Should NASCAR Revise Pit Road Rules?
dannyhamlin.com
Maybe it’s just my imagination, but doesn’t it seem like we’ve been seeing more over-the-wall pit crew members getting struck by cars on pit road the last couple of seasons?
The most recent incident came this past Sunday in the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, when Denny Hamlin, exiting his pit stall, ran over and fractured the right foot of Clint Pittman, the rear tire changer on the car of Casey Mears.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Pittman will be sidelined for the rest of the season as a result of the injury he sustained.
It’s gotten to the point where it seems like every two or three races, a pit crew member either gets brushed, tapped or even goes flying over the hood after either being struck or trying to jump out of the way. Fortunately, when most are hurt, it’s a minor injury at best. Pittman’s, unfortunately, is a bit more serious.
Having a lightning fast pit stop is crucial to success in the series. A crack pit crew can be the difference of advancing five to 10 spots – or more – in a given race.
But with guys like Pittman getting hit on what seems to be a regular and seemingly increasing basis, perhaps it’s time for NASCAR to reevaluate the way pit stops are structured.
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed is the propensity of crew members getting hurt goes up when a crew member’s own driver comes in to his pit stall on an angle, thus leaving all crew members, particularly those on the right side of the car, susceptible to being struck, particularly by the car behind them – and the one that is being blocked by the way the crew member’s driver came to a stop.
Some drivers seem to intentionally come to a stop in their pits on an angle. You can theorize that the reason perhaps is to either hold up and delay the driver in the stall behind, or to intentionally tick him off. If that’s the case, they typically achieve their goal.
But at what cost? To put a crewman’s health and welfare at risk just to hold up another driver a few split-seconds trying to get back on the racetrack quicker than the next guy?
Thankfully, NASCAR mandated all over-the-wall crew members wear helmets at the start of the 2002 season. But it took Robert Yates Racing crewman Bobby Burrell, serving as front tire changer for Ricky Rudd, being seriously injured with head injuries in the 2001 season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway for the helmet rule to come about. Burrell was injured after being struck by Ward Burton’s car after Burton collided with Casey Atwood’s car exiting his pit stall, spinning Burton’s car directly into Burrell.
Ironically, nearly 11 years earlier to the day, Rudd was at the wheel when his brakes locked up, causing him to lose control and slam into Mike Rich, a right-rear tire changer on Bill Elliott’s car, at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Nov. 18, 1990. Rich died a short time later at a local hospital from severe head and chest injuries at the age of 32.
Rich’s death was not in vain; it probably prevented further deaths, as shortly after Rich’s passing, NASCAR mandated pit road speed limits.
I’m not screaming the sky is falling or crying wolf, but any time a crew member is injured on pit road, NASCAR should investigate each incident thoroughly – to try and assure such an incident won’t happen again.
In addition, NASCAR should implement new rules that cars should come to a complete stop in their pit stall and in a straight line, not on an angle, not having the rear end sticking out or any other aberration.
If a driver violates that rule, it should be the pit road officials that police pit stalls to stop crew members from working on the car and send it back on the racetrack to go around, come back and try it again.
If it stops guys like Clint Pittman from getting hurt, it would be a rule well worth it.
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