NASCAR Pit Problems

The pit stop during a NASCAR race, is one of the most important and critical events to success – as has been shown plenty of times in the past and recently in NASCAR races. Mistakes or problems while a car is pitting are often the reason a team and car are successful in winning a race or a failure.

This problem once again reared its ugly head on Saturday night at Phoenix, this time taking a chunk out of Jeff Gordon, as the current points leader fell behind two laps due to a lug nut that just wasn’t where it was suppose to be. Unfortunately, this is just the most recent problem in the pit for drivers in NASCAR and one that has industry professionals and fans asking a few questions about the reasons for all the pit errors occurring during the races. A NASCAR race is often won or lost in the blink of an eye and this makes split seconds in the pit, one of the most critical factors to winning or losing, and sparks the question of whether or not pit stops are too much of a factor in determining the losers and winners in a NASCAR event.

In a sport that has always featured the driving skill of the athletes as the key to success, has the importance of the pit overtaken the importance of the drivers’ skill in determining the winners and losers?

Problems in the pit are making drivers and officials ask questions

Just why are all these mistakes occurring in the pit in a regular pattern? Are all the pit problems due to the human factor? Or, is there a problem occurring due to adjustments on a car that has produced the current problems?

NASCAR had made changes to the rules on the length of studs, could this be change in pit road that has caused tire changers to have problems getting lug nuts to stay tight? NASCAR officials and race teams have probably been asking themselves this question every time this problem pops-up, but only additional races and study of the problem will answer this question.

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