Still, he heads to the track every weekend. Crew members say they can't afford to think about the possibility of injury. A moment's reflection on the possibility of getting hit by a car is too distracting.
Crew members block out the danger.
Poised on the wall, tingling to jump the split-second before the car hits his stall, a pit worker focuses only on the next 15 seconds. Injury crosses one's mind only when it happens. For pit-crew members, safety often is out of their control. Each person does all he can to be well-conditioned and prepared for a race. He eyes the cars that will be pitting on each side of him, adjusting his position if it is a driver known for cutting in early.