometimes women take part in the hat dance, I think it just depends on the woman. Another thing I think you’re seeing is situations where there are just enough hats for the crew guys. Plus if you have sponsors in tow, they’re going to get priority. I promise you it does happen though. Here is a picture of Kyle Busch and his girlfriend Samantha with cowboy hats on after Kyle won a race in Texas. – Journo

12. From Jerry:

Guys during the race Monday Tony Stewart pitted with the leaders on the first cation when he was one lap down. He then came back out and received the lucky dog. Why was he allowed to pit with the leaders being a lapped car.

I’m not 100% sure on this one, but I’ll try my best to explain it as I understand the rule.  A car that is a lap (or laps) down can pit with the leaders with the penalty being that they must start at the tail end of the longest line of cars.  With Tony Stewart’s team, I believe they were making some major changes and wanted the extra time on pit road.  Having been awarded the Lucky Dog, they were going to start tail end anyway, so coming to pit road early doesn’t hurt them. – T.C.

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!

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• Ask The Insiders Wednesday #69
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• Ask The Insiders Wednesday #48
• Ask The Insiders Wednesday #94