Pit-crew hype can become deflated in just 25 seconds

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- "Stay under control."

"Clean patterns."

"Keep them tight and push like hell."

Those were the commanding words from Chip Ganassi Racing's pit-crew coach Lance Munskgard in a huddled group of crew members, capping off what felt like an endless day of preparation for Thursday night's Pit Crew Challenge.

On the ground floor of the Time Warner Cable Arena, the men gathered for nearly eight hours, stretching, strategizing, waiting and pacing.

"This is the hard part," said Chip Goode, rear-tire carrier for the No. 42 car of Juan Montoya. "It's a hurry-up-and-wait situation. You have a lot of time to think about what you have to do tonight."

Loaded with former athletes, the No. 83 crew pushed its way to victory by edging the No. 11 team in the Pit Crew Challenge.

• Complete story, click here

Starting early that morning, the anticipation began to build. Montoya and his family paid a visit for last-minute pep talk and display of support. And just like that, in about 25 seconds, it was over.

The No. 42 pit crew was the first out to compete and the first to be eliminated of the 24 NASCAR teams eligible for the competition Thursday night.

In the shortest amount of time possible, the teams are tasked with changing four tires, filling the car with fuel and pushing it 40 yards to the finish line in front of hundreds of fans cheering from their seats in the arena.

Seeded against the No. 1 team of Martin Truex Jr., the No. 42 crew was just overpowered and out-ran, Goode said.

Making light of their situation, one crewman joked, "At least we can beat the traffic."

But the crew was without their quarterback, jack man Mark Jacobs, who was injured last week during a pit-crew practice session. Jacobs went to grab the A-frame of the car for the big push, however, locked breaks inside prevented the car from rolling and caused Jacobs to tear a tendon in his bicep.

Munskgard said Jacobs dropped to his knees in pain and will be out for several weeks rehabbing the injury.

Tony Cardamone, a jack man from Ganassi's No. 40 car, filled in for Jacobs, but the loss and disappointment translated to the No. 42 crew as Jacobs is considered the team leader.

After the crew made its 25-second appearance inside the arena, the guys rolled their car back onto the hauler and received some reassuring words from their pit-crew coach and dissected their performance.

"I told you we should've cheated," joked Rich Macco, rear-tire changer. "We just didn't have our pushing power [Thursday] and they were quicker to the car."

All-Star Race

SPEED will again broadcast the Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race. Tune in at 7 p.m. ET on May 17 to watch rivals race for $1 million -- and the fireworks!

• All-Star coverage

Munskgard told the crew he was pleased with the performance because it was a clean stop with no penalties.

The team practiced stops, trained and even did yoga at the Ganassi shop, but in today's NASCAR, pit crews are being specially trained like full-time professional athletes. Some have the luxury to focus on over-the-wall duties only.

Your average pit crew, similar to that of the No. 42, doesn't have the time or resources to devote to day-long workouts or mountain bike excursions, because each member has a job in the shop as well, be it a mechanic or logistical worker.

The winning pit crew, Brian Vickers' No. 83 team, was hired and tasked to do pit-crew duties only. They have access to personal trainers, sport massages and spa treatments, a direction more pit crews are moving toward.

Comprised of several former collegiate athletes, the No. 83 pit crew's catch-can man Mike Metcalf played football at Appalachian State University, while front-tire changer Brian Haaland and jack man Shaun Peet are former minor league hockey players. In addition to college athletes, retired NFL players are finding homes on pit crews after injuries or contracts force them from the sport.

As a result, the influx of athletic competition is upping the standards for other teams and crews.

Together, the No. 83 team changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards to the finish line in 22.902 seconds, besting the No. 11 crew by 0.109 seconds. The team posted the quickest time in each of the five rounds and edged the No. 11 crew of Denny Hamlin in a photo finish to take the title.