Oct 25th, 2011 by T.C.
During the race, pit road can be a busy place. Under cautions, it’s not uncommon for 30 or more cars to hit pit road for service. When that happens, teams are at the mercy of those around them in regard to how they can get in and out of their pit stall. But during green flag pit stops, crew chiefs actually work together to give their drivers the best chance of getting on and off pit road quickly. By coordinating with their neighbors on when they come in for service, crew chiefs can ensure their drivers have a clean shot in and out of their pit stall.
What you often hear about, is crew chiefs coordinating with each other during superspeedway races like we just had at Talladega. In those cases, they are usually trying to work out drafting deals and figure out when they can come to pit road with their partners. But this type of collaboration isn’t just limited to Daytona and Talladega. It actually happens almost every week.
Once you are aware of what is going on, these interactions between rival crew chiefs can be interesting to witness. In the days of advanced technology with computers and digital radios, guys are usually reduced to yelling, hand signals, and sending runners from pit box to pit box.
Since the teams aren’t wired together, and with noise being an obstacle, the first challenge is getting your neighbor’s attention. From there, the goal is to figure out when the cars to your left and right are coming to pit road so you can come the lap before or after. By working together to stagger pit stops, everybody gets the best possible chance to gain or maintain track position.
It’s the little intricacies like this that make racing truly interesting. When I talk to new race fans, and those attending races for the first time, they often say that they didn’t realize how complex and involved it all was. The quote is usually something like “I just thought it was guys going in circles.” Those of us in the sport and the educated race fan know different. These interactions between rival crew chiefs are a small, but vital aspect to giving a driver the best possible chance to win.
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