 |
 Two eleven-gallon fuel cans...  Two eleven-gallon fuel cans border the far left side of the box and are angled in the direction of the car with open access behind to ease placing them on the gas cart for refilling. The catch-can is always placed directly beside the gas cans. A screwdriver is in place to attach the fuel nozzle fitting as it is moved between cans. A scale sits nearby to weigh cans before and after each pit stop. |
 Behind the "War Wagon," a...  Behind the "War Wagon," a panel opens to reveal stored crawlers, along with spare jack stands placed close, but out of foot traffic paths. |
 Dave Ballard sets up the computer...  Dave Ballard sets up the computer station, accessed from storage in the upper left corner. These computers receive real-time feeds from NASCAR scoring showing each car’s position, lap times, and differential times between leader and each car in the field. Ballard will process the data and feed it to crew chief and team manager video screen stations on top of the Wagon&8217s roof. |
 The compressed air valve station...  The compressed air valve station is located below the computer area. Each control valve is dedicated to the same air wrench and corresponding hose set each race weekend, to make tracing any abnormality easier. The top valve controls the rear gun and backup, with the center valve serving the front gun and backup. The lower valve feeds the impact tool used for sheet metal cutting and provides air for inflating the tires. |
 The metal cutter is stored...  The metal cutter is stored beneath the Wagon during the race, its hose coiled and located tightly along the face of the Wagon. |
 Team jack man Chuck White...  Team jack man Chuck White prepares each air hose exactly the same way before each race to insure against binding during the race. Each hose is straightened to remove twists prior to adding any air pressure, then coiled in a tight circle and placed in its assigned spot around the Wagon. All hose leads are wrap-tied or taped down to prevent movement. |
 A pressurized water tank for...  A pressurized water tank for radiator repairs occupies the far right side of the box behind the pitwall. |
 Rodney Halverson sets up the...  Rodney Halverson sets up the pit stop video camera. Each stop is videotaped to refine the crew&8217s pit performance. |
 Race tires are arranged in...  Race tires are arranged in sets along the rear edge of the pit space. Once in place, lug nuts are glued to their wheels. |
 Dave Ballard aligns the team&8217s...  Dave Ballard aligns the team’s Primestar satellite dish to receive ESPN’s race broadcast on the "War Wagon’s" rear-facing TV monitor. The team can record in-car shots from the feed to assist in real-time determination of Jeff Burton’s car&8217s handling and possible adjustments. |
 The 35-pound, 10-inch Brunnhoelzl...  The 35-pound, 10-inch Brunnhoelzl jack, with custom Exide side-plates and dust cover always resides "center-box." Jack man White keeps it covered until race time and always presets the lift-plate at just below the car&8217s race-day right-side ride height to save precious seconds in the initial one-stroke lift. |
 The poles for the hand-held...  The poles for the hand-held team pit sign, window and radiator cleaners, and driver water bottle holder are placed together on the right edge of the space, a few feet behind the pit wall. |
 The race-day tool box is rolled...  The race-day tool box is rolled from the garage and sits slightly behind and to the right of the "War Wagon," holding each crewman&8217s team assignment tools in labeled bins as well as housing general set-up tools, nuts, washers, and shims. |
 The Exide team is ready at...  The Exide team is ready at the crack of dawn to get a jump on their pit setup. |
With NASCAR's "level playing field" today, pit stop ergonomics and race craft have never been more important. Because so much of each team's on-track makeup is similar--basic engines, tires, fuel, profiles, and aerodynamic properties--the human element in a team's pit stops becomes key. The search for a way each crewman can save a step here to save a second there is a never-ending pursuit. Every moment counts and the teams that consistently save that time on each pit stop help their driver gain immense ground during the course of a race. They can usually be found leading the points chase as well.
Roush Racing's Exide Batteries team agreed to let Stock Car Racing have a look at their work in progress. Meeting up at the Southern 500 at Darlington, the team allowed us to learn how their pit space has helped contribute to their success this year. Several are pictured here.
Under the wing of the team's jack man, Chuck White, while he moved the pieces into position at sunrise, we discovered a few of the little details that help make a difference in lightning fast pit work, crisis management, and the handling of the unexpected.
According to White, the Exide team's basic approach to pit preparation and ergonomics is simple. "Each crewman has the same pit setup assignment every weekend," says White. "That crewman doesn't do one thing this week, another job the next. He gets to know his equipment and how it operates each week. He is able to notice any changes and make sure they don't affect the tool's performance. Having each crewman responsible for a particular piece assures that something never gets overlooked."
White's pit setup assignment is looking after the compressed air hoses and controls. He stresses that the most important part of the hose preparation is consistency. "Each hose is attached to the same control valve and the same air tool every race," says White. "It's our way of making sure that if we have a problem, it is either noticed immediately or can be traced and solved right away. I mark each hose nozzle with a code that helps me join the same sets together for each race. Once they are joined, I always stretch each line out to remove kinks and twists before adding any air pressure, otherwise the line would twist more and possibly bind." Once all hoses are set up with the matching air tool, they are wound into a tight coil and anchored to the "War Wagon" with wrap-ties. The wagon is the base for the team's compressed air bottles, laptop computers, satellite link, toolbox, NASCAR's data feed, and crew chief and team manager stations.
Great care is taken to arrange each element of the pit space so that it is always in the same place. "If something happens during the race and Jeff comes in, we need to instinctively know that if we reach for a tool, it will be there," stresses White. "If the main jack breaks, I know I can reach for the spare and it will always be at the end of the tool box. No one moves the jacks." Part of White's race assignment as jack man includes treating the jack to a race-day checkup. The reservoir is checked thoroughly for dirt and the fluid flow is checked over its complete range. Anti-seize compound is spread on the handle's threads and eventually, the jack's lifting plate is preset for the No. 99 race-day right-side ride height. "I know that I can save time by not having to pump that extra couple of inches to get the car up," says White. Crewmember Dave Ballard has, by this time, established the NASCAR data link, joined his laptop units to video screens for crew chief Frank Stoddard and team manager Buddy Parrott, and located the direction to point the satellite dish to receive ESPN.
It's attention to these little details that helps set the team apart. Sherman Forrester, personal assistant to Jeff Burton, helps out during race-day pit setup by assuring that each pit tool is mounted on long fiberglass poles. The windshield and radiator cleaning brushes and Jeff's drink bottle are preset for exact length. Forrester then sits down and hand checks the entire stock of the team's lug nuts. One by one, he spins a nut on and then off a shaft, feeling for any resistance. Any burr or hang-up gets the lug nut replaced. There are hundreds of nuts in the box. Meanwhile, Rodney Halverson has set up the pit stop video camera overhead, arranged the team's race tires in sets, and is busy gluing the now checked lug nuts to the faces of the wheels. Beginning before sunrise, the setup crew has the space fully operational by 8:15 a.m., awaiting only full fuel cans to be race ready. It should be noted that later on this day, the Exide team's attention to pit setup and planning proved itself flawless. Jeff Burton's No. 99 Exide Batteries Taurus captured his second Darlington win of the season after dominating the rain-shortened race, and with his Southern 500 victory came another prize--a Winston No-Bull 5 check for $1 million.