The No. 07 Chevrolet has a new look, driver and jackman for 2006. Credit: Autostock

Bowyer joined by rookie jackman on No. 07 team

Clint Bowyer isn't the only rookie on the No. 07 Chevrolet this year.

When Bowyer took over the Richard Childress Racing ride from Dave Blaney, he inherited a veteran group of guys on pit road, but his jackman, Carey Wimbish, is just as inexperienced as Bowyer.

Carey Wimbish

Bowyer and Wimbish have already worked a full year together -- Wimbish was Bowyer's jackman on the No. 2 Chevrolet in the Busch Series last season.

That is not to say that Wimbish hasn't already gotten a brief taste of the Nextel Cup Series.

The easiest track for pit stops? Fontana. The hardest? Martinsville.

"Dover is bad, but it's not as near as bad as Martinsville," Wimbish said. "Everywhere I have been, Martinsville is the worst."

When No. 31 Chevrolet jackman Josh Yost nearly had his foot sliced off at Talladega last year, Wimbish was one of those called to replace him at various points in the season. Wimbish made a handful of appearances on pit road in the Cup Series in 2005, but none more memorable than in Loudon in July, when he was hit by a car leaving the box behind him.

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Ankle injuries are a constant danger for jackmen, who have to run around the tire changers during the stop. They also must expose their legs to incoming cars while jacking their own car.

"[The car] was leaving the box as we were on the right side," Wimbish said. "He actually ran over the back of my leg like what happened to Josh. I was fortunate that it didn't do any damage."

Wimbish, 25, is the youngest member of the over-the-wall crew of the No. 07, and he is ready to get out of the shop on the weekends. He is also a fabricator during the week for RCR, making his job one that runs nearly seven days a week. The team also practices pit stops every other day.

Wimbish grew up just 80 miles from the RCR shop and developed into a 6-foot-1, 225-pound man, a near-perfect size for jacking a 3,500-pound car.

"There's a few [jackmen] that are smaller guys, but it makes the job a lot easier when you're a little bit bigger," Wimbish said.

Wimbish got started in racing by helping friends that owned a Hooters Pro Cup team.

"I thought jacking was pretty cool," he said. "I started practicing at it and eventually started doing it."

Unlike some jackmen in the Cup Series, Wimbish doesn't tinker with his Brunnhoelzl--manufactured jack. One pump does the trick on the right side of the car. The left side can take anywhere from a pump to a pump-and-a-half.

"I pretty much let Brunnhoelzl take care of it for me," Wimbish said. "There is not a lot you can do to save weight."