Elite-level racing requires fast pit stops.
Long ago NASCAR pit crew members were everyday mechanics in a fire suit, now they are world-class specialized athletes tasked with getting over a concrete wall, hurling hundred-pound tires around, and performing feats of athleticism with machine-like consistency.
Their signing bonuses and salaries too have grown to match the expectation, making it a popular landing spot for former Division I football players who washed out of a pro football opportunity.
It may seem like an impossible leap to transition from a sport as aggressive as football, to one that requires such finesse and technique, but spend any modicum of time around pit road and you’ll find it’s a reunion of sorts.
From an Appalachian State running back to a Western Kentucky linebacker to a Clemson offensive lineman, players of all builds have extended their career as an athlete with NASCAR.
It shows that just because football may end after exhausting eligibility at the collegiate level, that competitive fire can still be put to use in professional sports.
In fact, according to an article written in the Los Angeles Times, Chris Burkey, director of human performance and the pit crew coach for Joe Gibbs Racing said that “basically 98% of pit road are former athletes.”
So how did these opportunities come about? And why are former DI football players thriving as NASCAR Pit Crew members?
I’ll tell you this, it’s no fluke.
Just ask Phil Horton.
Horton joined NASCAR at a time when confederate flags waving in the grandstands outnumbered minorities that competed in the sport.
In 2004, he founded NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program to “provide training and opportunities to drivers and pit crew members from diverse backgrounds and experiences.” Ultimately, Horton helped to open the proverbial door to a slew of talent ready to perform on the professional stage, but without access — or awareness — to do so.
Quickly, it began to appeal to ex- and current football players because the two sports required similar skills to excel.
Timing, for example, is key in football, when rushing the passer, when deciding to hit a hole, when burrowing a pass into a tight window. A high IQ regarding timing translates to a sport where milliseconds decide championships.
Pit crews also work under immense pressure, in loud stadiums and can be called upon at a moment's notice. Most teams have a strategy regarding when their driver will pit, but at any instant, a tire could lose pressure and that game plan could change on a whim.
Then, when the car enters pit lane, crew members are asked to jump over the wall, in front of a moving vehicle and perform. The crowd is cheering and it becomes difficult to hear your team members, similar to a quarterback audibling with five seconds on the play clock at an SEC football game.
With all these factors, the engineering skills and knowledge regarding racing cars aren’t as high a priority and evolve with training. Athletes who have watched film and studied opponents throughout their playing careers will have the wherewithal to learn the intricacies of a new sport when there’s money and accolades at stake.
Optimization for the fastest pits continues to drive innovation in areas, including sources of pit crew talent. For College Athletes whose careers may be dwindling but retain a burning edge to compete, GMTM’s digital combine with Hendrick Motorsports is one of the many ways NASCAR teams will begin scouting potential team members with any level of experience backgrounds from any sport.
All one has to do is submit a highlight package completing drills similar to the ones you’d do for a college pro day — 40-yard dash, vertical jump — Then, they’ll be interviewed and have the chance to earn a contract with Hendrick Motorsports.
