That's why trainers are taking an increased role, whipping machinists and other shop employees into shape. Andy Ward is among the growing group hired by a team to make pit crews stronger, faster, more agile and more efficient. He has the team averaging 15.1-second pit stops, down from 17 seconds a couple of years ago. Maybe 1.9 seconds doesn't sound like much, but in racing, it represents about 200 yards on a main straightaway, possibly the distance between first, second and maybe fifth place. I train these guys like they're athletes.
Most pit crews use essentially the same training techniques.
Yeah, there's a lot of complaints that maybe we work out too much, but I don't know if you can do it too much. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the team practices pit stops for 45 minutes. A shop employee drives one of Mayfield's race cars into a pit area behind the shop, and the crew jumps over construction-zone barriers like those used on highways and performs its routine. He prepares certain times for each individual job. Petty Enterprises' Mauldin uses specially built stationary bicycles Schwinn developed for use in the NFL, plus position-specific weightlifting, running and videotape analysis.