It’s sticky business for ‘glue guys’ before the race begins

By Carolyn Brewster

Sunday, October 18, 2009

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If you are fortunate enough to be on pit road before a race, you can often see crew members meticulously gluing lug nuts in place on numerous sets of wheels. It may be perceived as a monotonous job, but it’s definitely an important one. After all, lug nuts don’t just glue themselves.

There are a few potential benefits of being one of the “glue guys” on the team. To fans, any crew member donning a uniform is a superstar. I’ve seen these guys drop their glue to take pictures with fans, answer questions (which I’m sure are probably repetitive), and pretty much perform their assigned task under the gawking glare of enthusiastic pit-road visitors.

OK, so maybe the job’s not so glamorous.

In true fan fashion, I watch crew members work and fire away with a barrage of questions. As each lug nut is lined up and glued, I discover that the whole process takes one particular team (of three crew members) 30 minutes to complete. That doesn’t seem so bad, but then again, I’m not the one gluing.

When the adhesion work is done, a wheel cover is placed over the lug nuts. This is nothing more than a round sheet of metal cut to fit inside the wheel for the express purpose of covering up the lug nuts that were so painstakingly glued.

Why cover them up? One crew member gave me a simple answer: To keep fans from touching the lug nuts.

Perhaps it’s sad that fans would possibly go around meddling with tires, but being inquisitive by nature, I can definitely see the temptation. The alternative is to bar us from the pit area. Needless to say, I’m a big fan of wheel covers.

Now, if you find yourself in the pits, take time to not only observe the busy crew members but also note just how creative some of these wheel covers are in their design.

The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team of Juan Pablo Montoya, sponsored by Target, features the company’s trademark bull’s-eye on its covers. Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 99 Aflac-sponsored team has that cute duck, and Kyle Busch’s crew places giant multicolored M&M’s over its lug nuts. Clever, and at the same time, very functional.

In 13 seconds, a crew can change four tires and fuel the car. Clearly, gluing lug nuts in place before the race is the difference between getting your tire changed on pit road and having it changed by your husband. It’s a lot of work, but in this game of speed, prep work done prior to the race saves time when it matters most.

So when you’re on pit road before the race, be sure to enjoy watching these crew members work. Feel free to take their picture, but whatever you do, don’t touch the lug nuts.