There were plenty of loose wheels to go around at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday night — and some came from NASCAR’s top teams. It was only a matter of time that fans saw a race like this unfold. Teams have been gearing up all season to get their stops as fast as they can and push the envelope on hitting lug nuts. For some teams, the limit was met Saturday. From what was seen during the race, the Nos. 2, 21, 88, 48, 19, and 20 all pitted for possible loose wheels. There were likely plenty more drivers that felt possible loose wheels, but struggled through it until they could pit under caution.
RELATED: Key takeaways from Texas
The pit road woes aren’t much of a surprise. Texas is a big track where teams want to win and that puts an extra emphasis on pit stops and track position — teams certainly came out swinging. Pushing the limits of four lug nuts and quick 11-second pit stops will occasionally produce races like this. All those teams mentioned above are typically strong pit crews week-after-week.
Last fall at Bristol Motor Speedway — the site of the Sprint Cup Series’ next race — teams saw the same type of problem on pit road. Will this slow down pit stops this weekend in Bristol? It’s unlikely — every week crews push the limits. Teams will make adjustments from this past weekend and move on.
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