The Next Gen car that NASCAR introduced in 2022 leveled the playing field in the Cup Series. With little differentiating what’s underneath the hood of the cars, there are but a few areas where a driver can take advantage of others. One of them is the pit road. In Kansas to meet his 12th race of the season, defending champion Ryan Blaney discussed the importance of the same.
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He told Frontstretch reporters, “I mean they’re the easiest places to get spots, you know, on pit road. Easiest place to lose them, easiest places to gain them. So, we put a huge emphasis on it.” He continued to note how his camp, Team Penske, was getting quicker in completing stops and that the average stop times were lower than what they were last year after nine races.
Throwing light on the pit crews, he added, “We’re trying to shave tenths off the racetrack and they’re doing the same thing on pit road. They’re trying to shave tenths off their pit stops. So, it’s a challenge. Those guys are great athletes and work hard every day just like we are.” Blaney finished Sunday’s race in 12th place. He sits in sixth place on the points table after Kansas.
How are the crucial members of the pit crew chosen by teams?
In an interview earlier this year, in Martinsville, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin explained how pit crew members are picked in NASCAR. He noted that the most obvious and essential quality one must have is quick feet and hands. He said, “To do a pit stop in 9 seconds, it’s really hard. Everyone has such a crucial role in a pit stop.”
“So again, the driver, the pit crew, and the crew chief are the three main things that make a team fast or slow on any given weekend.” The crew members are all mostly former athletes who couldn’t continue performing at the highest levels in their native sports for some reason. Their capabilities in having a quick mind along with hands and feet can make or break the team’s day.
In Dover, the previous Sunday, Hamlin and Blaney had the fastest pit stops on the grid. The Joe Gibbs driver’s crew completed a four-tire change stop in 8.69 seconds and helped him secure the victory. The champion’s team, on the other hand, followed closely with a 8.70 second stop and helped him to a 7th place finish. The #12 group’s stop was the quickest for Team Penske so far this year.
