Truex's Pit Crew Wins Again; Captures Tissot Award in Atlanta: The over-the-wall crew for Martin Truex Jr. claimed another victory, earning the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The #56 crew's performance places the team in first place in the Tissot standings with back-to-back wins (Las Vegas, Atlanta) after four races in the 2010 season. Truex's NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, out of the Michael Waltrip Racing stable, spent the least amount of time on pit road - 349.623 seconds - during the overtime race, which was extended from 325 laps to 341. Race winner Kurt Busch's #2 Dodge was second (352.887) and Paul Menard's #98 Ford was third (353.488).(Tissot/DMF Communications)(3-9-2010)
Jeff Gordon’s Crew Wins Tissot Pit Road Competition in California: #24-Jeff Gordon’s pit crew claimed top honors in Sunday’s (Feb. 21) NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Fontana, Calif., winning the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award. Gordon’s crew, a five-time winner in the Tissot competition last year, had another outstanding performance as the team’s DuPont Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road during the 250-lap, 500-mile race at Auto Club Speedway. Gordon’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front-tire carrier), Joe Slingerland (rear-tire changer), Matt Ver Meer (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), Jamie Frady (catch can), Colin Fambrough (back-up tire changer) and Andy Kruep (eighth man). The team’s pit crew coach is Greg Morin. The winning pit crew in each Sprint Cup race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.(Tissot/DMF Communications)(2-25-2010)
Montoya’s Crew Captures Tissot Pit Road Win in Daytona 500: Juan Pablo Montoya’s #42 over-the-wall crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's (Feb. 14) Daytona 500. Montoya’s Target Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road at Daytona International Speedway. The outstanding effort contributed to Montoya's top-10 finish in the Sprint Cup season opener.
Montoya’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Trevor Lysne (front-tire changer), Eric Bilyeu (front-tire carrier), Chris McMullen (rear-tire changer), Chip Goode (rear-tire carrier), TJ Ford (jackman), Mike Bodick (gasman) and Heath Silver (catch can). The team’s crew chief is Brian Pattie.
The winning pit crew in each Sprint Cup race in 2010 will earn $5,000 and a Tissot VA Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.(Tissot)(2-19-2010)
Tissot to continue pit crew award: Tissot, the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR, will continue to recognize Sprint Cup pit crews in 2010 with the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award. The Tissot Pit Road Precision Award will be presented in each of the 36 Cup races to the team whose car spends the least amount of time on pit road and finishes on the lead lap. The winning pit crew in each race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver. The Tissot Pit Road Precision Award is coming off a competitive 2009 season which saw 18 different teams claim the weekly competition. The championship went to Greg Biffle’s #16 3M pit crew, which won a season-high of six times.(Tissot PR)(2-12-2010)
Sprint Cup MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year named: MAHLE Clevite Inc. announced Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Motorsports as the 2009 MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Parsnow, engine builder for Hendrick Motorsports, received this award for accumulating the most MAHLE Clevite points (307), based on qualifying, laps lead and finishing position. Fellow Hendrick Motorsports engine builders, Danny Emerick and Earl Wheeler, finished in second place with 288 points and third place with 254 points respectively. This is Hedrick Motorsports' fourth consecutive Engine Builder of the Year title, and Parsnow's second in four years. Parsnow was presented with the coveted award at the annual Myers Brothers' Award Presentation held a day in advance of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Banquet at the Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, December 4th. Over the years, Hendrick Motorsports has racked-up a total of 14 MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year titles. For more information about MAHLE Clevite and its brands, visit www.mahleclevite.com, or contact your local representative.(PR)(12-8-2009)
Championship "Tire Specialist" award announced: Champion Tire & Wheel announced the 2009 Sprint Cup "Consistently Smooth" award goes to Hendrick Motorsports's Lisa Smokstad and Zach Miller. The award recognizes the skill and effort of the team's tire specialist in overseeing the organization and management of their tire and wheel program. Both Lisa and Zach teamed up to handle the championship effort. The tire specialist is a critical piece in the formula for a championship team as it takes over 2,500 tires and wheels to run the full Sprint Cup season. The lead crystal trophy will be presented to Lisa & Zach at the team's shop in Charlotte with #48 team manager Michael Landis, and crew chief Chad Knaus. In addition to the Sprint Cup series recipients, Champion Tire and Wheel will also present Joe Gibb's Racing's, Jason Clements, the Championship tire specialists award for the Nationwide Series, and Scott Haller of Kevin Harvick Racing, the award for the Camping World Truck Series.(Champion Tire & Wheel PR)(12-3-2009)
#42 Pit Crew to be honored: Tuesday night on Eddie D'Hondt's radio show "The NASCAR Insider" heard each Tuesday [5:00 - 6:00 pm/et] on the Power Up Motorsports Channel, Ted Abdon of Mechanixwear announced, at the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards ceremony to be held Thursday in Las Vegas at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino from 1:00 - 2:45 PM/PT, he will present the # 42 Ganassi/Earnhardt - Juan Montoya, NASCAR Sprint Cup team with the "2009 Mechanixwear Pit Crew of the Year" award. This award is elected by the crew chiefs of the entire Sprint Cup Series and the folks from Mechanixwear not only present the prestigious silver Mechanixwear glove award to the team, but they also present them with a check for $100,000 and they fly the entire Juan Montoya pit crew to Las Vegas to receive their award. Abdon went on to say that Mechanixwear will also be renewing their program with NASCAR for the next five years.(12-3-2009)
Nationwide & Truck Series MAHLE Engine Builder Awards: MAHLE Clevite recently announced the MAHLE Engine Builder of the Year for the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The award is presented to the engine builder in each series who has accumulated the most points, based on qualifying, laps lead and finishing position.
Mark Cronquist of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and builder of the #18 Toyota driven by Kyle Busch; received the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year for the Nationwide Series after accumulating 5,862 points. This marks Cronquist's fourth title in his career with JGR. "It is a great accomplishment, to receive this coveted award for the fourth time," said Cronquist. "I'm proud of the entire Joe Gibbs Racing team and want to say thanks to MAHLE Clevite for their recognition and for providing us with the parts that continue to out-perform each year."
The MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year for the NASCAR Truck Series went to Pro Motor Engines (PME) owner Mark Smith for the second consecutive year. Smith was recognized for his work on the Kevin Harvick Inc. #33 Chevy driven by Ron Hornaday, Jr. that accumulated a total of 3,817 points. "Our efforts to finish on top for a second consecutive season really paid off," said Smith. "I'm honored to receive this award for the second year in a row, and many thanks to MAHLE Clevite for always providing quality products, and for recognizing those of us who are behind the scenes." For more information about MAHLE Clevite and its brands, visit www.mahleclevite.com, or contact your local representative.(PR)(12-1-2009)
Biffle's Crew Captures Tissot Pit Road Season Championship: Greg Biffle's #16 over-the-wall crew captured the 2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award season championship, a per race competition designed to recognize and reward the extraordinary talents of pit crews in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Biffle's crew came out on top by winning the Tissot competition six times during the 36-race Cup schedule. Jeff Gordon's #24 crew was second with five wins while Jimmie Johnson's #48 crew came in third with four wins.
For winning the season-long Tissot Pit Road Precision Award title the #16 team will receive a $100,000 bonus from Tissot plus Tissot watches for the pit crew members and driver. The #16 Roush Fenway Racing crew will also receive an all-expense paid trip from Tissot to Las Vegas to accept the prize money and watches at the Champion's Week NASCAR/NMPA Myers Brothers Award Ceremony, Thursday, Dec. 3, 1:00pm/et in the Venetian Showroom at The Venetian. The #16 over-the-wall 3M crew, which helped Biffle finish seventh in the final driver points, consists of: Todd Zeigler (front-tire changer), Collin Pasi (front-tire carrier), Kyle Power (rear-tire changer), Kevin McDowell (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Billy Manchester (gasman), Ryan Dextraze (catch can) and Chris Elliott (windshield). The team's crew chief is Greg Erwin and the pit crew coach is Andy Ward. "Those guys are near perfect every week and the entire team knows what a role they have played in our 2009 season," said Erwin. "Their confidence is amazing and they really believe in each other. I couldn't be happier for everyone involved with that program. The 3M Pit Bulls truly deserve to win the 2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award." The total payout, including the $100,000 season championship bonus, was $280,000. Tissot has been the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR since 2006. The company is also the official timekeeper for a number of other sports, including the MotoGP World Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship and the Cycling World Championship.(Tissot)(11-27-2009)
Hamlin's crew wins Tissot award in Homestead: In Sunday's (Nov. 22) season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Denny Hamlin's #11 crew won the Tissot competition. The effort by the #11 FedEx crew played a key role in Hamlin's fourth race victory of the season. Hamlin's #11 Joe Gibbs Racing crew consists of: Jonathan Sherman (front-tire changer), Brandon Pegram (front-tire carrier), Mike Hicks (rear-tire changer), Heath Cherry (rear-tire carrier), Nate Bolling (jackman), Scott Wood (gasman), John Eicher (catch can) and Bobby “Spike” Christenson (windshield). The team’s crew chief is Mike Ford and the pit crew coach is Paul Alepa. The athletic director for Joe Gibbs Racing is Michael Lepp. The Tissot Pit Road Precision Award went to the team which spent the least amount of time on pit road and finished on the lead lap in each of the 36 Sprint Cup point races. The winning team earned $5,000 and a Tissot watch for each race.(Tissot)(11-27-2009)
#24 - Fastest Crew Award: To recognize the fan-chosen “fastest pit crew,” AT&T donated $20,000 to Victory Junction.
“We are pleased to donate this money as part of our ‘Fastest Pit Crew’ program to Victory Junction,” said Daryl Evans, vice president of marketing for AT&T. “It was exciting to see who the fans thought was the fastest and most valuable pit crew, but it’s even more exciting to know we will be helping some great kids attend this special camp.” AT&T’s Fastest Pit Crew ran season-long and asked fans to vote each race via text message to determine the fastest pit crew. Points accumulated throughout the season, and #24-Jeff Gordon's DuPont pit crew was the ultimate winner. “Congratulations to the DuPont pit crew,” said Kyle Petty,co founder of Victory Junction. “They came out and hung out with the kids this summer, and that was really cool. This year has been hard on all of us financially so we’re especially grateful to AT&T and its ‘Fastest Pit Crew’ program for benefiting the kids at Victory Junction. With this donation, eight kids will get an experience of a lifetime!”(victoryjunction.org)(11-25-2009)
Knaus Wins Second-Consecutive Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year Award: For the second consecutive season, Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowe's Chevy, was named the coveted 2009 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. The announcement was made Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway prior to the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale.
After capturing his fifth Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in 2009 during last weekend's race at Phoenix, Knaus moved out of a tie with Darian Grubb, crew chief for the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy and driver Tony Stewart. Grubb finished the season with four Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race awards. Presenting the 2009 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year trophy to Knaus was Wypall Wipers Category Manager Tom Merrill and Jeff Hammond, who also serves as a spokesperson for Wypall Wipers. In addition to the limited edition trophy, Knaus received a check for $20,000.00. The 2009 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge has been a season-long contest that has strived each week to determine the best crew chiefs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage.(Wypall PR)(11-22-2009)
NASCAR And Craftsman Name Winners Of NASCAR Craftsman Wrenchman Awards: Craftsman and NASCAR have announced the winners of the first annual NASCAR Craftsman Wrenchman Award. The Wrenchman Award recognizes behind-the-scenes NASCAR crew members from each of the three national NASCAR Series who “turn the wrenches” in the shop and along pit row, but rarely get the recognition they deserve. Winners were announced at The Wrenchman Award Ceremony in Miami from November 20-22.
The winner from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was chosen by online fan voting. Winners from the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were selected by a committee.
The NASCAR Craftsman Wrenchman Award SM winners include:
•Andrew Mason, Shop Foreman, Richard Childress Racing # 29, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
•Ramie Jones, Team Engineer, Braun Racing #32, NASCAR Nationwide Series
•Bob Rahilly, Truck Chief, Jim Rosenblum Racing #28, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
All NASCAR Craftsman Wrenchman Award winners will receive a cash prize of $14,000 and $10,000 in Craftsman gift cards. At The Wrenchman Award Ceremony in Miami, the winners were also rewarded with a trophy from NASCAR and Craftsman representatives. The two-foot trophies were specially designed in the shape of a wrench for each winner.(NASCAR)(11-21-2009)
Engine Builder Showdown winners: On Oct. 21, Matt Pennell and Scott Vester built their Chevrolet R07 engine in record time (22 minutes and 57 seconds) to win the Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown at Hendrick Motorsports. Pennell, a Hendrick Automotive Group (HAG) technician, partnered with Vester, a Hendrick Motorsports engineer, to win the event. Twelve teams, each of which partnered a HAG technician with a Hendrick Motorsports engineer, participated in the two-day competition, which is held in honor of the late engine builder Randy Dorton and sponsored by MAHLE-Clevite.(HMS), see more on my 2009 Pit Crew News page.(10-30-2009)
Penske Racing Hauler driver wins: Congratulations goes out to Bill “Stump” Lewis for claiming the first-place prize in the 2009 Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge. The final segment of the annual contest for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team transport drivers was held over the weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and “Stump” was presented his trophy and $35,000 first-place check on the stage prior to Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500. “This one’s especially sweet,” said the popular veteran driver, who shares the over-the-road duties with wife, Cindy. “It’s my third big trophy and I was up against a bunch of young bucks this time around.” “I guess you could call Stump the Brett Favre of what we do out here,” Cindy offered. “I’m so proud of him. He just keeps on getting better…in everything he does…” The last time Stump was a winner in the contest, he bought Cindy a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. “This time around, we’re going to spend the money on getting things done around the house, like putting in an irrigation system for the yard.” “But first, we’ll have a big party to celebrate and have all the team over,” said Cindy.(Tom Roberts PR)(10-21-2009)
#42 Target Crew best in the pits 3rd Qtr: Juan Pablo Montoya's #42 Target Chevy pit crew has proven that they have the speed, power and performance to help their driver earn a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and to run at the front of the field. The team is now in third place in the Chase standings with six races to go, and has earned two poles, six top-fives and 16 top-10 finishes so far this year. That's why the #42 Target team won the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award for the third quarter - the only authentic competition voted on by crew chiefs. It is the first time the #42 team has won the award. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team's crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000 is awarded at the 2009 NASCAR banquet and awards ceremony.(Victory Management Group)(10-20-2009)
Biffle's pit crew gets a name: Greg Biffle has a new weapon in his war in the Chase for the Championship - the Pit Bulls.
3M Car Care announced the winner of the "Name of Fame" contest to find an 3M Pit Bulls appropriate name for Biffle's hard-working crew. Named by Dennis Romano of Dingman's Ferry, PA, a long-time Greg Biffle fan who cheers him on every weekend. Romano's entry in the 3M Car Care Name of Fame contest was selected from 10 finalists and voted on by 3M Car Care and the #16 3M team. More than 1,000 entries were received in the contest. The Pit Bulls and winning entry are featured in a special video on www.3MCarCare.com/NameofFame and shows their new look on pit road at the Richmond race. Romano's grand prize for his winning entry is a VIP trip for two to meet the #16 pit crew at one of the final races of the season. The grand prize package includes airfare, hotel, rental car, race tickets, garage credentials and spending money.(VMG/3M)(9-13-2009)
Lawsuit reveals insight on crew pay: A lawsuit against Roush Fenway Racing gives a look into the world of crew members and what they earn and what their contracts can be like. Jason Myers, former car chief for Carl Edwards, has filed suit against Roush Fenway Racing for wrongful discharge (i.e. firing) and in violation of the Family Medical Leave Act. Myers, who joined Roush in 2002 and was Edwards' car chief (title just below crew chief) from 2006-2008. Court documents stated that Myers suffered from depression and attempted suicide three times. The court document states that on Feb. 17, 2009, the team fired him "for allegedly not noifying anyone that he would miss work on Friday, Feb. 13.'' The case has moved to federal court. Monday, Roush Fenway Racing filed a motion to dismiss Myers' wrongful discharge claim. Roush Fenway Racing claims in court documents that Myers was "not employed with Roush as an employee at-will as required to state a claim of wrongful discharge under North Carolina law. In this case, Myers was emplyed with Roush pursuant to an employment agreement dated January 11, 2008.'' Roush submitted Myers' contract as part of its court documents on Monday. Just like driver contracts, crew contracts are kept confidential. Teams don't want other teams to know what they're paying or how they're compensating their employees. Get a look at the contract information with salary/bonus at the Virginian Pilot.(8-11-2009)
- Wrenchman Award created to honor crew members: Craftsman, the Official Tools of NASCAR, and NASCAR have announced the newest NASCAR season-ending award -- the NASCAR Craftsman Wrenchman Award, to recognize a team member from each of the three national NASCAR touring series who best showcases core Craftsman attributes of trust, quality, knowledge and innovation when performing their job with the race team. The Wrenchman Award is open to all crew members, whether they work at the track or race shop. Teams will nominate one team member with a selection committee choosing the finalists. A fan voting will decide the winner on the Sprint Cup Series side, while the selection committee will choose the winners from the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series. The accomplishments and profiles of each of the 12 Cup Series finalists, showcasing how they embody the core Craftsman attributes, will be featured on www.craftsman.com, giving fans a unique opportunity to get a glimpse behind-the-scenes at what it takes to field a NASCAR team and vote for their favorites. In addition, one lucky fan will win a trip to Champions Week in Las Vegas to make the presentation to the winning crew member. Overall, the program is expected to award approximately $170,000 in cash and Craftsman tools to the winners. Crew member nominations by participating Cup, Nationwide and Truck series teams will take place this summer. A selection committee will narrow the Cup Series finalists in August. Fan voting will commence in the fall, leading up to the announcement of the Wrenchman Award winners on Nov. 22 at Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(NASCAR)(5-22-2009)
- Pro Motors wins 2009 MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown UPDATE: Darrell Hoffman and Dennis Borem of Pro Motors beat out Mike Kash and Jim Snyder of Roush-Yates for a 3rd straight victory in the 10th MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown Wednesday afternoon. Roush-Yates looked like they were going to win it but they no sooner fired their engine and they had something come lose and gas spilled everywhere. They stopped the competition to clean up the gas and after they restarted it Pro Motors fired their engine up within about 4 seconds. Roush-Yates started their engine but it kept stopping (3 times total). Pro's never stopped. Pro Motor's time was 19.27 and Roush-Yates was 19.44 (they stopped the clock then but again their engine never ran a full minute). Pro Motor's time was the best of the competition. They also announced during the competition that this years winners won't be able to compete in next years competition. The organization itself that can compete but whichever team won those two builders will not be allowed.(5-15-2009)
UPDATE: Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman from Pro Motor Engines made history Wednesday, capturing their record third straight MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown in the closest finish in the 10-year history of the competition. In a fierce neck-and-neck battle, the Pro Motor Engines team built a complete Chevrolet R07 race engine and successfully ran it for one minute in an incredible 19 minutes, 27 seconds, edging the Roush Yates Engines team of Mike Kasch and Jim Snyder by a mere 17 seconds (19 minutes, 44 seconds).
In what was a rematch of the 2008 final, the Roush Yates team seemed to be on their way to victory, completing the build and firing their engine first. However, while it was running during the mandatory one minute, a fuel line disconnected and the engine became silent. Meanwhile, Pro Motor Engines started their engine just as Roush Yates Engines were having their issue. Roush Yates reconnected
the fuel line and re-fired their engine, but it was too late. A total of eight teams competed. Joining Pro Motor Engines and Roush Yates Engines were: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing Engines, Richard Petty Motorsports, and Triad Racing Technologies. As 2009 MAHLE Engine Builder Showdown champions, Borem and Hoffman took home a cash prize for their efforts and will have their name again engraved on the prestigious Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy.(MAHLE Clevite/Pro Sports Management)(5-16-2009)
- Dodson injured in car wreck: Former NASCAR Cup crew chief Barry Dodson suffered multiple injuries in an automobile accident on April 10 in Pawley’s Island, S.C. Dodson was taking a test drive at a dealership when he says the car’s accelerator hung. He crashed into two cars on the lot, totaling both, before he struck a steel pole. Dodson suffered neck, shoulder and closed-head injuries and remains under a physician’s care. “The only escape route I had was a busy four-lane highway,” Dodson said. “So I chose to crash into the cars on the lot rather than taking a chance on injuring someone else.” He declined to identify the dealership.(SceneDaily)(4-23-2009)
- Sprint Pit Crew Challenge takes place May 14th: The NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsmen will take place on May 14 at the Time Warner Cable Arena at 7:00pm and will be aired at 9:00pm that evening on SPEED. The event is celebrating its fifth year and was just recognized as the Best Public Event under 20,000 by the International Special Events Society. The competition is the only indoor event sanctioned by NASCAR and leads into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Saturday, May 16 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The finishing order of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman will determine the order of pit selection for the race that each competing team is eligible for (The Sprint Showdown or The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race).
The current eligible teams are as follows: #96 Ask.com; #99 Aflac; #07 Jack Daniels; #33 General Mills; #88 Amp/National Guard; #12 Penske Racing; #11 FedEx; #16 3M; #31 Caterpillar; #24 DuPont; #48 Lowe’s; #20 Home Depot; #9 Budweiser; #29 Shell; #2 Miller Lite; #18 Mars; #5 Kellogg’s/Carquest; #17 DeWalt; #39 Army; #14 Office Depot/Old Spice/Burger King.
Tickets for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman, featuring over the wall, head to head competition between the top 24 pit crews in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are on sale now. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 495-2295.(Jay Howard Events PR)(3-14-2009)
- New pit school / coaching: Wayne Holden, a Pit Coach at Hendrick Motorsports for the past six years has started to introduce Sub 13 Training Inc. Wayne is available to come to your race shop to coach your pit crews, consult on individual team member performance, provide video evaluation, as well as at-track performance consultation.
In the six years Wayne worked at Hendrick Motorsports, his responsibilities included coaching the #5 Nationwide team (03', 06'-07'), the Developmental program (04'-05'), and the HAAS Racing pit crews (03', 05'-08'). He believes that strong fundamental skills will equate to smooth, consistent, and safe pit stops - while increasing the speed of the entire team. During Wayne's nine years in racing and his tenure as a pit stop coach at Hendrick Motorsports, a will to win, discipline, and loyalty were just a few of the practices instilled in him as a formula for success. He looks forward to taking his career to the next level and sharing his knowledge and expertise acquired at Hendrick Motorsports with a team or teams looking for a competitive edge. Please feel free to contact Wayne Holden, any time, via phone or e-mail: (704)-500-1817, waynerjr@msn.com.(PR)(12-17-2008)
- #48 Team wins most valuable pit crew honors: A key component of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team’s championship formula is the performance of the over-the-wall crew. In the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson’s performance on the track was matched with near perfection on pit road by the pit crew. The result was a third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship for Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports team which equaled the 30-year record established by Cale Yarborough (1976-1978). For their effort on pit road, the #48 crew has earned the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award for the third time and second consecutive year.
The #48 Hendrick Motorsports team, led by crew chief Chad Knaus, swept fourth-quarter honors last year en route to its second year-end award and $100,000 bonus. The team also won in 2004. In the 10 races that made up the Chase, the 48 team had only two finishes (15th at Texas and Homestead-Miami) outside the top 10. Johnson had three wins and a pair of seconds and finished the season with seven trips to victory lane, 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
The #48 Lowe's Chevy team: Greg Morin - Pit Crew Coach; Kenneth Purcell - Jackman; Mike Lingerfelt - Front-Tire Changer; Art Simmons - Front-Tire Carrier; Jeremy West - Rear-Tire Changer; Ron Malec - Rear-Tire Carrier; Rick Gutierrez - Gas man; Mike Knauer - Catch Can; Chad Knaus - Crew Chief. The first-quarter winner was the #18 M&M’s over-the-wall crew from Joe Gibbs Racing while the #9 Budweiser Dodge team from Gillett Evernham Motorsports prevailed in the second quarter. Third-quarter honors went to the #99 crew from Roush Fenway Racing. The #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team emerged the fourth-quarter winner.(Mechanix Wear/C4 Explosive Communications PR)(12-4-2008)
- #48 Team wins 4th Quarter pit crew award: The #48 Lowe's Chevy team from Hendrick Motorsports put together a string of seven consecutive top-10 finishes including two wins to earn four-quarter honors in the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award competition. The eight-race fourth quarter began with New Hampshire and ended at Texas. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award has been given quarterly throughout the 2008 Sprint Cup season. The winning pit crew was determined by a vote of each team's crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000. The presentation will be made at the 2008 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City in December. The voting for the overall winner from among the four quarterly winners will take place this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Lowe's team collected four more points in the eight races this season compared to 2007. This year, he has scored 116 more points than Carl Edwards who is currently second in the Chase standings.
The #48 Hendrick Motorsports team, led by crew chief Chad Knaus, swept fourth-quarter honors last year en route to its second year-end award and $100,000 bonus. The team also won the title in 2004. In 2008, the #18 M&M's over-the-wall crew from Joe Gibbs Racing emerged the first-quarter winner while the #9 Budweiser Dodge team from Gillett Evernham Motorsports prevailed in the second quarter. Third-quarter honors went to Edward's #99 crew from Roush Fenway Racing.(Mechanix Wear PR)(11-17-2008)
- Some spotter changes in 2009: Hearing that Earl Barban [currently at the #38 team] will be back as the spotter for #48 Jimmie Johnson and current spotter, Stevie Reeves will join Yates Racing and Paul Menard [will be the #98 team]. Bob Jeffrey, the spotter for #17 Matt Kenseth will join Stewart-Hass Racing to work with #14-Tony Stewart. Mike Calinoff, who started 2008 with #40-Dario Franchitti at Chip Ganassi Racing before the team shut down and has been spotting for #20-Stewart during The Chase, will return to Roush-Fenway Racing and work with #17-Matt Kenseth. Barban spent two years with Johnson previously and Calinoff was with Kenseth for six seasons, including the Championship season in 2003.(11-15-2008)
- Knaus Named Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year: Crew chief Chad Knaus, who made countless, crucial, bold and successful calls throughout the season for his #48 Lowe's Chevrolet and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points leader Jimmie Johnson, was named the 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year during a press conference today at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With his team's dominance in last weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Phoenix, Knaus secured his fifth "Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the race" honor during the season. It bolted him ahead of Steve Addington (#18 M&M's Toyota & driver Kyle Busch) and Bob Osborne (#99 Office Depot Ford & driver Carl Edwards). Each had four wins entering the final race of the competition at Phoenix International Raceway. Knaus and his team have a 141-point lead over Edwards and needs to finish 36th or better in Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to capture their third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
The 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge was a season-long contest, sponsored by Kimberly-Clark Professional, which determined the best crew chiefs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. Following each Cup race, a panel voted to determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race. It wasn't necessarily the crew chief that went to victory lane, but the crew chief that made the biggest difference to his team.
Representatives from Wypall Wipers, together with FOX/Speed television analyst Jeff Hammond and three of NASCAR's top crew chiefs who represent the Wypall brand, made up the panel of judges. The Crew Chiefs included Osborne, Todd Berrier of the Richard Childress Racing #29 Shell Pennzoil Chevy team and Kenny Francis of the Gillett Evernham Motorsports #9 Budweiser Dodge team.
The weekly winning crew chief received a check for $1,000 as well as signage on the team's pit box the following week to announce the win.
While Knaus gets to celebrate his coveted title, Myra Cochran of Concord, NC, is experiencing an all expenses paid vacation this weekend where she will be an honorary "crew chief for a day" and will shadow one of the Wypall Wipers crew chiefs during pre-race ceremonies Sunday. Cochran, an avid NASCAR fan, participated in Wypall Wipers first annual online Ultimate Crew Chief Fantasy Game where she competed against hundreds of other fans, voting every week for the crew chief they believed would win the upcoming race. For more information, log onto www.Wypall.com.(11-15-2008)
- Knaus named Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Phoenix: Chad Knaus, Crew Chief for the winning #48 Lowe's Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson, was named the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Lightening quick pit stops helped ensure Johnson stay near or at the top of the running order all day in the Valley of the Sun. The team started from the pole, led the most laps and cruised to the victory, extending their championship point lead to 141 over Carl Edwards. Johnson needs to finish 36th or better in this weekend's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to capture the team's third consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship. Also at the Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, Wypall will announce the 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year during a press conference in the track's media center at 5:45pm on Friday. The winner will be presented a check for $20,000.
The 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge was a season-long contest that determined the best crew chiefs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, a panel voted to determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race. It wasn't necessarily the crew chief that went to victory lane, but the crew chief that made the biggest difference to his team.
Representatives from Wypall Wipers, together with FOX/Speed television analyst Jeff Hammond, and three of NASCAR's top crew chiefs who represent Wypall, including Todd Berrier of the Richard Childress Racing #29 Shell Pennzoil Chevy team, Osborne of the Roush Fenway Racing #99 Office Depot Ford team, and Kenny Francis of the Gillett Evernham Motorsports #9 Budweiser Dodge team, made up the panel of judges. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief received signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. For more information about the Wypall Wipers program, log onto www.Wypall.com.(11-12-2008)
- #99 Hauler Driver wins the 2008 Pilot Truck Driver Challenge: Pilot Travel Centers announced the winner of the 2008 Pilot Truck Driver Challenge. Bob Decker, transport driver for the #99 Office Depot team from Roush Fenway racing, was awarded $50,000 for capturing the 2008 title. He narrowly defeated Peter Jellen, Joe Gibbs Racing and Tom McCrimmon, Joe Gibbs Racing who both tied for second place, receiving $12,500 each. The yearlong competition is open to all NASCAR Sprint cup transport drivers and promotes safe and responsible driving on the highways, offering over $75,000 in cash and prizes. Throughout the competition, participants were judged in various categories including safety quizzes, a DOT check and chicane courses designed to test driving skills. “This competition is designed to encourage and inspire the professional truck driver. Pilot recognizes their commitment to this sport, as well as to this nation’s economy,” shared Mark Hazelwood, executive vice of Pilot Travel Centers. Decker revealed top-notch driving abilities and skill level as a professional truck driver by exhibiting perfect driving scores in three out of four chicane courses. He also showcased his knowledge by scoring the highest on the total of three safety quizzes. “Bob Decker has been an efficient and reliable transport driver for Roush Fenway for several years. I am pleased to hear that he has won the Pilot Truck Driver Challenge Award, but not surprised. His pleasant demeanor has made the #99 transporter a welcoming place for employees and sponsors alike. He is a valued employee and is truly worthy of this award,” stated Jack Roush, team owner. The Pilot Truck Driver Challenge will return in 2009, giving Pilot Travel Centers the opportunity to honor the hardest working members of any race team, the professional truck driver.(Marketing 500 PR)(10-25-2008)
- #99 Team Wins 3rd Quarter Mechanix MVPC Competition: The #99 Office Depot Ford over-the-wall team from Roush Fenway Racing has earned third-quarter honors in the 2008 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award competition. The #99 crew is the third team to qualify for the 2008 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award title. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the Sprint Cup season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team's crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000. The presentation will be made at the 2008 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City in December. The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team of Kyle Busch won the first quarter and the #9 Gillett Evernham Motorsports team of Kasey Kahne won the 2nd quarter.(Roush Fenway Racing site)(10-20-2008)
- #9 team wins 2nd Qtr Most Valuable Pit Crew Award: The #9 Budweiser Dodge team from Gillett Evernham Motorsports put together one of the most remarkable streaks of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season during a five-week span in late May and early June. During the period, Kasey Kahne won the Sprint Cup All-Star event, two regular-season point races and finished second in another race to move from 14th to seventh in the driver standings. Kahne's performance on the track was matched by the flawless effort of the Bud Crew on pit road. That performance has earned the #9 over-the-wall team second-quarter accolades and a berth as the second of four finalists for the 2008 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the Sprint Cup season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team's crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000. The presentation will be made at the 2008 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City in December. The 2008 #9 Budweiser Pit Crew: Brett Cumming, Pit Crew Coach; Eric Wilson, Jackman; John Royer, Front-Tire Changer; Jason Gay, Front-Tire Carrier; Jim Carbon, Rear-Tire Changer; Kevin Duncan, Rear-Tire Carrier; Mark "Tank" Probus, Gas man; Rick Pennington, Catch Can; Kenny Francis, Team Director. For more information, call 800.222.4296 or visit www.mechanix.com.(Mechanix Wear)(8-2-2008)
- PME repeats as top engine builders: "Mahle Engine Builder Showdown" that took place Tuesday, May 20th at the NASCAR Technical Institiute. Every year, a selection a NASCAR's top engine builders are invited to participate to see who can build, fire up ans run their 357-cubic inch Ford racing engine the fastest. For the second year in a row PME Engines took home the trophy. Last year PME engine builders Dennis Borem & Darrell Hoffman beat out a team of Hendricks engine builders with a time of 16:25. This year PME beat out the Roush/Yates team of Jim Snyder & Mike Kasch and broke their own record with a time of 15:59! PME is owned by Mark Smith and currenty builds engines for 8 truck teams in the Craftsman truck series, including KHI, MRD, TRG, Xpress Motorsports, and Thorsport. About 1500 students and guests were in attendance. At this weekends race in Mansfield the #71 TRG Motorsports team surprised PME with Congradulations decals on their truck and team wearing PME t-shirts. THEN won the race at Mansfield. NASCAR Tech [NTI] also has an open house scheduled for June 21st, more info at uti.edu)(5-25-2008)
- Vickers Red Bull Racing team wins Pit Crew Challenge: The #83 Red Bull Toyota pit crew of Brian Vickers entered the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge as the 24th – and final – eligible team, but left on top after dominating the competition and the record book. The team posted the quickest time in each of the five rounds and edged the #11 FedEx Toyota crew of Denny Hamlin in a photo finish in the Finals to take the title. The #83 team changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards to the finish line in 22.902 seconds, besting the #11 crew by 0.109 seconds. Each of the five times put up by the #83 crew was under 23 seconds, with its top time of 22.572 seconds coming in the second round. The previous record was 23.35 seconds, set last year by the champion #12 Alltel Dodge team in the quarterfinals. “I can’t say enough about this team,” said pit crew coach Greg Miller. “Words can’t describe this group, the effort they put in day-in and day-out. It’s all about them.”
The team was one of three in the event that has not secured a position in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Each of the 21 teams in the all-star race competed in the Pit Crew Challenge, with the three final positions going to the top available teams based on owner’s points. If the #83 Toyota makes the all-star race by finishing in the top two in the Sprint Showdown, it will have its choice of pit stalls.
The team includes several former collegiate athletes, a trend that has become commonplace in the sport. Catch can man Mike Metcalf played football at Appalachian State University, while front tire changer Brian Haaland and jackman Shaun Peet are former minor league hockey players. The other members of the championship crew are gas man Doug Newell, front tire carrier Aaron Schields, rear tire changer Danny Kincaid and rear tire changer Jake Brzozowski. Two new records were also set in the individual skills competition.
#24 Dupont Chevrolet gas man Caleb Hurd and catch can man Jamie Frady combined to fill the car with 18 gallons of fuel in 10.031 seconds, shattering the previous record of 14.20 seconds. Eric Wilson, jackman of the #9 Budweiser Dodge finished with a time of 5.431 seconds, topping last year’s record of 5.94 seconds. Other skills competition winners were #17 DeWalt Ford rear tire changer Dave Smith and carrier Jason Binger and #18 M&M’s Toyota front tire changer Nick O’Dell and carrier Brad Donaghy. O’Dell also won last year’s individual competition while with the #9 crew.(NASCAR PR/Teamredbull.com), more info at pitcrewchallenge.com.(5-16-2008)
- #18 team wins 1st Qtr Most Valuable Pit Crew Award: The #18 M&M’s Team for Joe Gibbs Racing recorded one win and has been in the top five of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series championship point standings through the first eight races of the season. As a result of their outstanding work on the track and in the pits the team has been named the first quarter finalist for the 2008 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the Sprint Cup season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team’s crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000 awarded at the 2008 National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City. 2008 #18 M&M’s Pit Crew: Michael Lepp, Pit Crew Coach; Jeff Fender, Jackman; Nick O’Dell, Front-Tire Changer; Brad Donaghy, Front-Tire Carrier; Jack Seminara, Rear-Tire Changer; Kenny Barber, Rear-Tire Carrier; Tom Lempe, Gas man; Jason Hinson, Catch Can; Steve Addington, Crew Chief.(Mechanix Wear)(5-8-2008)
- Checkers/Rally's no longer official burger of NASCAR: Checkers/Rally's has been released from its position as the official burger of NASCAR, creating an opening in the quick-service restaurant category. NASCAR called the separation a mutual decision. Checkers/Rally's, based in Tampa, also has exited its sponsorships of the Indianapolis 500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All of the motorsports deals were scheduled to run through the 2009 season. Checkers/Rally's confirmed the end of the sponsorships, but its chief marketing officer, Terri Snyder, could not be reached for comment. NASCAR now has turned its attention to filling the QSR category. Brian Corcoran, managing director of corporate marketing in NASCAR's New York office, is spearheading the effort to find a brand with a national footprint. (Sports Business Daily/SceneDaily.com)(4-24-2008)
- Wypall Wipers Increases Stakes at Bristol: Wypall Wipers is going to make a certain pit crew extremely happy as well as treat a special young man to a once-in-a-lifetime experience this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. In addition to the $1,000 which goes to the Wypall Wipers “Crew Chief of the Race,” for Sunday’s Food City 500, a bonus of $1,000 will be awarded to the winning pit crew for their efforts. While they celebrate in Victory Lane with the extra cash, fifth grader Michael Castro will have already lived an unforgettable day. Castro, a student at Stonewall Jackson Elementary in Bristol, VA., is Wypall Wipers “Crew Chief of the Classroom.” A member of the Bristol Boys and Girls Club, the youngster will be an honorary “Crew Chief for a day,” and will shadow Todd Berrier, crew chief of the #29 Shell Pennzoil Chevy, before the race. The Wypall Wipers “Crew Chief of the Race” is a part of the Wypall Wipers “Crew Chief Challenge,” a season-long contest that will determine the best crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup Series garage. Go to Wypall.com to find out more about Wypall Wipers.(Wypall PR)(3-16-2008)
- Federal-Mogul Introduces NASCAR MOOG ‘Problem Solver of the Race’ Award: Federal-Mogul Corporation’s MOOG brand of steering and suspension components has established a weekly and annual awards program to honor the best-performing crew chief following each 2008 Sprint Cup Series event and at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
The MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” Award, presented for the first time following the season-opening Daytona 500 to Pat Tryson of Penske Racing, builds upon the brand’s decades-long leadership in all forms of NASCAR competition. Every NASCAR Cup Champion since 1966 has driven to victory using MOOG steering and suspension products. The Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented to the crew chief whose team finishes in the top 10 and posts the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to second half of a race. “This level of improvement is commonly due to the crew chief’s work in solving a variety of chassis issues and other problems that exist earlier in the race,” Nelson explained.(federal-mogul.com)(2-28-2008)
- Tryson named 2007 Sporting News "Crew Chief of the Year": #2 Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Pat Tryson’s effort last season garnered him the prestigious 2007 Sporting News “Crew Chief of the Year” designation. “It was a real honor to receive that notoriety, especially with the great jobs done by so many crew chiefs last year,” said Tryson. “They may have cited me for it, but it was a tribute to Kurt and our whole Miller Lite Dodge Team.”
Added his driver, Busch: "Just think about the big statement winning that award meant. The fact is that Pat didn't even join our team until June and he was on our pit box for only 21 of the 36 races. That's pretty incredible if you ask me. It's like spotting all the other competitors 15 races to make their marks and then going out there and making a huge impact and a major statement in a relatively short period of time. I am so proud of Pat and thrilled to have him as our team's leader."(Tom Roberts PR)(2-17-2008)
- Wypall Wipers announces 2008 Crew Chief Lineup: Wypall Wipers announced its all-star line-up of crew chief representatives today, continuing the tradition
of top-notch crew chiefs who call Wypall Wipers their wiper of choice. The Wypall Wipers 2008 Crew Chief Program will launch in Daytona on Feb. 17. Serving as spokesmen for the Wypall Wipers brand, the noted crew chiefs include some of NASCAR’s best, including the defending Daytona 500 winner. Todd Berrier, who helped guide Kevin Harvick and his #29 Richard Childress Shell Pennzoil Racing Chevy team to victory in last season’s “Great American Race”, makes his debut into the program. He is joined by fellow newcomer Bob Osborne, who makes the decisions on the #99 Roush-Fenway Racing Office Depot Ford team for driver Carl Edwards. Kenny Francis returns to the Wypall Wipers program in
his second year, leading the #9 Gillett Evernham Budweiser Dodge team and driver Kasey Kahne. “What an incredible lineup of crew chiefs we have on the Wypall Wipers
team this season,” said Tom Merrill, Category Manager for Wypall Wipers. “All have race wins under their belt and they know the importance of using reliable, high-performance products on their race cars and engines. That is why they are sold on Wypall Wipers.” Also joining the Wypall team to help promote the brand’s 2008 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Program is FOX/Speed TV analyst Jeff Hammond, a former championship crew chief in his own right. Hammond, along with the three crew chiefs, and representatives from
Wypall Wipers will serve as the panel for the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge, a season-long contest which will determine the best crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, they will vote to determine which crew chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and ingenuity during the race. It isn’t necessarily the crew chief who goes to victory lane, but the crew chief who made the biggest difference to his team. The weekly winning crew chief will receive a $1,000 check as well as signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead, FL. Former yearly winners include Tony Eury, Sr. (for driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (for driver Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (for driver Greg Biffle) and Mike Ford (for driver Denny Hamlin). The Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2008 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.Wypall.com.(Wypall PR)(2-12-2008)
- NASCAR announces pit road rule changes: NASCAR officials distributed two rules changes that will be in affect this season in regards to pit road regulations: “Cars may not be pushed past the flag person at the end of the pit road. Unless otherwise authorized, once the race is underway, cars may be started by hand pushing in the pit area only, but under no circumstances is any car to be hand pushed more than three pit boxes away from their assigned pit box or into the acceleration zone or onto the race track from the pit area. Cars may not receive any assistance after the white flag has been displayed, except those cars making pit stops …”.
“A team member must be in contact with the outside tire(s) until the outside tire(s) reach the inside half of the pit box before the car leaves its assigned pit box. Any tires let in the outside half of the assigned pit box, or beyond, will result in a time or other penalty.“ These changes came about as a way to promote a safer pit road after several incidents occurred during the 2007 season where tires were being knocked around like projectiles by cars on pit road because they were not under the control of crew members. NASCAR felt like they had to take control of these tires better and this policy is something that teams will have to follow as the 2008 season starts.(FoxSports)(1-10-2008)
- New tire changers for Johnson in 2008: Jimmie Johnson said he expects to have two new tire changers with his Hendrick Motorsports team in 2008. Rear-tire carrier Ron Malec, the car chief, remains with the #48 team as does Kenneth Purcell, who was jacking the car during the latter part of 2007. Front-tire carrier Art Simmons also will return, a team spokesman confirmed Sunday night in clarifying Johnson's earlier remarks over the team's changes. "It was a tough thing, we've won championships with these guys," said Johnson, who was at Daytona International Speedway testing Sunday for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. "But we just felt like we could be a little faster and we needed to make some changes. It didn't go over easily with everybody, but [crew chief] Chad [Knaus has] got to make those decisions and we feel it will make our team stronger." Rear-tire changer Tim Ladyga has moved to the #24-Jeff Gordon team, Johnson said.(SceneDaily.com)(1-7-2008)
- #48 Team wins 4th Qtr and year-end most vaulable Pit Crew Award: The #48 Lowe's Team can add another important honor to their long list of accomplishments for the 2007 season - the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew of the Year Award. The #48 Lowe's Team also won the year-end award in 2004, making them the first-ever repeat winner of the award. The #48 Team follows the #24 Dupont Team (2nd Quarter) as the second team from Hendrick Motorsports to win a Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew quarterly award in 2007.
2007 #48 Lowe's Pit Crew
Name Position
Matt Clark Pit Crew Coach
Chris Anderson Jackman
Mike Trower Front-Tire Changer
Art Simmons Front-Tire Carrier
Tim Ladyga Rear-Tire Changer
Ron Malec Rear-Tire Carrier
Rich Gutierrez Gas Man
Mike Knauer Catch Can
Chad Knaus Crew Chief
2007 Quarterly Winners
Quarter Crew Team
1st #29 Richard Childress Racing
2nd #24 Hendrick Motorsports
3rd #99 Roush Fenway Racing
4th #48 Hendrick Motorsports
Past Year-End Winners
Year Crew Team
2002 #40 Ganassi Racing
2003 #17 Roush Racing
2004 #48 Hendrick Motorsports
2005 #20 Joe Gibbs Racing
2006 #31 Richard Childress Racing
The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the Nextel Cup Season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team's crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000 awarded at the 2007 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon in New York City on November 29, 2007. "The #48 Lowe's Team for Hendrick Motorsports has had one of the finest seasons in recent history and the pit crew was a key component to the overall success of the team," said Ted Abdon, Mechanix Wear director of racing. "The #48 team has now won back-to-back championships at the highest level of the sport. The Over-The-Wall Pit Crew of the Lowe's team has embodied what it means to be a team all season long, and we are proud to present this award to them for their hard work and dedication throughout the Championship season." (Mechanix Wear/Clear!Blue PR)(11-30-2007)
- Jeff Gordon's Team Claims 2007 Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge Season Championship: Jeff Gordon's #24 over-the-wall crew beat Mark Martin's #01 crew in a tiebreaker to capture the 2007 Checkers®/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge season championship. Gordon's and Martin's pit crews ended the season tied for first with four wins a piece, but the tiebreaker went to Gordon's team for having the highest finish in the Nextel Cup driver point standings. Checkers/Rally's will present Gordon's crew a $111,150 bonus check for winning the season-long competition during Champions Week in New York City. Combined with its $11,000 winnings for each weekly each pit crew victory, the total prize money earned by Gordon's crew in 2007 is $155,150. The #24 crew consists of: Jeff Cook (jackman), Mike "Tiny" Houston (front-tire carrier), Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Jeff Knight (rear-tire carrier), Kevin Gilman (rear-tire changer), Caleb Hurd (gasman), Jamie Frady (catch can) and Andy Kruep (eighth-man). The pit crew coach is Matt Clark. David Ragan's #6 over-the-wall crew won the weekly Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru challenge during Sunday's (Nov. 18) Nextel Cup event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the first win of the season for the Roush Fenway Racing crew. Ragan's team consists of: Dennis Killian (jackman), Shelton McCall (front-tire carrier), Adam Emmert (front-tire changer), TJ Hamilton (rear-tire carrier), Dwayne Ogles (rear-tire changer), John Goodman (gasman), Shane Wood (catch can) and Justin Hines (eighth man). Jimmy Fennig is the crew chief. Checkers/Rally's paid out $507,150 in prize money during the 2007 Nextel Cup season. Checkers/Rally's is the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, more info at checkers.com.(DMF Communications PR)(11-21-2007)
- Mike Ford wins Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year: Wypall Wipers announced that Mike Ford, crew chief for the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team, as the 2007 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. The Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge has been a season-long contest set out to determine the best crew chiefs in the garage. At the conclusion of each NASCAR race, a panel of judges decided which crew chief did an outstanding job throughout the course of the weekend based on their strategic planning and race day calls. While, it wasn't necessarily the crew chief that made it into victory lane, it was always the crew chief that made the biggest difference to his team. The crew chief with the most weekly wins received top honors as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. The challenge spotlights the crew chief's performance and efforts to get his team into victory lane. Mike Ford earned Crew Chief of the Race accolades at five races this season, narrowly edging out Bob Osborne, crew chief of the #99 Office Depot team and Chad Knaus, crew chief of the #48 Lowe’s team, each with four wins. The 2006 Crew Chief of the Year champion and Wypall Wipers spokesmen, Robbie Reiser, recognized the efforts of Ford and all crew chiefs in the
Nextel Cup garage. On winning the 2007 Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year, Ford was presented with a check for $20,000. “There is no doubt that Mike Ford is responsible for much of the success with the #11 FedEx Chevy,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “From the first time he and Denny Hamlin worked together they clicked. Mike is an
important part of our team at Joe Gibbs Racing and more than that, a first class person.”(Wypall Wipers PR)(11-20-2007)
- #2 Hauler driver wins Hauler Challenge: Congratulations to Miller Lite Dodge Team's chief transport driver Bill "Stump" Lewis for coming home the winner in this year's Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge. The final stage of the contest was held last Saturday morning at Lowe's Motor Speedway, with "Stump" placing first and taking the $35,000 grand prize. "Stump" and wife, Cindy, share the truck-driving duties for the #2 Penske Racing Dodge Team. "I am extremely proud of this award and thrilled to have brought the honor to our Penske Racing Miller Lite Dodge Team," said "Stump," now a two-time winner of the annual NASCAR truck-driving contest. "As for that $35 grand, I think Cindy already has it spent on some construction work we are getting done at our house." The couple is celebrating winning the award this week at the annual "Biketoberfest" in Daytona Beach.(TRPR)(10-18-2007)
- #99 Team Wins 3rd Qtr Pit Crew Award: The #99 Office Depot pit crew for Roush Fenway Racing has enjoyed a celebration in victory lane three times this season,
including twice during the third quarter, as they made a strong push for driver Carl Edwards to race into the Chase for the Championship. In addition to a Chase birth, the pit crew for the #99 Office Depot team has been named the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew for the third quarter of the season. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the Nextel Cup Season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team’s crew chief. The four quarterly winners are
eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000 awarded at the 2007 Nextel Cup Series Awards Banquet in New York City. The #99 Office Depot over-the-wall crew for Roush Fenway Racing has helped driver Carl Edwards to wins at Michigan International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway. The #99 team has recorded eight top five and 12 top 10 finishes this season. Through three quarters of the season the #99 Office Depot team has recorded an average finish of 13.7 and sits sixth in the standing, 205 points behind current point leader Jeff Gordon. “The #99 Office Depot Pit Crew has really turned some heads as the year has developed,” said Andrew Carter, pit crew coach for the #99 Office Depot team. “It’s truly an honor when your peers, crew chiefs from other teams, recognize the great work that your team is doing. We always strive to improve. Right now we are in the heart of the Chase for the Championship and we are doing everything we can to make sure that at the end of the season Carl and the #99 Office Depot team are holding the Nextel Cup Series trophy.”
“The #99 Office Depot Team has embodied the spirit of the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award,” said Ted Abdon, Mechanix Wear director of racing. “The #99 Office Depot Pit Crew has won the respect of their peers and put their team in an outstanding position to compete for a Championship. The Office Depot team has shown what it means to come together and achieve a common goal.”(Mechanix Wear/Clear!Blue PR)(10-17-2007)
- #12 Alltell Dodge Takes Nextel Pit Crew Championship: The #12 Alltel Dodge team led by crew chief Mike Nelson won the third annual Nextel Pit-Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman in a thrilling all-Dodge final. The team edged the #43 Cheerios Dodge team led by Paul Andrews by .33 seconds to grab the championship and the $70,300 prize. It looked like the #12 team would falter in the finals when jack man Britt Goodrich had trouble lifting the second side of the car and was late getting to the car for the final push. The #43 crew had their Dodge rolling first, but was unable to hold off the hard-charging #12 team. The Alltell Dodge team finished the competition in impressive fashion. The team was assessed a five second penalty in the first round for excessive fuel spillage but was flawless afterwards. In each of the final four rounds, the #12 team posted the top time. The team had been successful in the previous two events as well, making the quarterfinal round in 2006 and the semifinal round in 2005. The crew of the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy, the defending champions, were knocked out of the competition in the first round. The team beat the #07 Jack Daniel’s Chevy team to the finish line, but was penalized three seconds for having a loose lug nut. The #9 UAW/Dodge Dealers Dodge team was also eliminated in the first round. The team won the inaugural competition in 2005 and finished second last year. Jeff Patterson and Brian Larson – the gasman and catch can man for the #20 Home Depot Chevy – won the individual competition for the second consecutive season to win $10,000 each. They were the only individuals to repeat as champions.
Team champion: #12 Alltell Dodge
Crew chief - Mike Nelson
Front Tire Changer - Ben Brown
Front Tire Carrier - Scott Reiniger
Rear Tire Changer - Joe Piette Jr.
Rear Tire Carrier - Trent Cherry
Gas man - George Whitley
Catch can - Brian White
Jack man - Britt Goodrich
Individual Champions:
Jack man – Mitch Lash (#44 UPS Toyota) – 5.94 seconds **
Gas man/Catch Can – Jeff Patterson/Brian Larson (#20 Home Depot Chevy) – 10.92 seconds
Front Tire Changer/Carrier – Nick O’Dell/Jason Gay (#9 UAW/Dodge Dealers Dodge) – 15.18 seconds
Rear Tire Changer/Carrier – Daniel Rankin/Bryan Rockwell (#43 Cheerios Dodge) – 13.85 **
** New individual record.(NASCAR PR)(5-17-2007)
- Engine Builder showdown at NTI on May 23rd: Preparations are in full swing for the Seventh Annual Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. The finals for this year are scheduled for May 23rd at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. The Showdown pits NASCAR’s top engine builders in a race to build and successfully run a Nextel Cup 357-cubic inch Ford engine in the shortest time possible. Through a process of three rounds of preliminary and semi-final eliminations, the competition culminates in a final showdown between the two fastest teams. The winning team receives the prestigious Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy in addition to a cash prize of $26,000. The runners-up receive $9,000. Overall, the competition awards a total prize package of over $50,000. More info at www.engineparts.com.(5-8-2007)
- Crew Chiefs To Race During New Nextel All-Star Challenge Event: The top crew chiefs in Nextel Cup racing will trade their wrenches for driving suits during the inaugural Kobalt Tools Crew Chief Race Saturday night, May 19, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The event will be the featured pre-race entertainment for the Nextel All-Star Challenge. Utilizing Thunder Roadsters manufactured by 600 Racing and decaled to replicate the paint schemes of the Cup cars they oversee, the crew chiefs will compete in a 30-minute racing program that will include two qualifying heats and a feature race. The racing action will take place on the speedway's quarter-mile oval, located on the frontstretch of the 1.5-mile superspeedway, and will be televised by Speed Channel. Expected participants include: #5-Alan Gustafson; #45-Billy Wilburn; #48-Chad Knaus; #25-Darian Grubb; #07-Gil Martin; #11-Jeff Hammond (Speed Channel); #41-Jimmy Elledge; #1-Kevin "Bono" Manion; #28-Larry McReynolds (Speed Channel); #43-Paul Andrews; #31-Scott Miller; #40-Steve Lane; #24-Steve Letarte; #29-Todd Berrier; #8-Tony Eury Jr.(LMS PR)(4-6-2007)
