The farther apart the crew's...
The farther apart the crew's hands are, the more breathing room John knows he has. It's a low-tech form of communication, but effective for the driver and a way for the crew to unleash some energy during the race. June Boone
His crew stands on a roll of chain-link fence outside Turn 4, their arms extended into the air-their hands close together or far apart-to signal John where he is in relation to the car behind him. It's a primitive but effective way to communicate.
By the halfway point, most of the cars that were going to wreck have been carried off the track, leaving the oval to the experienced chargers.
It's anything but easy, but the changes the crew made to the car seem to be working. While other cars struggle, John is able to make the car work high or low and he hangs onto the lead, fending off the challengers.
He passes under the checkered flag, and the crew scurries to the front straight for photos.
Back in the pits, there are cold beers all around as the team basks in the satisfaction of a successful night.
"It's a lot of work," says Jeff, "But this is why we do it."
Then, John asks the question that separates drivers who want to race from those who live to race.
"There's a non-points race tomorrow in Topeka," he says. "Who wants to go?"