Still no job offers for our...
Still no job offers for our makeshift pit crew, and there's a good reason why.
Here's a sampling of what pit crewmembers often make for each race
| Series | Pay Per Race |
| Hooters | $100 |
| ARCA | $200 |
| Busch Series | $250 |
| Winston Cup | $300 to $900* |
| *Plus bonuses and other incentives |
If you ever get an opportunity to try your hands on a pit stop, you need to first check your pride at the door. Like many things in racing, this can be a humbling experience.
Such was the case when we pulled together a crew of seven guys (ranging from an accountant to a doctor, and a couple of Stock Car Racing staffers) and drove up to 5 Off 5 On, a pit crew school in Mooresville, North Carolina. The school offers a three-hour "experience" for those who want to see what it's like to work on a pit crew.
Instructor Breon Klopp first let us attempt a pit stop with little direction. About 90 bumbling seconds later, we were finished. Maybe on a road course we would have kept our driver on the lead lap. What an eye opener.
For me, working as the rear tire carrier, I found out immediately that a new Goodyear is tough to lug around. You're supposed to slip your fingers through the wheel and pop the sucker right on the studs in one smooth motion. To make it more difficult, you're going about your work from the side and have to make an awkward lift.
Our jack man (Stock Car Racing Associate Editor, Larry Cothren) found out that while modern jacks can hoist a car in just one pump, that one pump relies on just the right leverage and technique. And the guys with the air wrenches realized their shortcomings in hand/eye coordination.
We tucked our tails and retreated to a classroom, where Klopp detailed the choreography of a pit stop, and the individual jobs of each crewman. In about an hour, we were back at work. To motivate us, Klopp mentioned that a crew of women at the school had beaten 60 seconds. Now, the pressure was on.
By the end of the day our best was 38 seconds. We wanted to break the 30-second mark, but someone always made a mistake. Also, it would have helped if we had been in better physical shape. Each stop, although only seconds long, left us drained.
No, pit crew work isn't for everyone. In fact, 5 Off 5 On has a day-long program that makes people think long and hard about whether they want to enroll in the school's primary six-week program.
As for us, we'll leave the pit stops to the pros.