Corvette Racing’s Race-Winning Pit Crew

When it comes to endurance racing, the entire team at Corvette Racing knows how to win. That even includes those who change the tires, fuel the car and yes, even swap out the water bottle for the driver.

Mobil 1 The Grid just released the above video highlighting those who wear fire suits and wield lug guns or fuel cans. It’s an interesting look at how crucial those few seconds beside the wall can be when struggling for 24 hours against your toughest competitors.

If they change something, it’ll be two weeks and EVERYBODY will be doing it the way we’re doing it! – Doug Fehan, Program Manager, Corvette Racing

Doug Fehan helps us understand how important it is to harness the productivity of every tenth of a second. He states, “ other teams see how we operate our pit stops, how we choreograph it. If they change something, it’ll be two weeks and EVERYBODY will be doing it the way we’re doing it! I think that speaks volumes on how good they are.”

Races are won or lost out by the wall, but when things happen like at Road Atlanta, the crew is well equipped to bring the car behind the wall and still work their magic.

Indeed, they are good! It only takes them 14 seconds to swap tires and a full run from empty to full on the fuel gauge only spans 35 seconds. For each car, three guys change the tires, a fuel guy handles the liquid speed and one guy watches for unanticipated temperature changes. In the end, the ones who seek to learn the most from each pit crew member are the crew members themselves. Whether amazingly fast, or fraught with slip-ups or malfunctions, each pit stop is recorded to see how it can be done faster next time.

In the end, the drivers may wind up standing on the steps of the podium when the race is finished, but they are all aware that during the race, they are all firmly perched atop the shoulders of those who wield the fire suits and wheel-guns.

About the author

Andy Bolig

Andy has been intrigued by mechanical things all of his life and enjoys tinkering with cars of all makes and ages. Finding value in style points, he can appreciate cars of all power and performance levels. Andy is an avid railfan and gets his “high” by flying radio-controlled model airplanes when time permits. He keeps his feet firmly grounded by working on his two street rods and his supercharged C4 Corvette. Whether planes, trains, motorcycles, or automobiles, Andy has immersed himself in a world driven by internal combustion.
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