To the uninitiated, auto racing is all about speed. While that is true, there is an awful lot that goes on behind the scenes before the cars ever hit the track. That is perhaps most evident in endurance events, where crew members often work around the clock before the green flag drops. Crew members prepare cars, load trailers and set up the pit and paddock before most drivers even arrive at the track. Once those pesky drivers show up, it’s not uncommon for them to head out on track and break something. Even worse, sometimes they stuff the car. All this means the crew might work as much as 48 hours straight before the final event of the weekend. Once the race starts, they actually get some time to rest. All their work is done until the driver comes in for fuel & tires, a driver change or maybe some major repairs.
Once the race is on, all they can do is wait:
Love it! And it’s all so true. Bravo for noticing a factual part of racing something that is often unnoticed.
Equally interesting is that when a good instructor begins teaching a driver how to go fast he begins with teaching the student how to go slow. Too many times students have bad experiences simply because they were going into a corner too hot. Slow in, fast out is the rule of the day. I suppose the same can be true for pit preparation.
Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you how upset I get watching someone’s pit during a race and seeing them unprepared when their car comes in. Makes my blood boil and it NEVER happens to my team.