I’m going to go on a rant here, so I apologize in advance, but this is something that has bothered me since I started as a tire changer. When young guys finally get their first opportunities to jack, carry, and change they usually end up on Truck Series and some of the smaller Nationwide Series teams. But many are over-matched and under-experienced for the situations they are put into. And often times they will make mistakes that will cost their teams positions on pit road. But instead of letting them make a mistake and learn from it, often times crew chiefs and managers are quick on the trigger and will fire a guy for one mistake. That sucks.
The biggest element to success for a young crew guy is confidence. He has to not only have the skills to do his job, but he has to KNOW he has the skills to do his job when he steps off the wall. If he is hesitant or worries about making mistakes, odds are that is exactly what will happen. Firing kids for making one mistake isn’t exactly confidence inspiring.
What I don’t think some of these crew chiefs and boss people understand, is that no pit crew guy is ever going to be perfect. No changer is going to hit exactly 20 lugs on every pit stop. No carrier is going to stud every wheel. And no jackman is going to hit every post. It’s just not possible. But what sets the really good guys apart from everyone else is the ability to not only minimize those mistakes, but also recover from them.
A tire changer who hangs a lug nut on the right side needs to realize that the mistake cost him time, but that he can’t make it back up. Finish the stop the right way, and then forget it ever happened. If the changer dwells on the mistake and beats himself up over it, he’s not going to be prepared for the next stop. When he goes to start hitting lug nuts again, he’s going to be worrying about hanging a lug. And often times, he’ll end up hanging another one, or worse.
The turnover that some of these teams experience with their pit crews is because of this exact reason. They end up going through a ton of guys over the course of the season and they can never figure out why their pit stops are slow. They are slow because your guys never work together long enough to build that chemistry that is necessary to be really good.
On top of that, I wonder how many guys have given up because of these experiences. They maybe screw up a couple of times, get fired off deals, and then decide this isn’t for them. When in reality, if somebody would have just given them a chance to get a little experience and learn how to deal with adversity, maybe they could have had a solid career.
Before I end this, keep in mind that in many cases, guys do deserve to get fired. Multiple mistakes, especially if it’s the same mistake, warrant a change. And having a crappy attitude and lame excuses won’t get guys anywhere. I just wish that in those cases where it’s not necessarily warranted, teams would give these kids a chance. You never know, they just might surprise the hell out of you.
Related posts:
- Crew Guys Need More Exposure
- Teams May Be Facing A Pit Crew Shortage
- Teams Already Tweaking Crews For Next Season
- Changing Tires: It’s All In Your Head
- Teams With Backup Pit Crews Becoming The Norm
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on Oct 15th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Very interesting post. This never would have occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense. I guess it’s a lot like a sports team. If you cut a new guy who drops a pass or lets a ground ball go under his glove, you crush his confidence and destroy a career at its outset. A pit crew is just another kind of team. Repetition and mutual co-ordination lead to success, and that comes with time and patience. And a team that cans a guy for one early error is failing in its mission.
Presumably you’ve seen this occur somewhere recently. I know you can’t be specific, but I am curious whether the team involved is a successful one, or one that is struggling.
on Oct 15th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Good post on the crew guys. Don’t forget the drivers. I see veterans making mistakes on pit road all the time, and they apologize and go on. what was really interesting was watching those drivers come down pit road at full speed in the past. Of course there were very few that could do it correctly.
on Oct 15th, 2009 at 10:10 am
T.C.,
Where would you have a new guy start? Now that you mention it here, I wonder why crew guys are starting at the Craftsman or Nationwide level.
WCK
on Oct 15th, 2009 at 11:44 am
T.C. I am a firm believer that as you say, “And having a crappy attitude and lame excuses won’t get guys anywhere.” That is the key to team chemistry. Even great players in the NFL (i.e. TO) have to realize that w/o their team mates supporting each other and clicking on all cylinders they are nothing.
Probably an ATIW question here, but is there a sort of unwritten fraternity amongst crew members? Also, does an owner or mgt of a Cup team (not necessarily discourage crew members from being too close to other teams, but…) make it known what is to be, and not to be, discussed on the clock and off?
BTW: Enjoyed the insider perspective of the post!
on Oct 15th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
While I understand your point, a GOOD crew chief would not put a newbee in that situation. A further point is that the top teams rarely pluck from the lower divisions. They want guys that know the drill. They don’t takes guys that make but the odd mistake, At this level there is no room for a screw up. Once, ok, twice, your on the list, three times, look for the door to be hitting you in the back.
Who told you it would be easy? All these guys know what its about going in, don’t cry “foul” if you don’t make it because you made a mistake, go away and learn.