When NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars roll through the technical inspection line on a given weekend, Pam Ford is there to make sure the playing field is level for all competitors. It's pretty straightforward: either you're legal or you aren't.

The East Kingston, N.H., native is also there to make sure that NASCAR's stringent safety rules are followed to the letter and any potential mechanical problems are caught before the cars take to the track.

Ford, one of the unsung heroes of NASCAR, tolls in the trenches each weekend to make sure the racing goes off without a hitch -- mechanically, that is.

"My first and foremost job is as a template inspector," Ford said. "We do two rounds of inspection on Friday, work the Nationwide Series race on Saturday and then we do another round of inspection on Sunday morning and then hit pit road for the Sprint Cup race that afternoon."

It's certainly not hard to spot Ford on any given weekend. Long before she suits up to pace pit road, the five-foot, dark-haired dynamo can be found wielding templates and talking shop with team members during the inspection process.

"I work in the area of the nose, basically from the hood forward. Each pair of inspectors works a particular area of the car," she said. "We use the nose module and the identity templates for each manufacturer. We check to make sure they're in tolerance, and if they're not, we get them to that point and then turn them loose."

If you've ever seen NASCAR officials doing their thing in the tech inspection line, you'll know it's somewhat of an automated process. The cars move forward, templates are applied, tolerances measured and recorded, and the car moves on to another station.

There's also degree of respect involved, Ford says.

"The job itself isn't difficult," Ford explained. "The degree of respect and dealing with the teams can be difficult. If you're fair and equal and treat everyone with the same amount of respect and dignity, everyone gets along great. If you don't, if you come off hootin' and hollerin' about why this isn't right, then you have problems. Rules are followed as closely as possible. As the teams come through, they want to know that we're doing our jobs the same for everybody."

Ford's job is ensuring that all cars are equal and safe in the eyes of the NASCAR rulebook -- and that can apply to the street cars that NASCAR fans drive to the track each week, too.

Ford says that having your car inspected by a trained professional goes a long way toward making your street ride safe and sound.

"I don't want to be riding down the road in something that's going to fall apart," she said. "I don't want to be riding down the road on a set of tires that are okay if it's dry out, but not if it's wet out. As far as the safety aspects and the equipment the NASCAR drivers are wearing, that plays back into what we call civilian life. Those safety precautions, like wearing your seatbelts and such and general upkeep of a vehicle is important."

Ford continues, "If I'm riding down the Interstate and I go by a guy that's got panels flapping and stuff coming out of the back of the truck, I really don't want to stick around him. The safety precautions that we take here in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, that's also very important to consumer cars on the street."

Ford has been around racing all her life, traveling the Northeast's supermodified circuit with her parents who supplied racing fuel at tracks like Star and Lee USA Speedways in New Hampshire as well as local drag strips.

She's traveled extensively and knows what it takes to keep cars well-maintained.

"Rule of thumb: learn as much as you can about your car," Ford said. "Understand what you're driving and what it takes to maintain it properly so it will last as long as it can. Cars are expensive; people don't have a lot of money these days. Do what you can to keep up with it. It might be an expense now, but it will end up saving you a bundle of money later."

Ford got her start in NASCAR the same way a lot of people do: moving to the Charlotte area and working her way up the ladder.

"I packed my stuff and moved," Ford recounted. "It was a now-or-never thing for me. I moved to Mooresville with no job, no place to live, nothing other than my stuff in a horse trailer. I picked up odd jobs here and there and finally got a job with Team Caliber. I did that for about a year and then I met [NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director] John Darby and he eventually offered me a job. I started in September of 2004 as a template inspector then moved up to pit road. That's what I do now."

Ford made her dream of a career in NASCAR a reality. And now she's helping other young women who have that same ambition do the same.

Ford supports a charitable initiative called The Brienne Davis Scholarship Fund -- an endowment that provides a yearly scholarship to an aspiring female student who wishes to attend the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., to learn the skills needed for a career in motorsports. Every year, Ford, along with fellow officials, NASCAR drivers and personalities, host a "Jail & Bail" event to benefit the scholarship fund. This year's "Jail & Bail" is set for Oct. 14 at Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson, N.C.

Visit www.nascar.com/foundation in October to learn how you can support and even attend the "Jail & Bail" event. You can even meet Pam Ford in person ... just make sure your car has undergone a thorough tune-up and is ready for her inspection.