[LSC9901]

At the Dover race on 9/23 an accident occurred on pit road that involved a crew member. It was just that ... an accident. A tire got loose and was struck by a car and sent flying. It ended up hitting a crew member from the #55 team. Thankfully he had a helmet on and was not seriously injured.

With pit road, especially at Dover, being narrow what improvements, changes would you like to see implemented to keep the team members safer ???

[oncea3fan]

how about dover widens pit road by moving the wall out toward the track and take up that grass strip that always get thrown up on the track and makes clean up longer.


here's a wild idea, what about a pull in back out type of pit stop.
cars would pull in to thier own "parking space" that has walls on either side that protect the crew.
or maybe a drive thru type were they don't back out but pull striaght thru toward the garage to a exit road, the crews would basically be in an island.

hey you asked!

[Phils20]

I think they just need to make it 43 stalls. It was the fault of a loose tie that a car ran into, knocking it into that crew member. I guess I'm just bullheaded, but what improvements to the pits would have prevented that? And I didn't see a team get a penalty for that tire laying out in pit road either. Maybe I just missed it, since I was there, or just didn't catch it on the scanner.

But that was a scary moment. That stall was almost right in front of me, and i just saw the tire out of the corner of my eye. I didn't really see it hit him, but I knew if hit something by the way if flew up in the air.

Back to "fixing" the pit road, I would take that grass out of the front, and make it wider. That is the right thing to do, and make it longer, it is pathetic that a 1 mile track has 42 stalls, when 1/2 miles tracks find a way to get in 43!

[NASCAR Gnome]

If I were in charge of NASCAR for a day, I would make it clear to all race track owners that if they can't make the lanes wide enough and supply enough stalls for 43 cars, we will not race there, regardless of history and reputation!

Of course, this will never happen because there's too much at stake financially that an injury or two to crew is an acceptable risk to take, I guess.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

If I were in charge of NASCAR for a day, I would make it clear to all race track owners that if they can't make the lanes wide enough and supply enough stalls for 43 cars, we will not race there, regardless of history and reputation!

Of course, this will never happen because there's too much at stake financially that an injury or two to crew is an acceptable risk to take, I guess.

I hear what you are saying but .... I'm looking for realistic changes that could actually be implemented. One that comes to my mind is air jacks installed in the cars like they use in the open wheel cars. That would eliminate the need for the jackman out there.

There's always the thought that you could make pit stops a minimum of 16 seconds period. Less rushing around by the crew ????

[SpaceCadet]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

One that comes to my mind is air jacks installed in the cars like they use in the open wheel cars. That would eliminate the need for the jackman out there.

This has been my thought for a long time. Is there some technical reason why these jacks can't be installed in a "stock" car? It seems like a no brainer to me, but there must be a reason I don't know of that makes it impractical/impossible to do.

[oncea3fan]

last night on "Inside Winston Cup Racing" they said that there is supposed to be plans to change pit road at dover. they thought they should have a "short track horse racing track" on the inside to give more room.

[Lefturn]

1. Eliminate the catch can man. Why have an extra man on pit road with his back towards the cars coming in.
2. Move the wall out at Dover eliminating the grass strip.
3. Move the inside pit wall back. There should be at least 3 driving lanes wide on pit road.
4. I agree that there should be at least 43 stalls. Perhaps they can put half on the front straight and half on the back such as at Bristol.

[oncea3fan]

there is no room to move the pit wall back any, because of the horse track, it's very tight behind pit wall at dover. a friend has been on the fire watch crew, they give them a 1 foot square to stand in in between pit stalls, and the crews push the firemen around because it's so tight.
Tim said stewarts crew were kinda asses, but skinners crew were really cool and made sure he had cold water and evan offered food.


the catch can man is a safty deal, with out that catch can fuel spills every where and is a hugh fire hazzard. I work with a gas man about 10 years ago from Dick Trickles #64 dura lube busch car, he said that before the catch can there would be fuel everywhere, including on the pit crew, the thought of fire was always there.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by SpaceCadet

This has been my thought for a long time. Is there some technical reason why these jacks can't be installed in a "stock" car? It seems like a no brainer to me, but there must be a reason I don't know of that makes it impractical/impossible to do.

My understanding is that it is more about tradition than anything else. I think it's time for safety to go ahead of tradition if that is the case.

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

My understanding is that it is more about tradition than anything else. I think it's time for safety to go ahead of tradition if that is the case.

I've always thought they do it for "cost savings". NASCAR likes to pretend they are old school, when in they really aren't.

I think that would be a great start. Couldn't they also make a gas can that vents itself. Part of the catch can reason is also to provide air to allow the gas to flow into the tank, at least that is what i thought.

I would like to see some of the "experts" on the networks devote some time to improvements they think can be made. I'm sure they have the knowlege, and I'm also sure there have been a few ideas shot down in the name of "tradition"

[SpaceCadet]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

My understanding is that it is more about tradition than anything else. I think it's time for safety to go ahead of tradition if that is the case.

I think it's becoming traditional to get run over in the pits. Yep, time to put tradition on the back burner, at least where safety's concerned.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Phils20

Couldn't they also make a gas can that vents itself. Part of the catch can reason is also to provide air to allow the gas to flow into the tank, at least that is what i thought.

I'm sure Ducky or Bob or another one of our resident experts can address the gas can issue but my guess is that it vents faster the way they currently do it thus allowing for a quicker pit stop. Once again if everyone had the same advantage/disadvantage in the pits then the time spent fueling or jacking up the car would be irrelevant.

[oncea3fan]

I believe the can itself is vented, its the air in the tank thats the problem, it can't have a large enough vent to fuel it quickly, with out being a hazzard during a crash. that vent on the back is spring loaded and opened by a rod on the catch can.

although why couldn't they change the catch can vent to be attached to the gas can and have it all in one unit, hence 1 man can do 2 jobs, leaving the other to do something else, chassis adj., clean wind shield ???

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by oncea3fan

I believe the can itself is vented, its the air in the tank thats the problem, it can't have a large enough vent to fuel it quickly, with out being a hazzard during a crash. that vent on the back is spring loaded and opened by a rod on the catch can.

although why couldn't they change the catch can vent to be attached to the gas can and have it all in one unit, hence 1 man can do 2 jobs, leaving the other to do something else, chassis adj., clean wind shield ???

Or just not have the other man over at all!! If it is really to be about safety, then we should be looking at cutting down the number over the wall.

But things have gotten better over time. It seems strange now to see "older" footage of members without helmets!!!

I wonder why they couldn't also have the wheels with one central hub?? Is the expense that high? Maybe a way to speed them up is the way to go, less time out on pit road, less time for the crewmen to be a target.