Michael "Fatback" McSwain is recovering at home in Mooresville, N.C., after back surgery. Credit: Autostock

McSwain keeps tabs on team with TrackPass

Recovering crew chief advises during qualifying

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- This is no ordinary pit box.

Michael "Fatback" McSwain is lying on his stomach on an inflatable mattress in the great room inside his two-story house. In front of him are two cell phones, a laptop computer, a television remote, a can of Copenhagen and a spit cup. Oh, yeah -- he's using a pillow for extra support, too.

	TRACKPASS •   Learn about TrackPass •   How to use TrackPass •   Buy TrackPass now ALSO •   TrackPass to help McSwain run race team

McSwain is a long way from Fontana, Calif., where the Nextel Cup Series is qualifying for Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. He'd much rather be in Southern California with his Wood Brothers crew and driver Ricky Rudd, but back surgery has put him on the sidelines.

Well, not exactly.

Thanks to NASCAR.COM's TrackPass and those cell phones, McSwain directed the No. 21 team from the comfort of his own home -- or at least as much comfort as he can have a day after back surgery.

Rudd is 42nd to qualify Saturday, so McSwain has to patiently wait while the other drivers make their qualifying attempts. Fatback doesn't seem to mind the visitors who are hooking up computers and TV monitors in preparation for Sunday's race.

The cell phone rings constantly, as McSwain stays in communication with his team. The conversation seems to be on code, at least to untrained ears.

"Tell Hoyt to remind him of that," McSwain says into phone No. 1. "Hoyt" is Hoyt Overbaugh, the team's lead engineer. Who is Hoyt reminding? And of what is Hoyt reminding him? No time to ask Fatback.

Dave Blaney gets loose and spins in Turn 1, smacking the wall. As the crippled car slides down the banking, McSwain manages to crack a joke.

"That right there is not what he's looking for," McSwain says.

He picks up cell phone No. 1 to call Overbagh.

"A lot of people are getting loose," McSwain says. "Has it got cool?"

A few more cars qualify, and McSwain wonders about his car. He picks up the phone again.

"How much did you loosen it up," McSwain says. "Like we talked about?"

McSwain had back surgery in the off-season to repair a disc, but it wasn't a total success. It seems a piece of a disc had gotten wrapped around a nerve in McSwain's back. Yes, ouch.

Ricky Rudd qualified 21st for the Auto Club 500 at Fontana. Credit: Autostock

The latest procedure took care of things, McSwain hopes, but he can't travel yet. Nextel Cup teams have the weekend off after California, but McSwain isn't sure whether he'll be back at the track when the Las Vegas race rolls around.

Cell phone No. 2 rings. So does phone No. 1.

"How much tape you got on it?" McSwain says. There is no tape on the grille, he's told. The car is in absolute race trim, save some added tire pressure.

"Ohh, I smell popcorn," McSwain says. This isn't all about work, you see.

Just then, Deanna McSwain pops her head in the door, popcorn in hand. Can't get this service at the track.

Qualifying clicks off, and McSwain is ahead of the FX broadcast team. Michael Waltrip's car is smoking badly in the corners, and McSwain notes that is because of an aggressive shock package. TV then reports the same thing.

"Is the track temp up?" McSwain says to cell phone No. 1. "Yeah, go ahead, do that. Take a pound out of the right rear."

That final adjustment is to loosen the car up.

Finally, it's about time for Rudd to go.

"Tell everybody I said to just have fun," McSwain says. "Let 'er rip."

FX returns in time to see Rudd's lap, but McSwain was already following it on TrackPass. A few hushed moments later, McSwain is all smiles.

"Hell, yeah, I'm all right with that," says McSwain, who watches his car slot in the 17th position with a few cars to go. "That's a good job. Awesome."

Four cars go faster than Rudd, but McSwain is still satisfied.

"Awesome job everybody," McSwain says into phone No. 1. Or was that No. 2? It's getting a little crazy in here now. "Tell him he did really good."

That would be Rudd, who qualifies at 185.486 mph, or 38.817 seconds. Or in crew talk, a 38 81.

"We're in race trim, too," McSwain says. "All we have to do is change some air pressure. That's perfect."

McSwain joined Wood Bros. Racing in the latter part of the 2004 season. Credit: Autostock

A couple cell phone calls later, McSwain says Rudd left about two-tenths on the track, perhaps not wanting to overdrive the car.

Cell phone No. 2 rings, and McSwain talks about his back.

"Thanks, Doc," McSwain says as he hangs up. It's noted Charlotte surgeon Dr. Jerry Petty, calling to check up on McSwain.

Finally, Rudd gets through.

"Good job, man," McSwain says. "You always want to be better, but that's a good job."

There is still some work to do today, as McSwain has to pick a pit stall for Sunday's race. Soon, though, McSwain can take some more pain medicine and relax for a while.

Sunday is another matter. McSwain will have a special hookup with his crew with help from Nextel and Racing Radios, in addition to three laptops showing NASCAR.COM's PitCommand application. PitCommand, a feature of TrackPass, is an innovative, live streaming GPS telemetry application that tracks the position of all 43 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series cars in real-time in addition to showing RPM, throttle and brake usage, time behind leader, fastest lap speed and time, and a driver's current lap speed and time. That's more information than McSwain usually has at his disposal on race day, so Sunday should be an interesting day.

But it is strange, for sure, not being at a racetrack.

"Yeah, it's pretty weird," McSwain says. "You look at the technology and the computer stuff going on here, it's pretty awesome."

McSwain can't talk long. The phone rings again.