31 Team Wins Pit Crew Challenge
Friday, May 15, 2009Posted by
A new record was set Thursday night at NASCAR’s Pit Crew Challenge by Jeff Burton’s 31 crew as they beat out Reed Sorenson’s 43 team to take the title.
The No. 31 Chevrolet's seven-member team changed four tires, put in gas and pushed the car 40 yards in an event-best 22.115 seconds to collect the $70,100 first prize.
The team advanced to the finals after beating Denny Hamlin’s 11 crew in the semifinals, this victory also gives the team first choice of pit stalls for Saturday’s All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor speedway.
One of the major stories of the year have been all the pit road mishaps by several teams, but they all got to redeem themselves as they sprayed each other in champagne after their victory.
Martin Truex’s team won three of the four individual categories, and that netted them over $10,000.
Jeff Kerr was the top jackman, lifting both sides of the car in 5.666 seconds; gas man Preston Cordell and catch-can man Eric Hoyle filled the car in 10.072 seconds and front tire changer Dennis Terry and carrier Shannon Keys took 14.855 seconds.
The overall time for the number 1 team initially set the record only to be beaten by the 31 team just minutes later in the semifinals and the finals.
"We won three categories out of four. Everyone knew we meant business when we came here," Keys said.
Stopping the sweep by the 1 team was Kyle Busch’s rear tire changer Jake Seminara and rear tire carrier Kenny Barber posted a time of 14.900 seconds.
This is the only indoor competition sanctioned by NASCAR, and is in its fifth year, this year it included 24 crews, with the top eight in the Sprint Cup owners standings getting a bye into the second round. Teams faced each other in head-to-head, single-elimination stops.
This was by far different from the pit stops during normal races as the event is held in Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte where the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats play.
There were eight unmarked cars on each side of the arena floor. Teams changed tires on two cars, filled the gas tank with water on another and a jackman lifted the fourth car.
The jackmen then ran to the team's regular cars, lined up side-by-side. The jackman - often with team's driver inside - would push the car down a simulated pit lane. The rest of the crew joined in as they finished their tasks, and the first car to cross the finish line 40 yards away was the winner.
Teams were given penalties for things such as loose lug nuts all the way up to spilled gas, and as sticking with the theme this year there were many penalties handed out.
The defending champions, the 83 crew of Brian Vickers, was eliminated by Tony Stewart’s 14 crew in the second round due to two gas violations, Stewart’s team nearly beat Sorenson’s but were docked a penalty due to a loose lug nut.
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