If there is one thing I’ve learned about changing tires in my career, it’s that the only way to be successful is to get my head straight. If I’m not focused when I step off the wall, I’m defeated before I’ve even started. Hitting 20 lugnuts becomes very difficult, and mistakes are in my future. But keeping my wits about me, remaining calm, and not letting my mind wander all lead to my success. And while carrying tires and jacking might be the same, changing seems to me to take just a little bit more.
The actual technique and fundamentals to being a good tire changer are really very simple. I could probably teach them to someone in just a few short sessions. As long as you get a good set, keep your elbows up, wrists locked, square the shoulders, stay low, and hit them hard, you’ll have a good shot of doing well. But where the trouble starts is when the mind wanders or isn’t focused.
When one pits a car during a race, there are a ton of distractions. You are surrounded by thousands of people, both in the stands and on pit road; you’ve got a driver and crew chief yacking in your ears; and there are cars coming and going all around you on pit road. When it’s time to go though, you’ve got to learn to block it all out and just see your own car and do your own job.
One area that was a struggle for me early on, and I would imagine is something that all changers deal with at one time or another, is confidence. If I don’t believe I can step off the wall and hit just 20 lugnuts, no amount of luck in the world will make that happen for me. I’ve heard it said that to be the best, you’ve got to believe you’re the best. This certainly goes for pitting race cars too. But there is a fine line between being confident and being cocky. I’ve never understood those guys who think they are the baddest, yet make mistakes, and then blame others. Confidence will get a guy a long way in his career. Cockiness and a bad attitude will end it pretty quickly.
And to go right along with the idea of staying confident, one must be able to bounce back from mistakes and the crazy things that happen sometimes. No crew member will ever go through their career mistake free. Lugnuts will be dropped, jack posts will be missed, and tires won’t always be studded. What separates the good guys from the great guys, besides consistency, is the ability to deal with the mistake, not make it worse, and then forget it ever happened. Dwelling on a mistake and letting it affect you mentally can be extremely detrimental.
Every sport on this planet takes a combination of physical ability, hardwork, heart, and mental focus to be successful. Pitting a race car is no different. Crew guys must have all the tools to make it to the top and remain there. But (and I’m going to give my profession some kudos here) where a mistake in a football game might get you benched, a mistake on pit road could get somebody hurt. How’s that for pressure?
Related posts:
- Teams Need To Let Young Pit Crew Guys Make Mistakes
- The Deadly Sins Of Tire Changing
- Pressure, What Pressure?
- For Pit Crews, Sometimes Being Automatic Bites
- Ever Tried to Do Your Job Backward?
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on Jan 11th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Terrific post, T.C. I feel like I have some real insight into your job, and how difficult it really is. The analogy to making a mistake during a football game is particularly effective.
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Something I have never understood about your job: I know the nuts are glued onto the tires before the race. Are the studs somehow tapered so that the wheel actually goes over the posts before you have to tighten the nuts? And hasn’t the size or shape of the post changed in the last year or two? They’re longer?
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Doug: The studs aren’t really tapered. The ends are rounded, but they are pretty much the same diameter all the way down. And yes, in the Cup Series the studs are a little longer then they’ve been in the past.
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Something I have always wondered. I know the tape on tire indicates where stud hole is in wheel (for the guy placing tire on studs), but how does he know what the location of the stud is on the drum (since air wrench operator removed old wheel).
Does operator of air wrench put stud in a specific location before he removes wheel? Happens too fast, when shown on camera, to see how it is done.
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Bob: The tape on the wheel corresponds to a specific stud hole in the wheel. The tire carrier uses this as a reference point. As the carrier gets set, he will look at the wheel to see what specific pattern the studs are in. You will usually either have one stud right around 12 o’clock, or have two studs on either side of 12 o’clock (say 10 and 2). The carrier will use the taped hole on the wheel and line it up to hit a specific stud he’s aiming at on the car. I know it sounds a bit complicated, but with a little practice, most guys do it without even thinking.
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Nice piece TC. To me one of the amazing aspects of a tire changers Job (and the entire over the wall crew) is their ability to snap to attention w/o any chance to develop a rythym. I’ve seen the practice spindle on the war wagons, but what do you do get yourself in motion 0 to 60?
Doug in CA #2-I’m not pickin on ya here, but…. the lugnuts are actually glued to the steel wheel at each of five stud holes w/ stringy/stretchy/yellow weather adhesive. Not to the Goodyear rubber tire. We know what you meant though.
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Neon: It can be tough in the middle parts of the race when everything seems to just be dragging by. But I always keep my helmet on or near by, try and keep the muscles warmed up (jumping jacks and pushups can help with this), and hit the practice hub periodically. Another thing that I think a lot of guys do (myself included) is try and do everything the same way every time. I always do things in a certain order and at a certain time, that way your brain is keyed in that hey, now it’s time to go to work. When I do these things at this moment, it’s game time. For me personally, its helps me to focus and block everything else out.
on Jan 11th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
a sports psychologist described ‘choking’ as letting something get in your head that interferes with your ability to perform, and it seems there’s plenty of opportunities for that to happen on pit road. Is there a particular mind-cleansing and/or mind-focusing process you go through?
And dwelling on mistakes (not only past mistakes but the fear of making a mistake) seems to be directly related to the ‘cost’ of the mistake. here, the cost is not just the impact on the race but also on getting chewed out in by crew chief/driver and perhaps even more importantly, on the chance of keeping one’s job on Monday. The more likely someone will lose their job for making a mistake, the less likely they will be able to focus their attention on the job…. which goes to something I asked about earlier, how crews go about determining when someone loses their job. A little negative reinforcement can be good, too much and people get paralyzed… tough to balance, whether in racing or in any other profession.