In stock car racing, the driver is naturally the subject of attention as he is the most visible person in the race. Nevertheless, Nascar racing is essentially a team business. Behind each winning driver is a pit crew to which the result of a well-performing car may be whether it speeds at the front or it fades in the middle of the pack. Pit crews work in intense conditions whereby accuracy, timing, and coordination are to be flawless. To be able to have the full picture of the actual winning of races, it is necessary to understand their role.

One of the most dramatic incidents in a race is a pit stop. In a couple of seconds, several members of the crew flock around a speeding car as it enters pit road. Tires are taken off and changed, fuel supplied and some adjustments could be made to enhance handling. All the tasks should be carried out in a certain order. One missed step will impact all the other steps. The pit stop does not consist of separate actions. It is an integrated concerted action.

Each member of the pit crew has got a specific task. Tire changers are specializing in loosening and tightening lug nuts. Tire carriers place fresh tires at the point of their location. Jackman raises and descends the car at specific times. The fueler is the one who links and unlinks the fuel hose. Other crewers wipe off windshields or perform aerodynamic alterations. These roles are done repeatedly in order to get the movements automatic.

Speed is a factor but equally critical is accuracy. In order to have a loose wheel or penalty during a pit stop, a slightly slower pit stop can be much more expensive than fast one. The pit crews are required to juggle between urgency and control. This balance is acquired by means of great drills and training. Crews do not just strive to be fast. They are striving to be always right.

Pit crew training is like having an athletic training. The crew members develop endurance, flexibility and strength. Their motions are hundreds of times to eliminate extraneous movement. Even minor inefficiencies are researched and fixed. Gradually, these improvements remove seconds inaccuracies in pit stops. The fractions are added up to achieve significant benefits in the life of a race and a season.

Pit road in itself is a dangerous place. There is high speed entry of cars and they just miss each other by inches. Other cars pass over the narrow working regions with crew members entering them. The situation awareness is a necessity. Even a lapse of concentration may lead to injury or damage of equipment. Such risk is an extra burden to an already stressful job.

This is what makes up true NASCAR awareness because races are not won by drivers only. They are conquered by groups of people who carry out specialized processes in a perfect coordination. Pit crews are such a reality.Racing is not merely about the speed.It is about execution.Pit crews make execution possible.