Making a pit stop

Sporting News, The, July 30, 2001

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME

Gas man

The gas man is in charge of lifting two 11-gallon cans of fuel, one at a time, to fill the 22-gallon tank. Each gas can weighs 75 pounds when full.

Tire carrier

The tire carriers--the extra man is often the second tire carrier--bring the new 75-pound tires over the wall, take them to the right side of the car as the old tires are being removed and then place the new tires on the wheels once they're free. The process is repeated on the left side with tires rolled over by crew members behind the wall. The tire carrier for the rear tires also might adjust the rear jack bolt, which affects the handling of the car.

Catch-can man

A key man on the team, this crew member is responsible for holding the can that catches any fuel that overflows during filling. He also signals to the jackman with his hand when fueling is complete, so the jackman can drop the car.

Sure, a lot of races are won on the track--but a lot of races can be lost in the pits. If a team doesn't have a fast and efficient pit crew, valuable seconds are lost, costing the driver position even before he smokes the tires out of the pit box.

Depending on what is done to the car, a typical full-service pit stop lasts anywhere from 14 to 21 seconds, in stark contrast to the 60 seconds or more it took in the early days of the sport.

Seven men, including a floater known as the extra man, are sent over the wall during a Winston Cup race, and on occasion, NASCAR allows teams to send an eighth man into the mix.

To help show you a different race, we break down what each member of a typical pit crew does during pit stops. As a bonus, the specifications for the cars these guys work on are included--just to give you an idea of how a Winston Cup car compares with your SUV.

Jackman

The 45-pound hydraulic jack is used by this crew member to first lift the right side of the car for the tires to be changed before dropping it down to repeat the process on the left side of the car. The removal of the jack from the left side normally signals the end of a full-service pit stop. The jackman also helps with tire changes.

Tire carrier/extra man

This crew member, in addition to carrying and helping change the tires, can be responsible for everything from wiping the windshield to giving water to the driver.

Car specs

Models

Chevrolet Monte Carlo Pontiac Grand Prix Ford Taurus Dodge Intrepid

Engine and transmission

Cast-iron 5.7L V8; aluminum cylinder heads; 780 horsepower at 8, 100 rpm; 358 cubic inches; top speed of 200 miles per hour; four-speed transmission (3.00 to 6.33:1 gear ratio)

Fuel

110 octane; tanks have 22-gallon capacity

Suspension

Front: Independent coil springs, twin control arms Rear: Trailing arms, coil springs, panhard bar

Body

Rectangular tubing with integral roll cage Length: 200.7 inches Width: 72.5 inches Weight: 3,400 pounds (without driver) Wheel base: 110 inches Tire tread width: 60.5 inches (maximum) Front air dam: 3.5 inches Spoiler: Chevrolet, 55 inches wide by 6.25 inches high; Ford, 55 inches wide by 625 inches high; Pontiac, 57 inches wide by 6.875 inches high; Dodge, 55 inches wide by 6.25 inches high

Tire changer

The two tire changers are responsible for the front or the rear tires. When the right side of the car is raised, the tire carriers use the air impact gun to loosen and remove the five lugnuts. The old tire then is removed and the new one placed on by the tire carrier or the extra man. The tire changer then reverses the direction of the air impact gun and tightens the lugnuts onto the wheel, securing the new tire. The process is repeated on the left side. Sometimes teams change only two tires to save time.