Hendrick team ready for challenges at Charlotte
May 24, 2012
The Charlotte All-Star week is an exciting yet challenging opportunity for the pit crews in NASCAR.
Let’s back up approximately four weeks and start from there. After the Kansas race, the No. 5 Farmers Insurance crew began our preparation for the Pit Crew Challenge. This requires a very delicate balance between our daily tasks – like pit stop practice and workouts – and preparation for the crew competition, which includes individual skills practice, pushing 3,200-pound race cars and heavy weight-room workouts.
To balance the scales, we have to make sure we are in excellent shape without pushing too hard and having a sore body. Any time you try to perform fine motor skills with sore, fatigued muscles, your body fights back, which can mean diminished performance at the track.
With an already full schedule of racing and preparation, we at Hendrick Motorsports managed to bring home two of the trophies from Thursday night’s competition. The No. 48 Lowe’s crew won the team competition, and I was able to somehow pull off a win in the individual skills competition for jackmen.
When preparation and opportunity meet willing participants capable of laying it all on the line for one opportunity, great things are bound to ensue. I’ve been watching these 48 guys over the past several weeks and they have great team camaraderie that doesn’t come along very often, and they are working diligently to make the best of it.
I tip my hat to them, but I’m also taking notes. Those that know me know I hate to lose – even to my own son. With this in mind, we are also working hard on the No. 5 Chevy to make sure we are in victory lane next week at our home track of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Charlotte is a great race track and an even better atmosphere. With a lot of friends and family around supporting and cheering us on, it turns up the pressure to do well. A little extra motivation used wisely never hurt anyone.
This is a very long race that tests the limits of both man and machine. With temperatures hovering in the 90s this weekend, we have to be on top of our game both mentally and physically. The race also will start during the day and end at night. This means we have to be prepared to adjust the car to the changing track conditions. Hopefully preparation and opportunity will meet once again and we can bring home some more hardware to Hendrick Motorsports!
Most Recent Comments
RE: Hendrick team ready for challenges at Charlotte
I remember when Jeff Kerr was a standout linebacker for the ECU Pirates. Way to go with the racing team Jeff!RE: Hendrick team ready for challenges at Charlotte
babedan: I agree totally! Also ironic he how won't allow beer/liquor promotions on his cars. Must be over-charging at his dealerships, so he's not hurting like everyone else begging for sponsorship/money just to survive in the sport.RE: Hendrick team ready for challenges at Charlotte
Who really cares about an owner who bought the state legislatures to protect his dealerships, who faked a terminal diesease to get out of a jail sentence and then bought a pardon from a President? Here is hoping all 7 cars of Hendrick Motorsports,5,24,88,48,14,39 and 7 hit the wall hard and are out of the race before halfway. No body hurt, but just out of the race.RE: Hendrick team ready for challenges at Charlotte
The extra 100 miles over most other races is huge. It's huge on both man and equipment. Push too hard too early and your engine blows early!! I would think that patience is golden here: stay out of trouble, keep equipment working, and insure being close for the last 10 laps or so.I've been at this race several times-and it's long a gruelling. I have found that the best place to watch this race is from my recliner in my bonus room. Beer's cheaper, parking is cheaper, AC works much better, and the bed is only 30 feet away when the race is over!! HUMMM!!
