Pitting 101
By Lance Clifford
So you've been spending every last waking minute prepping your rig for the big race, and you think you have it all dialed in. But what about the big picture? Do you have a complete race plan including a pit strategy? In this article I will give you a few tips for operating a safe, and efficient pit.
It's All About People
The more help you can get, the better. Ideally each person in your pit will have a specific task. Here are some tasks that each crew person can do in a typical desert race:
1) Pit Boss - When you pull into your pit, you will be greeted by the pit boss. Pull right up to him and stop. This person will stand in front of the vehicle the ENTIRE TIME the car is in an active pit with the engine running. The pit boss should have a headset and radio to enable safe, clear communication with the driver. Trust me when I say that this is the best way for the driver to communicate his needs to his pit crew. Your pit boss may not need a radio if your race car is extremely quiet and/or you're wearing an open face helmet, but it is still very nice to have.
2) Fuel Crew - You should have three people to dispense fuel into the race truck. One person will be manning a large fire extinguisher and two people will be dumping fuel.
The fire extinguisher person is pretty self explanatory. The car is hot from running at full tilt, and your fuel dumpers have an 11 gallon bomb.Your fuel dumpers will work together to dump the fuel. One will hold the dump can (they are heavy and awkward) and the other person will hold the end of the dump can and make sure the filler hose is pouring into the race car with minimal spillage. The front person dumping the fuel into the car should be wearing a fire suit. Keep in mind a small splash of race fuel onto a hot brake rotor or exhaust can easily ignite. Your fuel team should definitely PRACTICE fueling your car before race day.
Ideally you should use race dump cans like the photo below. These are rapid fill 11 gallon cans and can fill your race car very quickly. These dump cans are the bare minimum for a competitive desert race team. Many of the bigger teams use fuel towers for even faster fills. See pics below:
11 gallon dump can from Fuel Safe
High flow fuel tower
High flow fuel tank mounted on top of chase truck
3) Repair Team - You should have at least one or two people who are very knowledgeable about your race car and how it's built so they can repair any items that might need repair when you come into your pit. They should have a full assortment of hand tools, air tools, a floor jack, welder, etc. all spread on a table and easily accessible.
4) The Check Everything Over Guy - You should have at least one person quickly looking over the entire race car checking for obvious issues (eg: missing/cracked u-joint cap, major oil leak, etc.) and then direct the repair team to fix.
5) Driver/Co-driver Assistant(s) - This person should give the driver and co-driver waters, a wet and dry towel to wipe off their goggles/visors, and possibly a snack. It's advisable to put flexible straws in the waters if the driver/co-driver are wearing full face helmets.
Everyone should know their jobs, and be aware of their surroundings. Do not get in the way of the other crew mates doing their specific duties. Be aware of the Pit Bosses orders, as he will have radio communication (clear, directed communication) with the driver and co-driver and be able to let everyone know of any specific issues.
The pit crew should be notified by the driver/co-driver about 10 minutes before the race car arrives at the pit that they are on their way, so that the Pit Crew can prepare for arrival. If you are having any issues with your car, you should let the pit crew know at that time, so they can plan their repair strategy and prepare any special tools and/or parts that might be needed for the repair.
Your pit should be well marked, and you should have a sign with your team number on it. You should also have someone flagging you into your pit. Your pit should have a piece of carpet, astro turf, or tarp to park on top of in case the Pit Crew has to climb under the race car.
Remember, the Pit Boss is exactly that - The Boss. The car does not move until the Pit Boss verifies that every pit member is clear of the vehicle, and it is safe for you to take off. SAFETY FIRST!!!
Remember, practice makes perfect. I encourage you to do practice pit stops with your team. In addition to practicing planned pit stops, you may also want to practice doing a tire change with your co-driver. A tire change should take NO LONGER than 3 minutes from the minute you unbuckle your seat belt to the second you jump back in the car. Fast desert teams can do it in under 2 minutes.
Now time for a little inspiration... Check out this video of Robby Gordon's trophy truck team doing a pit stop at the Baja 500. His crew dumps 70 gallons of fuel and changes both rear tires in less than 55 seconds.
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