Truck series drivers question new pit-road procedures; NASCAR considers changes
By Jared Turner - Associate Editor
Friday, October 02, 2009
Mike Skinner's Randy Moss Motorsports crew fuels his truck during a stop.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
To get an idea of just how strongly some people oppose NASCAR’s rule prohibiting Camping World Truck Series drivers from taking tires and fuel on the same pit stop, consider Mike Skinner’s view on the matter.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen in racing in 35 years,” says Skinner, the 1995 series champion. “I am so shocked that we haven’t got somebody hurt with that stupid rule. It’s horrible, and it has bit us.
“It probably cost us from winning two or three races this year that we felt like we were going to win. The pit-road rule has been horrible, and it hasn’t saved us any money.”
Skinner is not alone in thinking that the policy, implemented before the 2009 season as a cost-cutting measure, is in need of modifying – if not altogether being scrapped.
The rule was initially instituted to help teams save money because it reduced the number of men a team could have over pit wall from seven to five. But it also forced drivers to make separate stops for tires and fuel – potentially jumbling up the running order and increasing the possibility that a caution in the middle of a series of green-flag stops could impact the outcome of a race.
Like Skinner, second-place points contender Matt Crafton claims that the rule has actually cost him one or more potential victories. Sprint Cup regular and occasional Truck series driver Ryan Newman blamed the rule for causing him to lose significant track position in the August Truck race at Bristol, where he forgot to make a second stop for fuel and had to pit out of sequence. He never completely recovered, and later called the series’ pit procedures “goofy” and “bad.”
Even some of those who haven’t been hampered by the rule would prefer that it be overhauled.
“It has been successful with us, and we’ve won five races this year [with part-time Truck driver Kyle Busch] with the current configuration,” team owner Billy Ballew says, “but as far as preference-wise, I prefer it like it was: seven people over the wall, tires, gas, whatever you want to do at any given stop.”
Rick Ren, crew chief for points leader Ron Hornaday, understands why NASCAR opted to make the rule, but that doesn’t mean he supports the policy.
“I don’t care for it,” Ren says. “I haven’t cared for it all year. It’s the rules that we’ve been dealt, and we have to deal within them. I’ve made a couple mistakes early in the year on the new pit-road rules, and I sat down and blamed myself for having some finishes that didn’t need to be where they were just because of mistakes. … It just kind of bites you.
“When you’re on a big race track that doesn’t have many yellows, it’s hard to get back on the lead lap. … I think the rules should be the same in all three [of NASCAR’s national] divisions so that everybody is doing it the same way. They’re doing it for cost-cutting measures and I understand that, so that’s when I wear my business hat. When I’m wearing my racer hat, I don’t like it.”
Skinner and fellow veteran Rick Crawford suggest the rule might also jeopardize competitors’ safety because it makes teams willing to leave their drivers on the track on older tires to avoid a second pit stop and the risk of getting trapped a lap down.
The longer drivers stay out on worn rubber, the more likely it is that a tire might blow.
“What happens is you get painted in such a box when you have to make a green-flag stop that you do one of two things,” Skinner says. “You either just take fuel so you can go on – then you’re out there on worn-out tires, and that’s very, very dangerous. ... Or you come in there and you get two laps down and the caution comes out. So it’s not a good thing. I don’t really know anybody who likes it, and I don’t think the fans like it.”
Crawford doesn’t see where forcing teams to have fewer men over the wall has done much to relieve the financial burden on teams in a sluggish economy. And he believes any savings haven’t been enough to justify drivers having to make separate stops for tires and fuel.
“I’m not a big fan of it at all. … It took two people off the road, reducing our roster and our expenses, but it confused a lot of people,” says Crawford, a series regular since 1997. “It confused drivers, it confused teams, it confused race fans, and I think that’s what’s most important is the race fans. Now, did we save myself half a million dollars? No. We [have] probably saved in the thousands, in the low thousands.”
Truck Series Director Wayne Auton says that NASCAR is aware that the rule hasn’t been popular among some drivers and teams and that the sanctioning body is considering changes for 2010.
Even if teams are permitted to once again get tires and fuel at the same time, however, it appears that a crew chief will still have to designate a maximum of 12 active crew members for each event. Active crew members include the crew chief, driver, spotter and crew members that enter the truck servicing area of pit road during the race.
The 12-member limit and a rule not allowing teams to use three different engines in three consecutive events (excluding the races at Daytona and Talladega) were also implemented in the offseason to help manage competition costs.
"The five crew members over the wall has done its job by getting new owners into the garage this year,” Auton says. “We are up on new team owners about 20 percent over last year. It has been a welcome rule change by some and also not by some. Overall, we feel the rule has worked to achieve the main goal, which was helping owners with their budgets.
“The 12-crew member limit and no scorers have definitely played into the owners’ pockets to help out. This limitation of crew members will stay in place for 2010. We are very pleased with how this has worked out."
NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton says the sanctioning body is also leaning toward implementing double-file restarts for the Truck series next year, as it already has for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series.
Unlike the much-maligned pit-stop rules, double-file restarts would be well-received based on early indications.
“What we’re putting on a show for is the fans, and if it added any ounce of a show, we need to give it to them,” Crawford says.
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27 responses to "Truck series drivers question new pit-road procedures; NASCAR considers changes". Post a Comment.
BILLFAN50 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 10:48 AMWhy can't they change it now?
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:11 PMWhy can't they change it now?
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:12 PMwhy can't they change it now?
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:12 PMwe wont get that answer
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:13 PMthose pit stops are not popular with the fans
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:13 PMWayne Auton! we are nascar, without us there is no truck series!
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:13 PMWhy can't they change it now?
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:14 PMwe wanted double file restarts months ago
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:14 PMwe thought the pit road rules were silly and embarrasing!
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:15 PMwe want our money's worth, and that aint what you been selling
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:15 PMSO WAYNE AUTON ANSWER THE DANG QUESTION
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:16 PMWHY CAN'T YOU(WAYNE AUTON) CHANGE IT NOW?
4wide said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 2:20 PMWake up NASCAR and stop killing our sport. Change the rule and do double wide restarts or even 3 wide to create some excitement. Since after 50 laps only about 20 trucks are on the track. The 16 others have parked for the day.
This series is about to be history!!!!!!!!!!!
SheilaLovesNASCAR said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 3:22 PMIn my opinion, as a fan of Trucks, and I love Trucks, this is a stupid rule. It has become a lousy show with them having to come in twice in any given caution. It just makes for more caution laps and less racing. And who cares if there are more start and park trucks? The racing is all caution, behind the pace truck. And that's not racing. How much difference does 2 more guys make, budget-wise? Not that much. And the fans don't get to see as much racing. Put it back the way it was.
artlynho531 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 3:26 PMSkinner has it right, the dumbest rules in sport, are in the truck series. There is no reason to put the over the wall people in "double jeopardy" every time the truck needs tires or fuel. 5 guys over the wall is OK just let them do everything they need to do in one stop. Then give us double file restarts NOW. Wake up Auton, you are supposed to be intelligent, duh????? If you really want to save the owners some money, go back to the halfway break and reduce the laps at the races to fit that scenerio.
yojoromo said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 3:31 PMI think it is the dumbest thing NASCAR has ever done except for the Jimmy Johnson fiasco.
I no longer evern want to watch the trucks because of the stupidity of the rule and also they need to go to double file restarts like the cars do as it makes it more exciting.
sipolt2 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 6:34 PMKeep 5 guys over the wall, go back to the way it was in the 60's and 70's how I remember it when the tire changers carried their own tires or there was one tire carrier to drop off the tires on the right side and assist one guy and the jackman helped the other one. Ask Phil Parsons how it was, he worked for my Dad trying to beat him changing tires. That was true excitement.
Werner said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 7:56 PMSkinner can't claim it cost him races...the rules are the same for everyone...what a dumb statement....
rwilliamhayes said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 12:00 AMLet's just junk the trucks.
tinynascarfan said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 8:24 AMBefore this season, the truck series was the closest championship battle in nascar, some years they were closer than the sprint cup chase come the finish in homestead, now hornaday will clinch the title by starting the race at phoenix, and if crafton or skinner have problems, he could clinch it at texas. this years truck series has been a joke, hornaday is about to be crowned king, and thanks to wayne auton and the rest of the jokes who run nascar, Ron Hornaday will be crowned KING NOTHING
techman247 said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 9:21 AMFirst off, Thank you TinyNascarFan for your postings. But you flooded the comments with your doubleclicking. Please watch this in the furture.
Secondly, The two stop,5 man rules really stinks!! It HAS cost drivers valuable time and sometimes being caught in the pits during a caution. Conversely, this happens in the other two series without the two stop rule. Skinner has no leg to stand on with this argument. The "start and park" teams do fill the field to start the race, but #14 is right, the series seems to be going down the tubes. The best racing happens in trucks (and the ARCA series)
racenut43 said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 10:06 AMFrequently, the truck race is the best race of the weekend. I think the pit stops should be for tires and fuel at the same time and double wide restarts after cautions.
julie28 said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 11:37 AMHow can making two stops instead of one really save money. It doesn't make any sense. Bad tires or no fuel what an option. Two chances of wrecking on pit road. Seems like Nationwide Races are the best of all. Double file, fuel and tires, no stupid chase, no one like Jimmie Johnson winning the championship every year. With tires, fuel and double file restarts the truck series could be the most fun.
fleaflicker said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 12:10 PMI have a solution for the gas and tires pit stops. All the drivers need to get together and everyone agree to get gas and tires on every pit stops and that way NASCAR will penalize all of them at one time and none of them will lose anything ?
nitro07 said:
Oct 6, 2009 at 9:01 AMI could not agree more with RACENUT43!!! let them race!!!
Medukie said:
Oct 6, 2009 at 1:57 PMNASCAR should consider taking a page from endurance racing - can't change tires until fueling is done; that way, a five man crew would be fine.
CJ1923 said:
Oct 15, 2009 at 2:30 PMJust MORE stupidity from NASCAR. They have complete IDIOTS running NASCAR these days and they wonder why attendence is down?? It's NOT the economy, it's the NASCAR rule makers that are ruining racing and making it BORING. It's time for some of these head NASCAR people to get parked before racing is completely worthless. It's getting so bad that teams are starting and parking. Is that racing??? H**L no it's not. NASCAR--it's time to pull your heads out of your *#@ and get back to real racing, before we have to settle for watching stupid ball games!!!!!