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Despite the specializing of today’s pit crew members to be bigger, stronger and faster, they still need the ability and skill to help during a wreck situation.
The points are tight this year and every position counts. Teams that can get their driver back on the track after a wreck have a chance to gain a few more points during a race weekend, and that could be the difference between advancing or going home.
And it’s not always a major crash that crews have to be ready for. This past weekend in Kansas, both Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin had issues that could be fixed on the track, and their pit crews were called on to help. Simple stuff like a flat tire or nose damage can cause all kind of trouble, and it’s up to the pit crew to fix it and keep the laps lost to a minimum.
So you might be asking, isn’t that the job of the mechanics? Yes, yes it is. In most cases the best people to be working on a car are the mechanics. No pit crew member will argue that. The mechanics in NASCAR are some of the best in the world, and working under pressure is what they do best.
So if the issue is bad enough to bring the car behind the wall, then mechanics usually handle the job. When it comes to doing repairs on pit road and trying not to lose a lap, having a pit crew that can pit and then fix saves time. And pit crews practice these situations just like they would a four-tire change.
Heading to Talladega there are many teams on the bubble. You never know when advancing or not comes down to just a few points, and those are the points that can be saved by savvy pit crew members and great mechanics.
For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com.