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Pit stops are one of the most important elements in any form of motorsports. How your pit crew performs on pit road could be the difference between winning the race, or finishing second.
Crew members train hard to ensure they are physically fit, ready to work swiftly and precisely. How do these pit stops actually work though? Here is a short rundown on the ins and outs of the NASCAR pit stop.
Each NASCAR pit crew contains up to eight members in various roles, with only five being allowed over the wall during any given pit stop.
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Crew Chief
The Crew Chief calls the shots a top the box. The most important job on the crew, the crew chief’s responsibilities include formulating and executing the pit strategy with the race engineers, overseeing the training of the pit crews, adjusting the car setup, overseeing the fabrication of any new race cars and generally making sure the team has the best chance to win the race.
Car Chief
The car chief is responsible for the operations of the team at the shop prior to the race weekend. They will control the day to day operations, and get the team ready to ship out to the track. At the track, they will make sure the car passes inspection and is up to spec. They are the people who oversee the changes made to the car, as requested by the driver or crew chief.
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Jackman
The Jackman carries around a 22 pound jack and their job is to prop each side of the car up so the tires can be changed. The Jackman has an added responsibility due to the removal of the rear tire carrier position, as now the Jackman is charge of helping out the rear tire changer. Upon completion of the pit stop, the Jackman will lower the car and signal for the driver to go.
Tire Changer
There are two tire changers whose jobs are pretty straightforward; change the tires. Using air wrenches, the tire changers will remove the lug nuts on their assigned tires one side of the car at a time. They will then remove the tire, before the tire carrier or Jackman will place the new tire on the car so they can bolt it on. They need to make sure all 5 lug nuts are fastened or they will risk a penalty.
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Tire Carrier
The tire carries is responsible for getting the new tires over the pit wall and to the tire changers. While Jackman will assist the rear tire changer, the tire carrier will assist the front tire changer with their duties, swapping and installing the new tire. The must maintain control of the tires during the stop as any runaway tires will result in a penalty for the team, their final task is to apply tape to the grill when needed and the car will be sent off.
Gasman
The gasman is in charge of refuelling the car. They are barred some dong any work on the car in addition to the fuelling, however if the car doesn’t need fuel they can assist rear tire changer if needed.
Utility Man
They are usually only allowed over the wall in the second half of the race. Their job is very simple, they will tear off the windshield tearoff, provide the driver with drinking water and other necessities. They are not allowed to make any other adjustments to the car during the stop.
NASCAR used to allow a 9th role, that being the catch can man. His purpose was to use the catch can to collect any excess fuel that spilled during pit stops. The role was discontinued in 2011, due to safety concerns as the catch can man was more prone to being set on fire in the event of a fuel leak. Sunoco developed a dump can to make the role obsolete.
The pit stop is a delicate art, as there so many times that can go wrong in the 13 seconds it usually takes for the pit stop to be completed. From uncontrolled tires, to jack not working and sometimes the driver will make a mistake that can cost the crew valuable time on pit road. Most pit crew members have other jobs during the week at their respective teams, such as fabricators, welders, and other technicians.
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How a NASCAR Pit Stop Works - Autoweek
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