Racing has been, and always will be, a team effort. The driver or the crew chief or the jack man alone does not win races; races are won only when the team succeeds. For that reason, your team needs to be fully prepared mentally and physically come race day because the better prepared you are for pit stops, tire-changes, fueling, and any other situation, the better chance you are going to give your driver to win the race.
Circle Track spoke with Jeff Chandler, pit stop coordinator for Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Interstate Batteries and #20 Home Depot teams, to learn what he feels is most important in getting a race team ready for action. Listed below, in Chandler's own words, is what he had to tell us-and it's valuable stuff. Most of the following principles can be applied universally to all race teams, from Cup right down to the weekly racer, whether pit stops are a part of the race action or not. With these tips, your car won't be the only finely tuned race-winning machine.
Familiarize Yourself With Your EquipmentYou need to know your equipment. Find out what you have and what you have to work with. You have to know the strengths and weaknesses of what you're dealing with. Your equipment is the key to fast stops and repairs. Whether it be a jack, a gas can, or an air wrench, make sure you know how to use it before you really have to.
Know Your PeopleYou have to know the people you are going to be working with. Pit crews are a team effort, and it is the team that makes an effective crew, because you are only as good as the slowest guy. Figure out each individual's strengths and weaknesses and place them accordingly. If you have a guy that has quick hand speed, make him your tire changer. If you have a guy that is really strong, make him your jack man. Evaluate your people and get them in the key situations where they can perform.
Often in weekend racing, you don't know until 30 minutes before the race who you've got working the pits. So if you are in charge of that situation, make sure everyone knows where to go and what they are required to do.
Make Sure Everyone Is Aware of Their ResponsibilitiesBring your team together before a race for a brief meeting-it only takes five minutes-to ensure that everyone knows exactly what their responsibilities are and where they are supposed to be in the pits and during stops. Also, make sure the guys that will have radios during the race know they must tell the crew-members that do not have radios what is going on, to get them ready for any situation that might arise.
Develop Hand SignalsThis is important because the loud noises at the track sometimes make it difficult for the crew to communicate verbally, especially those that don't have radios. Establish a system of hand signals so every crewmember knows things like when the driver is going to pit, how many tires will be put on the car, and whether it will need fuel. Make eye contact with each person and be sure they know what is going on.
Establish a Training ProgramThis is especially important for people that are not part of a full-time racing program. Work in some cardiovascular exercises, such as on a treadmill or bicycling, so when you perform your pit duties, you don't pull a muscle or get winded easily. Regular working guys get out there Saturday and start flying around the car like they're athletes, which makes them real prone to injuries, so if you can do anything, including weightlifting, it will definitely improve your performance. Also, 10 minutes before the race, have the team do some light stretching to get everyone prepared physically. This also helps prevent injury.
Know Your CarTake some time to prepare your car for stops. Know how many pumps it takes on the jack to get your car in the air. Know how long your wheel studs are. If you are showing thread, the studs are too long; the more wheel stud you have showing, the slower your pit stops will be. And don't forget about fueling-make sure everything involved in the fueling process is fully operational. These are just some examples. Your team may require even more preparation.
Familiarize Yourself With the SurroundingsKnow the relative dimensions of pit road, such as if it is narrow or wide or if your pit stall is small or large. Familiarize yourself with the guys pitting around you. Know if the guys next to you are veterans or rookies so that you have enough confidence to go over the wall without worrying if your crew will get run over.
Always Wear Safety EquipmentI don't care if you have to spend your own money on this-always wear the proper safety equipment, especially if you work around fuel, like the fuel man or the rear tire changer. This is because if something happens, you are the guy who will have to live with the results of an accident for the rest of your life-not the driver, the car owner, or the crew chief. So even if you have to spend some money to ensure your safety, do it.
Practice, Practice, PracticeIf you have five volunteers and you can get everyone together for practice, you will certainly familiarize yourself with each other and be prepared for the situations that arise on the track. Take your people and walk them through the different scenarios, such as tire changing and fueling. Also, take the car out on some asphalt, it doesn't necessarily have to be moving, and run through a stop and other situations so, again, you can be more prepared for what happens on the track.
Draw Up a Pit BoxIn Winston Cup, we draw the pit box so we know where everything is supposed to go. For example, we put tape down so we know where the car is going to stop and so the jack man, tire changers, and the fuel man know exactly where to position themselves. If the driver comes in and stops where he is supposed to, everyone will know exactly where to be.
The same principle is applied behind the wall. We have a map drawn out where the air hoses, tires, gas cans, spare body parts, sledgehammers, saws, and all the other items are supposed to be so each crewmember can get to them quickly and efficiently. This mapping also helps because no matter who sets up the pit, the gear will be in the same place every time.
Know Your DriverThe driver is one of the keys to the pit stop. See if your driver stops in the right place, and do not be afraid to communicate with him. Your driver needs to be approachable-you need to be able to go to him and say, "If you want a fast pit stop, one of the keys is that you get the car in the square and in the box. You have to stop on the sign, and you have to give us enough room between the wall and the car to get the jack under it." Communication with the driver, and the whole team, is key.
Meet Jeff Chandler* 1985: Started as a volunteer tire changer with Alan Kulwicki's ASA team, which also won the Pit Crew Championship that year. After Kulwicki moved to Winston Cup, worked as tire-changer with Dick Bear and Michael Waltrip.* 1987-90: Joined Hendrick Motorsports and worked with Darrell Waltrip and Ricky Rudd for one year, and Geoffrey Bodine for two years.* 1991: Worked with Stavola Brothers.* Second half of 1991-93: Joined Michael Waltrip's Busch team as crew chief and tire-changer for his Winston Cup team.* 1994-95: Chandler rejoined Rudd (who was then a team owner).* 1995-Present: Became pit stop coordinator for Joe Gibbs Racing Winston Cup team while remaining a tire changer for Bobby Labonte's #18 car.Along the way, Chandler won two Copenhagen/Skoal All Pro Awards for tire changing in 1994 and 1996, and in 1999 his team won the World Pit Crew Championship.