Pit stops are often just associated with tire changes but in NASCAR, there is another thing that goes on with the car that is just as important- fueling. The right amount of Sunoco Green E15 often plays a big role in determining the outcome of the race. However, a fueler’s job is not as simple as connecting a pipe to the car, involving more than just a standard process.
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A fueler usually has a total of nine seconds to pump as much fuel into the car as possible, jumping over the wall with 12 gallons of it every pit stop. The contact between the pipe and the car has to be inch-perfect and that’s not the easiest thing to do. A fueler also has to be wary of the tire changers running from one side of the car to the other. Another important responsibility and this is a big one, is that fuelers signal the end of the pit stop.
A lot of times, mistakes by fuelers have cost drivers race wins so it is fair to suggest that they’re just as crucial as the true changers. Their precision is imperative to the safety of the drivers and other crew members as well. Even if a little bit of fuel falls somewhere it’s not supposed to, things can get ugly if they burst into flames.
Joe Gibbs Racing recently released a video stating approximately how much fuel is required to complete a full Cup Series season, excluding the practice and qualifying sessions. It comes to somewhere around 10,400 gallons of fuel that’s just for the races. As per reports, NASCAR teams have to obtain race fuel at a high price of around $16 or $17 per gallon. Multiply that with over 10,000 gallons per season just for races and one gets a fair idea of just how ridiculous the expense is.
However, the crazy part it’s not always the teams that bear the fuel expenses. “Fortunately, we get our fuel for free. So we actually spend zero dollars a year on race fuel,” the Joe Gibbs Racing video concluded. The financial side of things in this competition really can drop jaws but that’s just motorsports in general, unbelievably expensive.
