Pit strategy is one of the more important things that a NASCAR team relies on to find that extra second or two to get their driver to victory lane. But aside from deciding when to pit, the location of the stall on the pit road is also a deciding factor in how teams execute their strategy. So how does the pit stall selection work in NASCAR? Do the teams get to pick their own stall or is there something else?
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In a video by The Gumout Channel, former crew chief Larry Mac answered this very question. He mentioned, “The pits are chosen by qualifying. The pole sitter gets the first selection. Second place second and so on through the field.” Mac elaborated that having the chance to get a pit stall with an opening in the front without being blocked made a major difference in how the race pans out for a driver, especially in short tracks.
Another video from Hendrick Motorsports explained, “Ideally you want to be pitting ahead of the cars that are slotted in front or behind you to give you the cleanest entry into your box as you can. If the cars around you make it to their box first it’ll be much more difficult to get out of your pit stall once service is complete.”
What are the best spots for pit stall selection during a NASCAR race?
Ideally, crew chiefs would like to see their driver get the first pit stall. This is because after a car is done with its service, it will have a clear exit without any cars boxing it from the front. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it the only good stall. There are times when an inspection failure results in a car being relegated to the back of the field. In that case, they are assigned the last pit stall.
But considering that, the last pit stall will be the first one for the driver when they enter. Hence, there will not be any obstructions from other cars, although, if the car in front pits at the same time, there could be a problem. But then again, the same could be said about the first pit stall, where the entry into the box could be blocked by the car behind.
The worst spot along the pit road would be the ones in the absolute center, where cars would have to dodge others and try to fit into their respective boxes. During a chaotic pit stop when several cars come in, things can get a little clumsy. Ultimately, the cars in the middle order would lose out some time on pit road compared to the ones starting at the front or the very end.
