Daily NASCAR

Every week, teams are trying to get any little edge they can.  And one way that many teams have found they can gain a small edge with pit stops, is to add a little bit of traction to their pit stalls.  At places like Las Vegas, that little bit of traction in the stall can make a big difference on the track.

Each track has it’s own little quirks in terms of pit road.  Some have small pit stalls, others have stalls that aren’t square or level, and some places have tall or short pit walls.  At Las Vegas, everyone knows that pit road is very slick.  For whatever reason, when the concrete was poured on pit road, they didn’t do whatever technique some other tracks have used to rough up the surface.  So a smooth surface, combined with the little bit of dust that always seems to linger on the concrete, and you have a recipe for disaster (a.k.a. I just busted my ass).

In the past, teams used a chemical known as VHT to add a little traction to their stalls.  I had a conversation on Twitter recently with RacingwithRich.com’s Richard Allen (@RacingWithRich) about this very topic.  The drag racing fans out there will know that VHT is very common around their favorite strip, as tracks use it to add grip to their surfaces.  But within the last few weeks, NASCAR has decided that teams are no longer allowed to use any sort of chemicals or adhesives in their pit stalls.  The only additive we are allowed to use now is your favorite soda.

Before, and even during the race, you may have noticed teams dousing their stalls with soda from cans and bottles.  Anybody who has ever spilled a soda knows that it makes a sticky mess.  Pit crews are using that stickiness to their advantage.  Beyond that, some teams have even discovered that using just the syrup from the soda makes for even better traction.

What this added traction from chemicals or soda really means, is crew members have better traction with their shoes while running around doing pit stops, and the cars will have better grip getting into, and leaving the stalls.  And that little bit of extra traction can pay big dividends on the scoring pylon when the checkered flag drops.

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It’s happened before.  And it will happen again.  Something goes horribly wrong on pit road, and a guy gets hurt.  Nobody wants to see it happen, but we all know it’s a possibility.  In the event it does happen though, the teams have realized they need some sort of insurance policy.

For race teams, gone are the days when mechanics would be plucked out of the shop and thrown out onto pit road to service the car during the race.  If you read us regularly, you’ve seen me talk about this topic before.  Pit crew guys are becoming more specialized then ever before, with many coming from athletic backgrounds.  Pit stop times continue to be cut down, and the margin for error grows smaller every year.  And as such, many of the bigger teams are starting to invest in backup crew guys for those dreaded “what if” situations.

With the level of competition in the Cup Series what it is these days, it’s vital to an organization’s success that they are prepared for any situation.  A team who is fighting for race wins and a championship can’t afford to lose their main guy after the first pit stop, throw some goober in to fill his spot, and then struggle on pit road for the remainder of the race.  They need trained, capable guys waiting in the wings to jump in at a moment’s notice and perform.

It really is no different then other team sports.  In baseball and basketball, you’ve got bench players; in football, a lengthy depth chart.  These backup pit crews serve the same purpose.

In most cases, these crews train just like the first stringers, getting ample practice and gym time.  In order for them to be plugged into an existing crew, there really isn’t any other way.  The preparation must be the same.

Besides practice and workouts during the week, often times these backup pit crews have their own gigs during the weekend.  Their teams will find them deals with Truck teams, NNS teams, or even other Cup teams to keep their race skills sharp.

One documented example we’ve seen of a backup crew this season, is that of Stewart-Haas Racing.  The management at SHR put together a third pit crew and loaned them out to the #71 TRG team.  The idea being that the team can stay sharp over the wall, but any member can be recalled at any moment to help one of the SHR teams.

Another example of a backup crew was seen last weekend at California.  The rear tire changer for Juan Pablo Montoya’s team wasn’t able to go on Sunday, and since EGR doesn’t have their own backup crew guys, they borrowed one from Team Red Bull’s backup crew.  If you watched the race, you may have noticed the change.

These backup guys are just another example of how teams continue to find ways to eliminate as many variables as possible.  Like I said above, the margin for error grows ever smaller, and no team can afford to be left in the dust.

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In order to be successful on race day, crew members must all be on the same page.  Knowing what to expect for the upcoming 500 miles (or laps…  or kilometers) can mean the difference between winning or finishing second.  Teams have gotten so big now, and have so many moving parts, that it’s vital for everyone to be as prepared as possible.  And the last chance to get everyone together before the race starts, is the closed-to-the-public pre-race meeting.

It happens every weekend.  About an hour before the green flag drops, crew members will disappear into team haulers for this all important meeting.  In it, crew chiefs will go over a variety of important information for the day, and many will give pep talks.

The information shared during these meetings often includes things like when the first pit stop will be and how far the car can go on gas, what adjustments the pit crew can maybe expect to make during the race, an update of the weekend’s happenings and how the car is running, a minute-by-minute schedule of pre-race activities (generators pushed off pit road, National Anthem, start your engines, etc), any post race tasks that need to be completed, and a variety of other topics.

Just like every good leader (especially in sports) many crew chiefs will also take this time to pump their guys up for the day’s activities.  Pit crews will be reminded to be smooth and accurate, and watch each other’s backs.  If they were good the week before, the boss will tell you to keep it up.  If you weren’t so good the week before, he’ll encourage you to stick to your fundamentals.  And behind-the-wall guys will be reminded to be prepared at all times for any situation.

Once the information has been relayed, and nobody has any questions, the team will break and crew members will go about getting changed into firesuits and completing any remaining pre-race jobs.  Then, it’s go time.

Farewell Suitcase Jake
We were all saddened today to hear that the sport had lost one of it’s legends.  “Suitcase” Jake Elder, who led some of the best drivers in NASCAR’s history, died at the age of 73.  He had been in declining health ever since suffering a stroke a few years ago.  During his long career, Elder sat atop the pit box for legends like David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Benny Parsons, and Fred Lorenzen.  He also helped Dale Earnhardt win the 1979 Rookie of the Year.  For more on Elder, check out this piece by SPEEDTV.com’s Mike Hembree.

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by Holly Cain

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

When informed on California Speedway’s pit road Sunday that two races into the 2010 season he was officially NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series championship leader, Kevin Harvick broke into a broad grin and smirked.

“Now only 34 more to go,” he shot back after the day’s runner-up effort.

Of course, two races hardly make a season and don’t typically even begin to foreshadow the championship outcome. Matt Kenseth won the season’s first two races last year and didn’t qualify for the Chase for the Championship. Jimmie Johnson was ranked 19th after California and still landed his fourth consecutive trophy.

But. …

After a what-else-could-go-wrong 2009, Harvick, like the entire Richard Childress Racing (RCR) three-team operation, will take what he can get. Harvick is hoping to parlay this encouraging beginning to a proper ending — a return to the ranks of those in the Chase for the Championship, which is where he spent the 2006-08 seasons.

What’s most promising for Harvick is that it’s not just him leading this charge back. Both of his RCR teammates,Clint Bowyer (ranked second in points after two races) and veteran Jeff Burton (fifth) are also off to a good start, suggesting the once mighty RCR may be returning to form.

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Racin’ at Fontana wasn’t so much exciting as … interesting. Not enough to draw many fans to the track, though. (photo: Getty Images)

- This should have been crystal clear from the outset. Moving from Indy cars to stock cars is very, very difficult, just as the reverse would be. It’s not going to be easy for Danica Patrick, who has a lot to learn and not enough opportunities to do so.

- Attendance for the Stater Brothers 300 was "officially" estimated at 36,000, and many at the track thought 20,000-30,000 was closer to the truth. Patrick is a boon to the Nationwide Series, but Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., remains a tough sell, apparently, to the fans of Southern California.

- One of those routine Darrell Waltrip remarks: "This is the second time Jamie (McMurray) has been a first-time winner for Chip (Ganassi)." First of all, that’s impossible. Secondly, McMurray’s first victory was in his second race in Ganassi’s Dodge.

- Racing would be much better if cars were equivalent, not equal.

- TV didn’t have much to say about the crowd in Fontana. It was way too sparse for even Mike Joy to declare a sellout.

- Crowd estimates from Fontana - estimates more trustworthy than NASCAR’s assessment of 72,000 — ran from 40,000 to 55,000. Expect a management shakeup … at least.

- Someone in NASCAR apparently decided make pit-road speeding a priority item at Auto Club Speedway.

- Races in Fontana aren’t often exciting, but they are often interesting.

- The last Daytona 500 winner who made the Chase (and won it) was, yes, Jimmie Johnson in 2006.

- The California kid who drives No. 48 got career victory No. 48 at the track closest to his El Cajon, Calif., home.

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