NASCAR has always demanded a lot from car tires. Keeping the pressure consistent across all four tires of a car is crucial for performance and safety reasons. Doing so depends on a variety of factors such as weather, track type, and the condition of the car. Considering how important it is to monitor the tire pressure and adjust it according to the changing constants within a race, how does the pit crew do it?
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The social media team of Joe Gibbs Racing answered a question from a fan about the same recently. They said, “During a race, the crew chief may call for the tire pressure to be changed. When this happens the tire specialist will grab the hose from the pit box to make the change. They will adjust the appropriate tires before a pitstop, so all the pit crew has to do is put the new tires on.”
Adjusting the pressure on the tires is the key to avoiding blowouts and unnecessary wearouts. The right pressures can also help drivers achieve faster laps and higher mileage. The NASCAR pit crews use sophisticated digital mechanisms that provide real-time telemetry from the sensors that are placed in each tire.
This helps the chief make fast and efficient decisions before the car comes to the pit.
The important roles of the tire carrier and tire changer in a NASCAR pitstop
Every NASCAR crew consists of 8 members. Only 5 of these 8 are allowed over the wall during a pit stop. Two roles that are significant when it comes to tire management are the ones of the tire carrier and the tire changer.
The tire carrier’s job is to get the tires over the wall to the changers. While a jackman helps the rear tire changer install the new tires, the carrier assists the front tire changer. Runaway tires are a pretty common occurrence and the carrier also needs to make sure that such situations are under control to avoid penalties for the team.
Every team has two tire changers. They use air wrenches to remove the lug nuts on their tires. Upon removing the tire, the jackman or the carrier places the new tire on the car and the changer bolts it into place. Lasting less than 13 seconds, the pit stop is no less of an art than driving the car itself.
So many things can go wrong it is the duty of the crew to make sure that it doesn’t.
