… How one of the most impressive events that take place in our favorite sport every weekend is the line “…home of the brave” followed by a military jet flyover seemingly on cue? A coincidence? Luck? Neither, really. Call it coordination.
NASCAR issues a strict time-sensitive schedule for each weekend in advance. Included in the plans are times when registration opens, garage areas open, rookie and spotter meetings, and on-track time. The slice-and-dice minute to minute schedule comes in the moments leading up to the green flag.
Referring to a schedule that was issued to me when I covered last May’s Southern 500 at Darlington, the precise timing leaps off the page. Official welcomes and introductions are allowed 60 seconds for individuals. For example, 6:43pm Official Welcome, 6:44pm Intro Darlington Winners (15 people), 6:48pm Intro Honorary Race Official, 6:49pm Intro Honorary Starter, 6:49:30pm Intro Grand Marshal, 6:50pm Cup Driver Introductions and Special Awards.
The schedule allowed 29:45 to go through the entire field. At 7:19:45pm there was a Moment of Silence. Presentation of colors took place at 7:20pm. The Invocation started at 7:20:20pm and the National Anthem Intro was at 7:20:45pm. Our National Anthem commenced at 7:21:00pm and that spectacular weekly flyover scheduled at 7:22:30pm.
A minute-and-a-half is about the time it should take to sing the National Anthem when done properly. It should be sung and not performed. Artists don’t need to “make it their own” or “put their own spin on it.” It is a conservative song. Deal with it. But I digress…
Five minutes are allowed for drivers to get buckled in and engines fired at 7:27:30pm. The Green Flag had a 7:35:30pm waving, calculating eight minutes for the pace laps around the 1.366-mile speedway.
Even during rain delays the schedule is worked to accommodate everyone to the fullest extent. NASCAR is contractually obligated to sponsorship awards and will conduct pre-race festivities in the rain to bring the ceremony up until engines firing. That way everything possible is completed when the track is dry so we can go racing.
And even then sometimes those ace jet pilots can hit a cue following a rainstorm.
… How these teams get caught with illegal pieces? Did you know that in a post race teardown, that is the FOURTH time in the course of a weekend that car has gone through an inspection?
A car needs to be cleared before it can practice, most commonly on Friday morning. In order to make a time trial lap, the car must pass inspection again. This usually takes place Friday afternoon. Saturday’s practice sessions do not require a tech roll-through. But prior to the main event another inspection is required before machines can grid.
And NASCAR does keep track of when each car gets cleared for qualifying and racing. As told in a driver and crew chief meeting, a car number was called out having passed inspection as one of the last five cars for three weeks in a row. The sanctioning body is concerned about teams ”holding up the show.”
The competitors know this and even race each other to be first to unload, set up their garage area and have their car clear tech inspection. True racers always want to win in everything they do.
…Why pit stops are so much faster than years ago? The well-sponsored front running organizations are able to hire over-the-wall guys that do strictly that. Many are former college athletes brought on board for one purpose. Whether that is jacking the car or refueling, which is mostly what their entire workweek entails.
Pit practice so many hours per week, working out with a team trainer for certain time periods and coordination/team building skills for designated hours.
Some talented, quick, and effective tire changers do not know much about auto mechanics, but are money in the bank when it comes to a four-tire change with 30 laps to go.
This doesn’t describe all the people up and down pit row. Shop fabricators and suspension specialists that do pit a car have hours every week set aside for practice and fitness. Team members who set up a chassis and then jump out in front of a car with an air gun are not extinct but are becoming more rare.
This is another case of entering the sport at the top level and never attending a short track. A former linebacker from a local university may be a solid tire carrier. But is that really what is best for the sport?
(Patrick Reynolds is a former NASCAR mechanic who co-hosts the One and Done auto racing radio talk show Tuesdays 11am ET at www.wsicweb.com)
{ 5 comments }
I think that any driver accepting sponsorship money from the military should join the reserves. Radical or what? They will take the money and have their dream job of racing but wouldn’t be caught dead in Iraq.
I think any team that the military sponsors should show the proper respects to the flag and National Anthem. RPM has the Air Force for a sponsor and at Las Vegas, Elliott Sadler didn’t bother putting his hand over his heart as is required under the United States Codes (USC). Behind him was an Air Force 3-star general saluting the flag during the National Anthem. Being a retired NCO, had I been there, I’d have smacked Sadler on back of the head to get his attention. But Sadler wasn’t alone. They showed at least 8 other drivers on TV who couldn’t bother themselves to respect the flag and National Anthem and who knows how many crew members. There’s no exemptions to the USC for drivers, crewmembers, officials, or Hollywood celebs when it comes to respecting the flag. If I had the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines as a sponsor, I’d want to do them proud and show them just how much respect my team has for the flag, National Anthem, and the freedom the military gives us so we can gripe, complain, compliment, agree, disagree, or however we want to express ourselves regarding racing and other issues.
@Mad. I agree. The thing is, these guys know better. NASCAR Nation is heartland America, and we care about that stuff.
I know that when I’m broadcasting a high school basketball or football, we are usually in a sponsor break during the anthem (our microphones aren’t usually close enough to the performers to be heard well, so we”cover” it). During that time, anybody working with me knows to be still and silent, facing the flag with hand over heart.
Standing and putting your hand over your heart is not REQUIRED by the US Code. There is a huge difference between “should” and “shall.”
I went to a mini-sprint track last year and counted 11 men with their ball-caps on during The National Anthem,out of approximately 450 attendees and at least 20 kids still running wild while this is taking place…I don’t plan on ever going back to that and yes I expressed my feelings to the “promotor”. The behavior of some of these kids is outrageous. Just because your parents brought you is no reason to go free for all,it is a paying public event.
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