I’ll admit I’m a bit of a lurker. I like to hang around on Twitter, Facebook, and some forums to see what the fans are talking about. It really helps when searching for new topics to write about for TNI. Something I’ve seen a bit recently that I wanted to address has to do with comments about pit crews. When things don’t appear to go well during pit stops, some are quick to jump all over the guys doing the service. And while mistakes do happen, spots lost on pit road are not always the fault of the pit crew.
With the tires that Goodyear has been bringing to the track this year, we’ve seen crew chiefs playing a lot with tire strategies. At any point in the race, we’re seeing no tires, two tires, and four tire stops. This is the first place to look when you’re favorite driver makes big jumps up and down the leaderboard following a round of stops. If driver X takes four tires, and everyone else takes two, it’s impossible to hang on to any track position. No crew on pit road is good enough to beat teams out when they’re getting two more tires.
Another place to look when your driver loses ground on pit road is adjustments. Small changes like air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments can be done without losing much time. But when bigger changes are needed, the crews will need more time. Doing things like pushing in or pulling out spring rubbers, pulling out or putting in front end shims, and putting clicks in shocks can result in lost track position.
The last way that a team can lose track position on pit road that I wanted to mention is damage repair. Not all damage that the cars suffer results in a caution, or is shown on television. Things like wrinkled fenders and damage to noses must be addressed, especially at the big tracks. And while often not major, repairs sometimes can’t be completed in 13 seconds.
So, while mistakes do occur and pit crews are sometimes to blame, it isn’t always our fault. We are often tasked to do things that just can’t be completed during the course of a normal pit stop. At that point, it’s more important that we get things right than it is that we have a quick stop.
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As we get ready for Darlington this week, pit crew coaches across the sport are preparing their crews for what will be a busy night of work. The Lady in Black is a unique track and it creates a lot of challenges for the teams. From it’s abrasive surface and looming walls, to it’s uncommon shape, Darlington always demands a lot from the pit crews.
Since the track was repaved in 2008, the surface hasn’t been quite as hard on tires as it had been previously. Fresh asphalt and a smoother surface are the reasons why. But as the asphalt continues to age, it will start to return to it’s historically abrasive self. This means lap times are sure to fall off quickly as the tires wear, which will place a large premium on fresh tires. Drivers and crew chiefs will want to take advantage of every opportunity to come get four fresh skins, and that equates to a lot of pit stops. With fuel mileage already dictating somewhere in the neighborhood of eight pit stops, you can be sure pit road is going to be a busy place all night.
Just like we saw last weekend at Richmond, this weekend’s race will start in the early evening, and end late under the lights. As the race progresses, you’ll see the handling characteristics of the cars change based on the track’s conditions. The teams build adjustability into the cars, especially on nights like this, so they can keep up with the changing race track. And it will be on the pit crews to execute those changes. Besides bolting on four fresh tires, crews will be making trackbar and wedge adjustments, pushing in and pulling out spring rubbers, possibly adding grill tape, and adding or removing front shims. A stop without some sort of adjustment becomes the exception, not the norm, even for the fast cars.
If there is one thing everybody always remembers about this track, it’s that famous “Darlington Stripe.” The fastest way around the track requires the cars to run right up against the wall through the corners, and that leads to plenty of chances for drivers to hit said wall. Besides making adjustments and changing tires, many pit crews will be tasked with fixing and clearing bent sheet metal from these brushes with the red and white retaining wall. Darlington is a fast race track, and aerodynamics are important here. Damaged front fenders will make any race car handle poorly on a fast track.
The pit work I’ve talked about in this post is not really any different than what is expected out of teams on a weekly basis, but Darlington seems to amp up the importance. Whoever comes home with the win on Saturday night (and Friday night) will most certainly have had a very good night on pit road. Why? Because the Lady in Black always seems to penalize mistakes just a little bit more.
As we get ready to head to Talladega this weekend, pit crew coaches across the sport will spend the week preaching to their crews about the importance of not making mistakes. Even if it means pit stops take a few extra seconds than normal, it’s more important to get things right, than it is to have quick stops. Why? Because pit stops in the new era of superspeedway racing really don’t matter.
In a world where races often have multiple leaders per lap, the importance of track position has been lowered. Cars can go from the back to the front, or front to the back, very quickly. Having blazing fast pit stops and picking up spots on pit road is really not worth the risk of possibly having dropped lugnuts, loose wheels, and other mistakes. Obviously crew chiefs don’t want slow stops, but there is less of a focus on being quick, and more of a focus on being mistake free.
Besides the nature of the racing, another reason why pit stops mean less has to do with the tires. Now that both Daytona and Talladega have new surfaces, tire wear over the course of a race has become a non-issue. Some even said that it may have been possible to run the entire Daytona 500 on one set of tires! In any case, crew chiefs want to spend the least amount of time on pit road possible, and if they don’t need to take tires, they won’t. At Daytona in February, this led to a lot of fuel only and two tire pit stops.
Something else to keep in mind when watching pit stops this weekend, is that some teams will set the cars up to maximize speed on track, and in turn sacrifice speed on pit road. What I am referring to specifically is the shock package that some teams use. We’ve seen in the past that the front tire changers and carriers will struggle with the right front. When the car is jacked up, the shock won’t bleed down and it causes the right front tire to stay up in the fender. It makes it very difficult for the changers to get the old tire off, and for the carriers to get the new tire in. Not every team has this problem, but it can significantly slow down pit stops for the teams that do.
Like I’ve said here before, races can’t necessarily be won on pit road, but they can certainly be lost there. This weekend, crews will be doing everything possible to ensure the race is decided on the track and not on pit road.
Road racing returns this weekend as the Cup and NNS cars head up to Watkins Glen. While they are turning left and right, and doing backwards pit stops, the truck series takes on the Nashville Superspeedway. As we work through another week, here are more reader questions and answers. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Garry:
How often do you AND your driver practice the exact routine of the car pulling in and out of the pit stall? How many times does it take to be perfect? When you are working with a new driver or at a tougher track (like Bristol) do they allow you extra time to practice a lot? Is it true that “pit mates” (drivers in ajoining pit stalls) try to coordinate their stops, to stay out of each other’s way? It seems so many things can go wrong. Do you have any good stories about bad blood rivals who are battling and then winding up next to each other? ( e.g if Horse face and lil Brad wound up next to each other. It might make things interesting)
You won’t find most drivers at the shop driving the pit stop car for practice. Some teams will use their development drivers or just a shop guy to do the driving. Once most guys get to a certain point in their career, practicing getting into and out of the pit stall just isn’t necessary I guess. And the only real example of a track that sticks out where we might do some extra practice is for this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen because the pit stops are backwards. Other then that, the rest of the tracks get the same amount of prep usually. In terms of pit road neighbors, you try as much as you can to coordinate stops, but often it just isn’t possible. The hope is that the guys around you are either on a different lap or fall out early, so your driver has a clean path in and out. And there are plenty of times where teams end up pitting next to each other and things get ugly. There have been instances where crew members have thrown lugnuts and other objects at an opposing driver as they come by, pit boards have been hit by drivers, there have been plenty of shoving matches, and there is always going to be a ton of yelling when things go south. – T.C.
2. From Bill:
Why not let the cars that make the chase all race together and have another race for the other cars. Nascar asks the other cars to move over and not race the chase cars. This makes for poor racing and the other cars cannot win.
I’m not really sure what the question is here, but NASCAR doesn’t ask other cars to roll over for the Chasers. In fact Jamie McMurray, a non-chaser, won the race at Talladega during the Chase last season. – Journo
3. From Michael:
Regarding Tool sponsorship. Mac, Snap-On, Craftsman, etc. Are the tools given to the teams, discounted, or on loan? Or is each team contract different with each vendor?
The contracts can be different, but for the big teams, when the team itself needs tools, they are usually given or highly discounted. Remember though, the guys who work in the shop use their own tools and must pay for all of their own equipment. With the shop guys, they are usually given a discount, but nothing is free. – T.C.
4. From Marty:
After watching the wide array of tire strategies at Pocono I offer you this question… Has anyone ever taken 3 tires in a pit stop? How about just 1 tire?
Not that I’ve ever heard of. Getting one tire takes the same amount of time as it does to get two, as does the time for three versus four. So it wouldn’t really make sense. Plus, it would give the car really odd handling characteristics to have grip at one corner, but not the others. - T.C.
5. From Jackie:
On Sunday’s race, I noticed that start and park teams would come in and then go back out on the track – Why? Do they not want to be listed as last or are they trying to better their position? At what point in the race do the start and park teams say enough is enough and call it a race?
Most are trying to just be able to finish a little better. Remember most don’t have pit crews, so if they are going to run longer then a tire/fuel run, they’ve got to do something to change tires and add fuel. A few minutes in the garage can do the trick. And the agendas will vary by team. Some of the bare bones operations will just run a few laps because they are fine with last place money. Others might be attempting to make more money, and score more points, so they may stay out longer. – T.C.
6. From Debbie:
While watching the Pocono race a driver, I want to say Denny Hamlin, but don’t quote me on that, said his tires were over rotating. How can that be and what does that mean? Thanks!
I’ve never heard a driver say his tires were over-rotating. I have heard them say that about their car though. If a car is over rotating, it just means it’s loose in the corners. – T.C.
7. From Kevin:
First off, the 48 dumped the 2. Everybody who has ever watched a race with bump drafting knows you dont do it unless your wheels are straight. The 48 was turning left the entire time and clearly turned the 2. No question about it. Kurt should have gone and kicked some ass. I am sure he will in coming weeks. Secondly, how great was the racing at the end of the race? For about 20-40 laps there we saw some of the best racing of the season. All through the pack. I am so tired of the people complaining, if they didn’t like the racing right after the rain stoppage then they should just quit watching, b/c it won’t get much better. Finally, do you think the recent success of two tire stops is due to the flat nature of the last two tracks? I imagine someone taking two tires at say, Vegas, will suffer a lot more due to the speed all the way around the track. I do enjoy the mixing of strategies though.
To your first point, I don’t think Jimmie dumped him, I think Jimmie got sloppy and made a poor decision. To your second point, I couldn’t agree more. I think we have had stellar racing this season. And to your last point, the two tire strategy works when everything comes together right. Certainly tire wear is a factor, but how many laps are left, who took four versus two, and how many all play a role. It has played a role the last two weeks. – Journo
8. From steve:
Any idea what was going on with Brian Pattie and Montoya, especially Pattie’s barb that Montoya needs to come to Charlotte to practice pit stops? How redfaced do you think ESPN is that they had zero cameras on Sadler? But for his crash sneaking into the Busch coverage, they would have had nothing at all on one of the worst wrecks in NASCAR this year.
Montoya screwed something up, and they had a 17 second stop (I would imagine he messed up getting into the box), so Pattie called him out. Montoya was then upset that Pattie called him out, and he was upset about losing track position because they got four tires. JPM is notorious for his ability to express his feelings. To your second question, I think it’s the nature of the beast. This sort of thing is the nightmare of every sports television director – missing that key play (or in this case a wreck) because they didn’t have a camera – but it happens because you just can’t have cameras everywhere. I’d be willing to bet there have been some serious discussions this week about how to make sure this doesn’t happen again. – Journo
9. From Lost in Texas:
Anything new in the Jeremy Mayfield case?
I haven’t heard anything new. The last I heard was that Mayfield’s legal team had asked Judge Mullen to reconsider his ruling, a formal step before they can appeal to the 4th Circuit Court. – Journo
10. From Kipp:
T.C.- This is a great outlet and source of information and discussion. Thank you for you and Journo’s efforts. With the recent fine given to Denny Hamlin, have you worried any about potential fines or punishment coming from NASCAR for operating on this forum?
Thanks Kipp! Glad you are enjoying what we do. And no, neither myself nor Journo is worried in any way about being fined or punished by NASCAR. We operate a very fair website, and if they ever took exception to something we wrote, all it would take is a simple request, and they could post a rebuttal here. Also, I think it’s important to note that NASCAR didn’t fine somebody in the press, it was drivers. If they did ever try and penalize a media member, it would come to light pretty quickly. And, as our regular readers know, we’ve been very critical of NASCAR at times (see Tuesday’s blog post), and they have yet to even bother contacting us. – T.C.
11. From derek:
Why does a crew member use a propane torch to heat the tire up and then scrape it?
The crew guy is using the torch and the scraper to clean off any build up on the tires so the tire specialist can get an accurate reading of the tire’s tread depth after a run. When a car is running around the track, especially under caution and heading to pit road, the hot tires will pick up rubber and all sorts of other things. Cleaning them allows the teams to figure out how much rubber was actually worn off over the course of a run. – T.C.
12. From M. Sauter:
With the season winding down, and sponsors signing or leaving, when should Kahne fans begin to panic?Right now, he has no ride and no sponsor.
There isn’t a point you should start panicking. Kasey will be in a car next season. Where that’s at is still yet to be seen, but Kasey will absolutely be driving somewhere next season. Rick Hendrick didn’t sign Kasey to sideline him. Don’t worry! Everything will be worked out…eventually. – Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
I know we’re all getting sick of the Front Row Motorsports penalty discussion, but I wanted to give it one last word.
A lot of the discussion this week has centered around NASCAR penalizing yet another team who can’t afford it. Lest I start a discussion, Carl Long’s name has been brought up. How could NASCAR penalize another team that likely didn’t gain an advantage (or necessarily mean to do it), but still broke a rule? No matter your feelings on the Carl Long situation (and please let’s not start a discussion of it here), I’ll tell you the situation Front Row finds itself in was completely earned.
Team owner Bob Jenkins and team GM Jerry Freeze have been quoted quite extensively defending their team and the team’s actions (before you ask if I was surprised, of course I wasn’t). Freeze says he doesn’t know where the caps came from, and went on to say:
“We’d be the most inept crooks to do this with rain coming down and the car sitting under a car cover for an hour-and-a-half,” Freeze said. “Certainly there was no intent to do it. Somehow, these valve caps got in our system.”
While I certainly can’t disagree with some of the statement, I can tell you where the caps came from. They came from the toolbox of the #38 team (or #34?).
I know it’s hard to conceive a crew chief putting his team in a position like this. And I’m willing to concede this may have even been a mistake, as Freeze and Jenkins have said it was. The fact remains though that someone grabbed those bleeder valves out of the #38’s toolbox (probably the new – that weekend – tire specialist), which means someone put those very illegal bleeder valves in that toolbox.
It may have been a mistake, but the bleeder valves should have never been there in the first place. And forgive me, but I don’t buy the line that the #38 team came across these caps accidentally. I do however understand the politics of the situation.
In the end, this wasn’t a conspiracy, or anything of the like. It was an honest, stupid mistake (whether purposeful or unintentional). The team got caught this time.
I think through this whole thing though Front Row came out in a pretty good position. They’ll have to have one team qualify on time, but their points deficit isn’t necessarily insurmountable (especially with Robby Gordon in a precarious money situation, and the #71 team starting and parking), and thankfully the monetary fine doesn’t look like it’s going to put them out of business.
What the #38 team did was against the rules. They unfortunately deserved the penalty that was sent their way. Still, I’m rooting for this little team that could – I just hope, for their sake (and the sake of the two other teams, and dozens of employees), they can overcome this big setback.
After yesterday’s story about Front Row’s possible infraction at Pocono, we are hearing today that the penalty from NASCAR could be the biggest ever handed down.
When NASCAR makes the announcement later today or tomorrow, expect the penalty to include a $250,000 fine and 300 driver and owner points for Travis Kvapil and owner Bob Jenkins. A suspension for crew chief Steven Lane will also be included.
This penalty tops the sanctions handed down last season to Carl Long’s team after his engine was discovered to be too large at Charlotte.
Like we’ve said here before, NASCAR will always be harshest about infractions dealing with engines, tires, and fuel, and they are obviously using this situation to reinforce that notion.
No word yet on how this will affect the team’s status moving forward. Expect the team to appeal the decision.
As we mentioned this morning on Twitter, we are hearing Front Row Motorsports could be facing penalties from NASCAR after illegal bleeder mechanisms were discovered on the #38 car prior to Sunday’s race.
The rain delay appears to have played a role in the discovery of the issue. As Kvapil exited pit road following the delay, NASCAR backed him up because of two flat rear tires. NASCAR officials escorted the team’s tire specialist and the two tires in question to the NASCAR hauler. We are hearing bleeder mechanisms were responsible for the flat tires.
Bleeder mechanisms are easily installed on the valve stem of the tire and are meant to help a car maintain tire air pressure. As pressure builds in the tire during a run, the valve opens and relieves pressure.
Penalties involving the fuel, the engine, and the tires are generally NASCAR’s severest. As we have seen in recent years with penalties involving Carl Long and Michael Waltrip, NASCAR has made a point to make examples of those found to be beyond the rulebook in those three areas.
As Front Row struggles with points and money this could hurt the team substantially. The team looked to be well on its way to locking all three cars into the top-35 after this weekend’s race. Obviously any points penalty could change that. Additionally, the team only has full-time sponsorship on one car – monetary fines could be detrimental to the team’s future.
Expect any penalty announcements to be made tomorrow.
When you watch a race on TV, or see one in person, certain people get the spotlight. The drivers of course, are at the top of this list. Everyone knows them. Team personnel are next, with crew chiefs and a few select crew members getting most of the notoriety. You will also probably notice the presence of the NASCAR officials, whether you know their names or not. There are a few groups however, that get little if any air time, and frankly, go on busting their butts anyway.
In order to have a race that goes longer then about 75 miles, two important supplies are necessary: fuel and tires.
At every race, Goodyear Racing brings an army of guys who’s sole job is to do nothing but handle every race tire used. Truck loads of tires are brought in, along with the teams’ wheels, and these guys work their tails off all weekend mounting and dismounting tires. Each tire must be unloaded, scanned into their system, paired with a wheel, mounted, balanced, and organized. Once it has served it’s purpose, a tire must be rescanned, drilled (to avoid any future use), dismounted, and loaded back up to be recycled.
Goodyear does all this through their small network of regional tire distributors and the aid of Champion Tire and Wheel. Champion’s trucks haul all of the used tires, plus they handle all of the teams’ wheels (with their own small army).
During the race weekend, while workers are handling all the tires, Goodyear also has a team of engineers that work very closely with the teams to ensure proper usage and to monitor any problems.
Besides tires, no race would get very far without race fuel. Sunoco, being the official fuel of NASCAR, is tasked with providing the teams with enough race gas to practice, qualify, and race. While their team of people is much smaller than that of Goodyear, their function is no less important. On the busiest of weekends, enough fuel must be brought in to supply upwards of 150 race teams.
Besides being on hand to fill up the tanks during practice sessions and qualifying, Sunoco has a team of guys that fill every gas can during the race. Once a pit stop ends, fuel runners for each team will take any emptied cans by cart to the Sunoco pumps. There, Sunoco’s guys refill the cans so they can be used during the next stop. Once the race is over, teams then must return any unneeded fuel to Sunoco to be reclaimed.
There are two other groups that I also wanted to point out that serve very important functions.
First, two companies handle the majority of at track radio communications for NASCAR and the teams. Racing Radios and Racing Electronics have people on hand at every race to help support the teams. Their teams can supply and repair any of the radios or components needed by race teams so they can be in constant communication during the practices and the race. While the races are going on, both companies have techs that do nothing but wander up and down pit road, ready to fix any problems.
The last group I wanted to recognize are the TV production folks. In order for NASCAR to appear on FOX, ESPN, TNT, and SPEED, a large corps of producers, audio techs, camera people, production assistants, editors, and more must be at every race. Besides the networks themselves, companies like Game Creek Video, NEP Broadcasting, Broadcast Sports, and others have people and equipment that aid in bringing racing into your home. During the races, we are shoulder to shoulder with camera people, the assistants, and the pit road reporters who bring you all the latest information.
The next time you get to attend a race in person, on any level, be sure to take a moment to look around. There are more then just race teams at work bringing you the show.
It’s a bit of a weekend off for teams, as even though we will be at the track this week for the All Star and Truck races, at least we get to sleep in our own beds. If you are in Charlotte for the races, don’t forget that the Pit Crew Challenge is tonight at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte! Before it kicks off though, here is the 75th edition of ATIW to help you get through your hump day. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ron:
Excellent site. Withthe new spoiler package they are controlled and dispensed at each event by NASCAR. How is it that some cars have their’s color matched if they are distributed randomly? I would think the teams wouldn’t know what spoiler[s] they would get each race.
Unlike the now extinct wing, NASCAR does not issue the spoilers to the teams. They are put on at the shop and then teched when they get to the track, just like they used to be. That’s why some teams have color matched pieces. - T.C.
2. From Jerry:
Guys what happens if Brian Vickers car owners points make the chase but his own drivers points don’t. Are Chase births given to the car or the driver.
Great question! There are actually two Chases. One for the driver championship and one for the owner championship. It’s no different then when Carl Edwards won the Nationwide Series driver championship in 2007, while RCR took home the owner championship. We don’t often see another driver run a car that is so high in points, so to this point, it hasn’t been an issue. - T.C.
3. From Kim:
This may be the silliest question you’ve gotten, but when a driver like Casey Mears subs for different drivers, what firesuit do they wear? Do they quickly doctor up a suit with the appropriate sponsor logos?
There are no silly questions here. Casey actually wore a generic firesuit at Dover. I would imagine if he continues to drive the #83 that he would have a Red Bull firesuit going forward. It really depends on how much time the team has. If they have some advance warning, they can get a firesuit ready. If not, the sub driver either has to wear one of their own, or hope they fit into one of the current driver’s suits. – T.C.
4. From Christopher:
At Darlington, Jeff Burton was penalized for running over the air hose. I’m curious- what is the rationale behind this type of penalty? I understand speeding on pit road- it’s a safety issue with other drivers, and it gives you an unfair advantage. But driving over a hose doesn’t give you any advantage, and can only really hurt yourself.
Running over an air hose is a definitely a safety concern. The combination of an impact and the hose getting kicked up by the tires can be very dangerous. If an impact were to hit someone, it could do some serious damage, and the air hose is connected to a Nitrogen bottle that has 2,500 lbs of pressure in it. – T.C.
5. From Kyle:
What do you know about the ownership situation at Red Bull Racing? There are rumors the company wants to move into a sponsorship only role. Any idea what team the sponsorship would go to if this were to happen?
The team is wholly owned by Red Bull owner (or perhaps more accurate, majority stakeholder) Deitrich Mateschitz (just like the Red Bull F1 team). So short of Red Bull deciding, without Mateschitz, that they no longer want to be in the NASCAR sponsorship business, it’s not too likely. Though I suppose if you looked at it from it’s purest form Red Bull really is just a sponsor now (albeit a very large one). – Journo
6. From Christopher:
When people talk about start-and-parkers, they often complain that they’re keeping better (serious) drivers off the track. If money and sponsorship were no issue, which drivers could be competing well in the Sprint Cup?
That’s a good question (it’s not something I necessarily buy into). Start-and-parkers are filling a void. Certainly there are exceptions every now and then but in the absence of the start and park teams we would likely have less than full fields. If money and sponsorship were no issue? That’s tough and I’m no driver development expert – this is something even the best driver development people have failed at (ex. Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears). Sorry. – Journo
7. From Allen:
Who makes the call to hand down penalties or park a car in the middle of a race? Brian France? Mike Helton?
Those calls generally come from the series director – Wayne Auton in the Truck Series, Joe Balash in the Nationwide Series and John Darby in the Cup Series. When drivers get to the trailer though, they sometimes get to meet with both the Series Director and Mr. Helton. – Journo
8. From yankeegranny:
Ok, what’s the story; was there a steering problem with the 88 at Dover, or not? If there was, what was it, and if there wasn’t has my fav driver become delusional? Seriously, what could be wrong with the car to make a driver say he had to turn the wheel 90 degrees to the left to get it go straight on a straightaway? Did he hit something/someone early in the race to knock something loose?
It is my understanding that there was, in fact, no problem at all. The marbles at Dover can be pretty bad, and if a driver picks them up on his tires, he can think all manner of things are wrong. It is not uncommon for drivers to think they have a flat tire or some mechanical issue. That’s why you see drivers swerving back and forth under caution to clean their tires. Dale Jr. isn’t crazy, and he wasn’t the only victim of the marbles this weekend. It’s just another example of the horrible luck and circumstances that continue to keep this team down. – T.C.
9. From Sann:
With all the drivers that get right front flats and smack the wall, would it be possible to run a liner in just that tire to prevent hitting the wall?
At Dover, Goodyear runs inner liners in all of the tires. When a tire blows out though, there isn’t much that is going to stop a car from heading straight for the wall, inner liner or not. The inner liner may make the hit not hurt so bad, but it’s inevitable. – T.C.
10. From yankeegranny:
In this age of mega teams with mega bucks, simulators, windtunnels, and 7-post whatever they ares, how can a team unload a car that misses the needed race setup completely. Some cars seem to be pure garbage from the time they come off the truck and nothing seems to improve them. On whose shoulders do we lay the blame..somehow it seems that this is one that we can’t blame on the driver?
Well it depends what team/s you’re talking about. Lesser funded teams don’t have the resources to spend a lot of time at the wind tunnel or at the 7-post – many of those teams are also running sub-par and used engines. When you see these teams run like garbage it’s often because their using sub-par equipment (having Chad Knaus on the box and Jimmie Johnson in the car wouldn’t do them any good). In the case of well funded teams you can blame the driver and/or the crew chief for missing the mark. Something to consider too is changing conditions. If a team practices in sunny/hot conditions and they race in cold/cloudy conditions their setup is going to get messed up. – Journo
11. From Walt:
When a driver says that they are tight or pushing in one corner and then tight or pushing in the next corner how can you adjust for both corners?
Usually, just adjusting for the overall tight condition will help in both corners. At a place like Darlington, where 1 and 2 are different then 3 and 4, a happy medium has to be found. It’s very difficult to make the car run well through both sets of corners. – T.C.
The season has all but arrived, and so has another edition of Ask The Insiders Wednesday. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ric:
Does every tire have it’s own unique tracking number or is it only done in batches?
Yes, each tire has it’s own number and subsequent barcode. Goodyear has handhelds they use to scan each tire into their system and they are tracked from mounting all the way back to dismounting. – T.C.
2. From Doug:
Last week you had a question about Kyle Busch’s salary. My question goes a bit further. What kinds of things are in a driver contract? Does it govern races outside of the primary cup team, either mandating them or barring them? Does it incorporate manufacturer conditions, such as Danica Patrick not being able to test a NASCAR ride because of a clause in her Honda contract? Does it mandate a minimum/maximum number of sponsor appearances? What other things – other than money – might be part of the negotiation process?
Honestly contracts can and do have any number of things in them. Certainly sponsor appearances (the amount of time they spend at an appearance and how many a sponsor gets, though these are more likely to be in the sponsor’s contract) and sponsor conflict clauses exist in many drivers’ contracts. Other things? Drivers usually get a car (if you work for a bigger, manufacturer supported team). I can’t really think of too many other things. The money part is of course the most important part. – Journo
3. From Teresa:
Who could I inquire to about collectors cards? Dale Earnhardt Sr had a promotion in the 1980s with Sundrop where you collected all 3 cards which were enclosed in 12 packs of Sundrop and since he has passed I wonder who I could talk about these. Thank you for any information you can provide.
The only thing I can suggest is to check out eBay. There are always some great collectors items that can be found there, and prices are about as fair as it gets. – T.C.
4. From Jon:
I’ve been watching a little of the Toyota All-Star race and was wondering what the major differences are between Nationwide cars, NASCAR Elite regional cars and ARCA cars. Thanks.
ARCA Series cars are very similar to Nationwide Series cars. The NNS requires cars to have a 105″ wheelbase, whereas ARCA allows cars that are either 105″ or 110″ (110″ wheelbase cars are what the old style Cup cars were). The major difference is the engines. I don’t know exactly what the engine rules are for ARCA, but I’m sure they have less horsepower then a NNS car. The East and West Series cars are also 105″ and 110″ wheelbase cars, with less horsepower then a NNS car. Many East/West and ARCA cars are old NNS and Cup cars purchased from teams. The Elite Regional Series cars are a latemodel car with a composite body, smaller wheelbase, and usually run rack and pinion steering, versus a steering box for the bigger NNS cars. They will also have less horsepower, along with some other mechanical differences. – T.C.
5. From Mike:
How is Jim Hunter doing? Any Updates? Can cards be sent?
As far as I know he’s still doing OK. I’m sure if you wanted to send a card to the NASCAR address (1801 W. International Speed Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114) they would pass it on to him. – Journo