A Great Day in the Pits

Story by Sam Rubinroit

Like the majority of people on the West Coast, I have never had much interest in NASCAR. I know the big names– Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson, but there was just not the connection I feel to the Lakers or the Dodgers, my local teams. Because I never understood the allure of the sport, it never tempted to me to go sit in the baking heat in the middle of the desert to watch a bunch of cars take laps for three hours. However, this all changed dramatically when I got an invitation to view a race from the viewpoint of a driver, from the sponsor meet-and-greets to the pre-race preparations.

On October 11, for the first time ever, the Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, came to California when the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana hosted the Pepsi 500. Typically held over Labor Day weekend, the race is known for the brutal heat and exorbitant temperatures, but, luckily, due to the later date of the race, the temperatures were in the mid-60s under overcast skies.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the track was the sheer size of everything, from the track to the grandstands to the RVs parked on the infield of the racetrack. My day began with a lap in the pace car, a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by former NASCAR driver and current NASCAR Director of Cost and Research, Brett Bodine. As the official pace car driver for Sprint Cup events, Bodine handles the 110 MPH car as easily as if we were taking a leisurely drive down the street. As he pulls the car to within inches of the wall, one hand on the wheel, he explains to me the basic strategy of a driver while periodically glancing over at me for emphasis. Even at only half the speed a driver would typically race, the lap just flies by and, before I know it, I am back at the finish line, thanking Bodine as I attempt to regain my wobbly legs.

I have been made an honorary pit crewmember for David Ragan, driver of the #6 UPS car. In his third year in the Sprint Cup Series, Ragan is an emerging driver for Roush Racing. In 2007, he was runner-up for the Spring Cup rookie of the year, and earned the Rookie of the Year title for the Nationwide Series. The Pepsi 500 on Sunday is the culmination of a busy weekend for Ragan, who finished 9th in the Copart 300 Nationwide Series race the day before.
“I’ve heard that a NASCAR driver is just someone who drives around in circles for 500 miles and that it’s not a sport,” Ragan says. “But then you could say in basketball you just throw a ball around for an hour and try to get it in a hoop. When you look at everything more in-depth, it’s a lot more technical. When it’s 110 degrees outside, you need to get in your racecar and it’s 140 degrees and you have to go drive 500 miles. It takes a pretty strong, athletic person to do that.”

Even before getting into his car, Ragan has business to take care of at the track. Sponsorship is a major part of a team’s financial viability, and the drivers therefore have obligations to meet-and-greet representatives from their different sponsors prior to races. With the race less than two hours away, Ragan is shuttled to various meetings around the track, one with local UPS employees being honored for their service, and another with major UPS clients to thank them for their business. Ragan also attends the mandatory drivers’ meeting, which every driver must attend under penalty of fine, taking in the specifics of the race, from number of laps to correct entry into the pits. The meeting begins with the introduction of the honorary members of the race, including Christian Slater, the driver of the pace car, Kelsey Grammer, the Grand Marshal, and Jesse McCartney, who is to sing the national anthem, and ends with a prayer for the safety of the drivers and fans.

After the meeting, the drivers and crew complete the final preparations of their cars, after which the cars undergo the NASCAR “sticks and scales” inspection to ensure that all cars meet the required height, weight, and other necessary measurements. The drivers then enter the track for introductions, and after they get introduced to the roaring crowd, they take a lap around the track in the awaiting cars from a Corvette owners club.
With the race less than 10 minutes away, Ragan takes some time to prepare himself for the race, sitting with his girlfriend and stretching out. At six feet tall, Ragan has to fold himself into his car, where he is held snuggly by his customized driver seat meant to reduce movement in case of an accident.
For the start of the race I am positioned in Ragan’s pit, sitting next to his spotter, girlfriend, and engineer. I am equipped with headphones that allow me to listen in to Ragan’s ongoing dialogue with his spotter, and I watch as Ragan’s pit crew prepare themselves for the first pit stop.
One aspect of a race that is not apparent on television is the sheer volume of sound. The cars are built to maximize speed and efficiency, not to muffle sound. Nearly everyone in the pit area wears either headphones or earplugs, and removing them is like exposing yourself to the sound of an airplane taking off inches from your head.

It is clear that Ragan’s crew has practiced every aspect of a pit stop to the point where they become almost reflexive. Most pit crewmembers are former college athletes, and, during the week, they train together with specific weight programs and other exercises aimed at shaving precious milliseconds from their pit stop time.

“The crew has been here Sunday morning 5 or 6 hours before the race, checking the car for any loose nuts or bolts and getting everything warmed up and up to temperature.,” says Ragan. “It’s a 7-day-a-week job for many of these guys, and the crews are a major part of the team. They are in charge of making sure your car is running right and nothing is breaking or falling off. I couldn’t do my job without them, so it’s [important] to have a good relationship.”
As Ragan’s car approaches the pits, the crewmembers perform a carefully choreographed routine, jumping out in front of the car at the precise instant and removing the lug nuts in a way that maximizes both speed and accuracy. Many crews watch tape of their most recent stops to see what worked well and what they need to improve upon.

The life of a NASCAR driver is intense preparation in the days leading up the race and sponsor meet-and-greets and pre-race rituals all culminating with a 3-hour, 500 mile race. But the rewards are enormous; Jimmie Johnson won the race, earning $302,801 and a 12-point lead in the standings over Mark Martin. Ragan came in at seventh, a more than respectable finish for the young driver, earning $117,500 in winnings.

Being able to see what NASCAR is really about– the immense pressure a driver and crew is under and the physical prowess that is required– my entire view of the sport has changed. Now, when I see a race on T.V., rather than flipping past it on the way to watching the Dodger’s playoff game, I will linger on the channel long enough to see a few laps and learn who is in the lead and how the standings have changed. Most Californians do not understand NASCAR but if they did, they would understand why families-in-the-know regularly drive hundreds of miles to experience a race