What lies within: for a closer look at the inner workings of a racing team, start at its headquarters: a body shop, engineering research center and funhouse—all on 18 wheels

Sporting News, The, July 15, 2002 by Matt Crossman

"There's a chance it could be the right set-up," a crew member says. "But there's also a chance it could be way the hell off."

12:55 p.m. `F' is for Front

Most of the team is at the pit stall. One member positions the jacks near the wall. Another puts tape on the ground, outlining where Compton should stop.

The car is 75 yards down pit road from the pit stall. Compton climbs in, and Gonzalez gives him a small piece of pink tape, which Compton affixes to the dashboard. He writes an "F" on it and draws an arrow pointing left. The "F" refers to front, and the arrow means counterclockwise. There is a knob inside the car that Compton can turn to adjust the brake differential. If he wants more brakes up front, he will turn the dial counterclockwise.

At 1:03, Compton puts his helmet on.

At 1:10, the mesh goes up and the gloves go on.

1:50 p.m. `Four, three, two ...'

Compton says very little throughout the race. His first words, lap 37. "It's tight again, Mike." For all the time the crew spent working on the car, they actually see it racing for fewer than 15 minutes. Here he comes, heads swivel, there he goes.

At 1:50, Kendrach readies the No. 14 sign that shows Compton where to stop. Spotter Cal Lawson counts down over the radio as Compton comes down pit road: "Four ... three ... two ..."

An explosion of green arms and legs bursts over the wall. Tires bounce and roll out of the way. A thrown gas can wobbles through the air, end over end; Shim Stack snags it a split second before it would have smashed on the ground. It's not the day's fastest pit, but it's a pretty good one. The fastest, 16.374 seconds, comes on the seventh stop, and the No. 14 picks up two spots then.

At 2:45, Compton makes his most extensive mid-race comments. "This thing's driving like crap in traffic, Mike. Get these tires off here. This thing's a whole lot tighter than it was."

3:35 p.m. Going to California

The race's end is near. The car is all out of whack. "This thing has gotten evil loose," Compton says.

Jennings starts taking equipment to the hauler. When the race ends at 4:02 p.m.--Compton finishes 35th--the pit area's almost empty. The car is put on a hydraulic lift and rolled into the second "story" of the hauler. Compton emerges in regular clothes, eating a powdered doughnut. (His prerace diet usually includes a bowl of Frankenberries.) "It was pretty good early," he says of the car. But it broke a spring. "Once a spring gives up, your day's pretty much done."

The race has been over for six minutes, and Compton leaves for the airport. The rest of the crew--except Gonzalez and Jennings--follow closely behind. Gonzalez and Jennings pack up the hauler and leave for North Carolina at 4:45 p.m. Gonzalez will drive some of the way; Jennings needs to sleep, because he leaves from North Carolina the next day for California--about 2,800 miles. It's on to the next race at Sears Point.

Behind the wheel

Stacy Compton broke into big-time racing when he mortgaged his farm to pay for a Winston Cup qualifying run at Martinsville in 1996. He shockingly qualified ninth.