- Dewalt Crowns Pit Crew Champions: DEWALT, a leading manufacturer of power tools, recently announced the results of its 1st annual Pit Crew Challenge Championship, Wayne Laliberte from San Jose, California and his son, Tommy Laliberte from San Jose, California, took a page from the Tortoise and Hair fable to successfully change the front and rear tires on a modified DEWALT racecar to beat their competitors Brian Timmins and Tim Christ both from Millersvale, PA, with a time of 26.29 second and 10 tight lug nuts. Timmons and Christ posted a 21.00 second time, but one of the 10 lugnuts was not tightend to the required minimum of 20 foot pounds of torque. The Laliberte team each took home a $55,000 Roush Stage 3 Mustang, $2,000 in DEWALT tools and a trip to the 2005 Daytona 500 in yesterday's competition.
The nine teams were chosen from previous Pit Crew competitions held at eight locations across the country, begining in August 2004. Contestants signed up to compete in the challenge at the DEWALT Rolling Thunder trackside display. Teams of two raced to change the front and rear tires on a modified DEWALT racecar using a DEWALT Heavy-Duty ½" 18V Cordless Impact Wrench (DW059K-2). The team that completed the event in the fastest time with 10 tight lug nuts at each location was declared the Preliminary Event Winner of that competition. Each preliminary event winning team member received an 18V Cordless XRP 4 Tool Combination Kit (DC4KITA), a 18V Cordless Impact Wrench (DW059K-2), a DEWALT Protective Gear package (valued at $75) and a $100 DEWALT Footwear voucher.
On Sunday, prior to the last race in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Chase for the Championship, the Lalibertes took the DEWALT Pit Crew Challenge for one last time. This time they competed against two of the best in the business, Justin Nottestad, front tire changer for the #17 DEWALT Racing team, and Jeremy West, rear tire changer for the #17 DEWALT Racing team. While they gave it their best shot, it's safe to say that the team of Nottstead and West have had a fair share of experience when it comes to performing under pressure. With a winning time of 23.76 seconds, Nottestad and West won $25,000 in DEWALT tools for their teammates back at the #17 team garage.(Dewalt PR)(12-24-2004)
2004 Crew Chief Challenge sponsored by Wypall Wipers
Voted on by the Fans
- DATE RACE WYPALL WIPERS CREW CHIEF WINNER
2/15/02004 Daytona 500 Tony Eury, Sr.
2/22/2004 Subway 400 Robbie Reiser
3/7/2004 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Donnie Wingo
3/14/2004 Golden Corral 500 Tony Eury, Sr.
3/21/2004 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Chad Knaus
3/28/2004 Food City 500 Lee McCall
4/4/04 Samsung/Radio Shack 500 Tommy Baldwin
4/18/04 Advance Auto Parts 500 Larry Carter
4/25/04 Aaron's 499 Tony Eury, Sr.
5/2/04 Auto Club 500 Robbie Loomis
5/15/04 Chevrolet Revolution 400 Tony Eury, Sr.
5/22/04 NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Robbie Reiser
5/30/04 Coca-Cola 600 Chad Knaus
6/6/04 MBNA 400 Phillipe Lopez
6/13/04 Pocono 500 Chad Knaus
6/20/04 DHL 400 Matt Borland
6/27/04 Dodge/Save Mart 350 Robbie Loomis
7/3/04 Pepsi 400 Robbie Loomis
7/11/04 Tropicana 400 Tommy Baldwin
7/25/04 New England 300 Tony Eury, Sr.
8/1/04 Pennsylvania 500 Chad Knaus
8/8/04 Brickyard 400 Robbie Loomis
8/15/04 Sirius at the Gen Pete Rondeau
8/22/04 GFS Marketplace 400 Tommy Baldwin
8/28/04 Sharpie 500 Tony Eury, Sr.
9/4/04 Pop Secret 500 Pat Tryson
9/11/04 Chevy Rock N Roll 400 Tony Eury, Sr.
9/19/04 Sylvania 300 Tony Eury, Sr.
9/26/04 MBNA America 400 Matt Borland
10/3/04 E A Sports 500 Tony Eury, Sr.
10/10/04 Banquet 400 Ryan Pemberton
10/16/04 UAW-GM Quality 500 Tommy Baldwin
10/24/04 Subway 500 Tony Glover
10/31/04 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Chad Knaus
11/7/04 Checker Auto Parts 500 Tony Eury, Sr.
11/14/04 Southern 500 Jimmy Fennig
11/21/04 FORD 400 Jimmy Fennig
(PR)(11-24-2004)
- Fennig wins Wiper Award: Internet voters have selected Jimmy Fennig as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after his driver, Kurt Busch, overcame several setbacks to finish fifth in Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and collect the Nextel Cup championship. Wypall [www.wypall.com] says nearly 65 percent of voters selected Fennig after Busch overcame a broken wheel and other problems to collect the title in Roush Racing's #97 Ford. Tony Eury Sr., crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr., won $10,000 for the charities of his choice after collecting the most weekly victories in the voting this year with 10 wins.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-23-2004)
- Jimmy Fennig Rallies for 1st Crew Chief of the Race Award: Jimmy Fennig would be the first to admit that the #97 Ford Taurus was not up to scratch in the Southern 500. Driver Kyle Busch struggled with the handling of the car throughout the race. His position fluctuated during the race from 1st to 26th. But it was awesome pit stops and precise planning by Fennig and the #97 team that enabled Busch to stay competitive in the race. This effort did not go unnoticed by the fans as they voted him the WYPALL
Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. The majority of fans who logged onto www.WYPALL.com noticed how Fennig was able to rally his crew at strategic moments throughout the race. His pit stops allowed Busch to pick up track position at crucial points during the race. Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place with ten wins. Chad Knaus is in second place with five wins. Tommy Baldwin and Robbie Loomis are tied for third place with four wins. Robbie Reiser and Matt Borland are in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, Ryan Pemberton, Tony Glover, Jimmy Fennig and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00.(S.M.C. 500 PR)(11-16-2004)
- Eury, Sr. Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: Tony Eury, Sr. brought his A-game to Phoenix International Raceway. His racecar dominated the action up front, leading an impressive 118 of 315 laps in the Checker Auto Parts 500. Even when an untimely caution period threatened to keep the #8 Monte Carlo out of Victory Lane, Eury, Sr. made the smart choice not to pit under the yellow. Eury's decision gave Dale Earnhardt, Jr. the track position he needed to get the job done, bringing him a repeat win at Phoenix and his sixth victory of the season. For his combination of savvy strategy and on-track supremacy, Eury Sr. was
voted by the FANS the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. Ninety percent of the fans who logged onto www.WYPALL.com voted for Eury, Sr., noting his unmatched setup. Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place with ten wins. Chad Knaus is in second place with five wins. Tommy Baldwin and Robbie Loomis are tied for third place with four wins. Robbie Reiser and Matt Borland are in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, Ryan Pemberton, Tony Glover and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00.(S.M.C. 500 PR)(11-9-2004)
- Knaus Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: Jimmy Johnson may not have dominated the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, but his crew chief, Chad Knaus, made all the right moves to get him in Victory Lane. When a late race caution flag left everyone guessing whether to pit or stay out, Knaus chose wisely, electing to give his driver fresh tires for the final sprint. The leader was a sitting duck for Johnson, who cruised on to victory, taking his third checkered flag in a row. The race fans rewarded Knaus' performance, voting him the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. Over 75% of the fans who voted on www.WYPALL.com thought Knaus' was the easy choice for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. "When it came crunch time, he made the right choice," said race fan John Damian. "Mark Martin led the whole race, but Knaus put Johnson out front when it mattered most."
"When a caution flies at the end of the race, you only have a spilt second to decide if you want to pit or not," said WYPALL Wipers
spokesman Robbie Reiser. "Chad (Knaus) took a gamble deciding to pit. If there's only a few laps left, it's tough to make up the track
position you lost going into the pits, even if you do have fresh tires. Chad made it work, though. Jimmy (Johnson) took off and won
the race. Chad deserved to win the award for making the tough call." Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place with nine wins. Chad Knaus
moves into second place with five wins. Tommy Baldwin and Robbie Loomis are tied for third place with four wins. Robbie Reiser and
Matt Borland are in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, Ryan Pemberton, Tony Glover and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00.(S.M.C. 500 PR)(11-2-2004)
- Glover Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: The newly reunited duo of Sterling Marlin and Tony Glover hit the ground running at last weekend's Subway 500 in Martinsville, VA. Despite it being only the second race since reprising his role as crew chief, Glover led Marlin to a top-five finish at one of NASCAR's most demanding tracks. The duo's performance didn't go unrecognized by the race fans, as they voted Glover the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race.
The majority of fans who voted on www.WYPALL.com thought Glover deserved top honors for making a seamless transition back into the crew chief's seat. Glover called a nearly perfect race, rallying back after his driver got turned around on lap 16. Marlin came back to lead 51 laps of the event, before finishing the afternoon in 4th place. "It's like they (Glover and Marlin) never missed a beat," said race fan Sarah Bass. "They worked together so well, especially considering it was only their second race back together. Not too many teams could do that."
"Tony (Glover) and Sterling (Marlin) have worked together a long time," said WYPALL Wipers spokesman Robbie Reiser. "They understand each other. They may not have worked directly as a driver/crew chief combination for a while, but they've built up a team chemistry through the years that hasn't died. When you've got that kind of relationship, you're going to be successful. This weekend at Martinsville proved that."
Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge with nine wins. Chad Knaus, Tommy Baldwin and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with four wins. Robbie Reiser and Matt Borland stand in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, Ryan Pemberton, Tony Glover and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00.(S.M.C. 500 PR)(10-26-2004)
- Baldwin Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: #9-Kasey Kahne may not have won the UAW-GM Quality 500, but his impressive run gave every indication that his first win isn't too far away. The rookie sensation dominated the action with veteran poise, leading an outstanding 207 laps before a blown right-front tire prematurely ended his day. Even though his quest for Victory Lane was prolonged, race fans recognized that Kahne undoubtedly had the car to beat and rewarded his crew chief, Tommy Badlwin, as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race.
Nearly 35% of the fans who voted on www.WYPALL.com thought Baldwin deserved the award, despite not finishing the race. "Tommy (Baldwin) may not have won, but he was the class of the field," commented race fan James Douglas. "The only thing slowing down his car was caution flags. It was a heart breaker to see a car that good have to leave the race early."
"Tommy (Baldwin) nailed the setup," said WYPALL Wipers spokesman Robbie Reiser. "There were about three or four cars that were fighting for second place, but everyone knew that the 9 car was going to win. It's a shame that they blew a tire. Had it not been for that, you'd have seen those guys in Victory Lane. It's just a matter of time before they shake their bad luck and finally win a race."
Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge with nine wins. Chad Knaus, Tommy Baldwin and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with four wins. Robbie Reiser and Matt Borland stand in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, Ryan Pemberton, and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00.(S.M.C. 500 PR)(10-19-2004)
- Pemberton Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: In one of the most thrilling races of the year, Joe Nemechek held off a hard-charging Ricky Rudd on the final lap of the Banquet 400 to claim his first win of the season. The victory was also crew chief Ryan Pemberton's first career Nextel Cup Series win, but the accolades didn't end there, as Pemberton was voted by race fans the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. Over 40% of the fans who logged onto www.WYPALL.com thought Pemberton's superior strategy made him the easy pick for the award. Pemberton made the risky call to leave his driver on the track during a late-race caution, despite the leaders coming into the pits to top off with fuel. Nemechek moved from 14th to 4th by not pitting and took over the lead on lap 231, never looking back. "Pemberton didn't have the best car on the track, but he had the best game plan," noted race fan Ryan Ott. "He had a car that could go the distance and he was willing to bet on it."
"Ryan (Pemberton) did a heckuva job," commented WYPALL Wipers spokesman Robbie Reiser. "He put together a really fast car. Their track position would have probably kept them from winning, but Ryan took care of that by leaving Joe (Nemechek) out on that last round of stops. He may have been on old tires, but his car was so fast that it didn't matter. His move put his car right up front and ultimately got them the win."
Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge with nine wins. Chad Knaus and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with four wins. Tommy Baldwin is in third place with three wins. Robbie Reiser and Matt Borland stand in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, Ryan Pemberton, and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL® Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00. For more information, visit www.wypall.com.(PR)(10-12-2004)
- Eury Sr. Back on Top at Talladega Wins WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: Tony Eury Sr. reasserted his team's
dominance at Talladega Superspeedway. The #8 Chevrolet collected its fifth win of the season at the famed track, thanks in part to a gutsy call by Eury Sr. to take two tires on the final pit stop of the race. Eury's pit strategy might have left Dale Earnhardt Jr. a ten-position deficit to overcome, but the fresh rubber gave him exactly what he needed to lead the charge to the checkered flag. The FANS awarded Eury's gamble, voting him the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. Over 70% of the fans who logged onto
www.WYPALL.com agreed that Eury Sr.'s decision was the savviest move of the race. Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge with nine wins. Chad Knaus and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with four wins. Tommy Baldwin is in third place with three wins. Robbie Reiser and Matt Borland stand in fourth place with two wins. Pat Tryson, Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez, and Pete Rondeau are tied for fifth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00. For more information, visit www.wypall.com.(WYPALL PR)(10-6-2004)
- Earnhardt Jr.'s Crew Chief Takes Honor: Internet voters have picked Tony Eury Sr. as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the race after his driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., brought Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #8 Chevrolet home third in Sunday's Sylvania 300 Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway. He remains in first place in the yearlong contest for a $10,000 prize.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(9-21-2004)
- Eury Sr. wins Wiper Award for RIR: Internet voters have selected Tony Eury Sr. as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second in Saturday night's Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Eury and his Dale Earnhardt Inc. crew helped Earnhardt Jr. fight back from two wrecks to finish behind Jeremy Mayfield in Evernham Motorsports' #19 Dodge. Eury leads the contest for the $10,000 prize at the end of the year with seven victories to date.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(9-14-2004)
- Tryson takes the Wiper Award at California: Internet voters have selected Pat Tryson as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after his driver, Mark Martin, led the most laps and finished third in Sunday night's Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway. Tony Eury Sr. remains in first place in the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief Challenge with six wins in the contest for a $10,000 prize at the end of the season.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(9-8-2004)
- Eury Sr. Wipes out the Competition: Internet voters have selected Tony Eury Sr. as the Wypall Wipers crew chief of the race after his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team put driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. in victory lane in Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Eury now has six wins and continues to lead in the contest for a $10,000 prize at the end of the season. Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, and Robbie Loomis, crew chief for Jeff Gordon, are tied for second place with four wins each.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(9-1-2004)
- Baldwin wins Wiper Award: Internet voters have selected Tommy Baldwin Jr. as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after Kasey Kahne brought Evernham Motorsports' #9 Dodge home fifth in Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Baldwin collected his third win of the season in the voting after he guided Kahne home after his father, Tom Baldwin Sr., died in a NASCAR Modified race Thursday night. Tony Eury Sr., crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s No. 8 Chevrolet, continues to lead the competition for the $10,000 prize that will be given to the crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the year..(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-24-2004)
- McCall chosen Crew Chief of the Week: Lee McCall, crew chief for Sterling Marlin's #40 Coors Light Dodge, has won the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race for his efforts in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Fans who logged on to www.WYPALL.com concurred that Lee McCall's pit strategy earned him this week's top spot in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge. Although McCall made good calls in the pits from the start, it was the two-tire pit stop during the caution on lap 201 that made the difference. With fresh tires on the right side, Marlin came out front and maintained the lead for the next 67 laps. Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ultimately managed to sneak past Marlin to secure 2nd and 3rd place spots and then the five cautions during the last 120 laps served to keep the track position intact. McCall joins #48-Chad Knaus, #42-Donnie Wingo and #17-Robbie Reiser in a tie for 2nd place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge, at one win each. #8-Tony Eury, Sr., with two wins, leads the challenge. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-31-2004)
- NASCAR fans have selected Tony Eury Sr. as crew chief of the week in the Nextel Cup series for March 14, 2004 -- Atlanta Motor Speedway, #8 Tony Eury Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Comments: From Eury "We had to get over last week and concentrate totally on the present. We had a great car and I knew we could run a strong race." From Bill Elliott "Tony went from here in Daytona, to zero in Vegas, and back to hero in Atlanta. That's hard to do."
From Robbie Reiser "Tony pulled off a huge rebound." The award, sponsored by Wypall Wipers, is presented after each race to the crew chief getting the most votes by fans logging onto www.wypall.com/crewchiefchallenge.(3-18-2004)
- Tony Sr. crew chief of the week:
Not surprisingly, NASCAR fans have selected Tony Eury Sr. as crew chief of the week in the Nextel Cup series. Eury heads the crew on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Daytona 500-winning car, which also won one of the twin 125-mile qualifying races and was third fastest in time trials. Eury also stuck around until Monday to help oversee Earnhardt's victory in the rain-delayed Busch Series race at Daytona. "This was a total team effort," Eury said. "This crew has been working their guts out since last November to get ready for this race. They poured their heart and soul into this weekend." The award, sponsored by Wypall Wipers, is presented after each race to the crew chief getting the most votes by fans logging onto www.wypall.com/crewchiefchallenge. Robby Reiser, crew chief on the car driven by defending series champion Matt Kenseth, was the fans' second choice. "I voted for Tony, too," Reiser said. "He dominated this weekend. Crew chiefs dream of putting together a car as good as his team created. He made all the right decisions, from the car setup to the pit strategy, and that's what it takes to win. He deserves this award."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(2-19-2004)
- #1 Crew Chief takes Wiper Award: Internet voters have selected Pete Rondeau as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after Ron Fellows brought Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #1 Chevrolet home second in Sunday's Sirius at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Fellows started the race in 43rd position after the field was set by owners' points when qualifying was wiped out because of moisture on the track. Tony Eury Sr., crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #8 Chevrolet, continues to lead the competition for the $10,000 prize that will be given to the crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the year.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-18-2004)
- Loomis Votes the Best: Internet voters selected Robbie Loomis as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after his driver, Jeff Gordon, drove Hendrick Motorsports' #24 DuPont Chevrolet to victory in Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Loomis is now tied for second place with Chad Knaus with four victories each, one win behind Tony Eury Sr., in the season-long contest for a $10,000 prize.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-10-2004)
- Knaus takes the vote: Internet voters selected Chad Knaus as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race after his driver, Jimmie Johnson, scored his fourth victory of the year in Hendrick Motorsports' #48 Chevrolet in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. He moves into second place behind Tony Eury Sr., crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #8 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the yearlong contest for a $10,000 prize.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-6-2004)
- Eury Sr. Wins Crew Chief Honors for NHIS: Tony Eury Sr., crew chief of the #8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., was voted the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race for his efforts during Sunday’s Nextel Cup Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway. Eury continues to lead the overall Wypall standings with five victories. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season wins $10,000.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-29-2004)
- Baldwin takes this week's crew chief honors: This week's WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race is #9-Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin's decision to enter enemy territory and confront the team that spun out his driver earned him the fans' vote. After Kasey Khane got turned around by Tony Stewart, Baldwin made an unadvised trip to the #20 team's pit stall to stick up for his driver. WYPALL Wipers spokesman Robbie Reiser gave some insight as to what made Baldwin make the risky move. "The guys at the shop work so hard on their cars," said Resier. "So much time and preparation goes into each race, and when someone dumps your driver, all that hard work goes down the drain. Even if it's unintentional, it's frustrating. It can definitely make you do some crazy things." Tony Eury, Sr. remains in first place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge with four wins. Chad Knaus and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with three wins each. Robbie Reiser and Tommy Baldwin are tied for third place with two wins. Larry Carter, Lee McCall, Donnie Wingo, Phillipe Lopez and Matt Borland are tied for fourth place, each with one win. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.00.(ThatsRacin.com)(7-14-2004)
- Loomis Votes Top Crew Chief: Robbie Loomis, crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports' #24 DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon, has been voted the top crew chief in Saturday's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway in the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race contest. Loomis took the fans' vote for the second straight race and is now tied with Chad Knaus of Hendrick's #48 Chevrolet for Jimmie Johnson for second place with three wins each. Tony Eury Sr. of Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the contest with four wins. The winner of the season contest will receive $10,000.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-8-2004)
- Loomis voted as Crew Chief Challenge Winner at Sonoma: Robbie Loomis, crew chief of the #24 DuPont Chevy which won the Dodge / Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 27th, was voted as the WyPall Crew Chief Challenge Winner. For more info, to see season standings, go to www.wypall.com.(7-1-2004)
- Talladega winner: April 24, 2004, #8-Tony Eury for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Baldwin voted this week's best crew chief: Tommy Baldwin's confident and deft pit management of the #9 Dodge led fans to vote him WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race [www.WYPALL.com]. Even with several ill-timed cautions, the #9 Dodge doggedly moved through traffic to score a second place finish. Although Khane ended his day in the runner-up position, the majority of fans felt that Baldwin’s performance topped the crew chief charts. Baldwin joins, Lee McCall, Chad Knaus, Donnie Wingo and Robbie Reiser in a tie for 2nd place in the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge, at one win each. Tony Eury, Sr., with two wins, leads the challenge. The crew chief with the most weekly wins at the end of the season will be named WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and receive $10,000.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-7-2004)
- About Kimberly-Clark: Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, one in four people around the world trust K-C's brands to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as Kleenex® , Scott® , Huggies®, Pull-Ups®, Kotex® and Depend®, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 brand position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 132-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.
About WYPALL® Wipers And Kimberly-Clark Professional Known and respected since 1975, WYPALL® Wipers are the world's leading wiper brand. Consistent and clean every time, and available in a variety of formats, WYPALL® X80 Towels are made using Kimberly-Clark's patented HYDROKNIT® Fast-Absorbing material, so they feel like cloth and work even better, with heavy-duty absorbency and strength in solvents. For more information, visit www.wypall.com.
McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade
- What is it? During each 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup points event, the participating team whose car spends the least amount of aggregate time off the race track will be named the weekly winner of the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE, provided the team's driver takes the green flag at the beginning of the event and the checkered flag at the conclusion of the event.. A timing line at the entrance and exit of pit road triggers the car's transponder and records the total time spent off the race track.
The point distribution per race is: 43 points for first place, descending in increments of one. The season champion of the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE will receive a $200,000 bonus.
The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE is the largest monetary contingency program in NASCAR history. See much more detail below the Daytona 500 results.
PAST NEWS and McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit
Championship fueled by POWERade Results
- Stewart's Pit Crew Edges Earnhardt Jr.'s Crew For Season Title, $200,000 Champion's Bonus: The pit crew for Tony Stewart captured the season title in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. The #20 Home Depot/Joe Gibbs Racing crew will collect a $200,000 champion's bonus from McDonald's/POWERade, Dec. 3 in New York City. By winning the weekly competition three times and earning $20,000 for each victory, the total prize money earned in 2004 by Stewart's crew was $260,000. In the 36-race competition, Stewart's crew defeated the pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. by a mere four points - 1262 to 1258. Earnhardt's crew won the inaugural McDonald's/POWERade championship in 2003. Elliott Sadler's crew, a seven-time weekly winner, finished third with 1248 points. The crew for Nextel Cup champion, Kurt Busch, was fourth (1240) and Kevin Harvick's crew rounded out the top five (1222). "I think it's awesome that my guys won the McDonald's/POWERade pit crew championship," said Stewart. "They've worked hard all year, in the gym and at the race track. And when track position was tough to come by, they gave it to me with fast pit stops. My guys definitely earned this championship."
Stewart's over-the-wall crew consists of: Chuck White (jackman), Tom Dean (front-tire carrier), Mike Lingerfelt (front-tire changer), Jody Fortson (rear-tire carrier), Todd Foster (rear-tire changer), Jeff "Gooch" Patterson (gas man) and Brian Larson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Greg Zipadelli and the pit stop coordinator is Paul Alepa.(DMF Commincations PR)(11-24-2004)
- Marlins pit crew takes the honors at Homestead: Sterling Marlin's pit crew took top honors in the NASCAR season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the third McDonald's/POWERade win of the season for the #40 crew. Marlin's Coors Light Dodge spent the least amount of time on pit road - 238.383 seconds. Bobby Labonte's Interstate Batteries Chevrolet was second at 241.073 and coming in third was Michael Waltrip's #15 NAPA Chevy at 258.508. Marlin's over-the-wall crew consists of Steven Wolfe (front-tire changer), Trent Davis (front-tire carrier), Barry Boeckenstedt (rear-tire changer), Tim Shore (rear-tire carrier), Mark Jacobs (jackman), Randy Hildreth (gasman) and Mike Motil (catch can). The team's crew chief is Tony Glover and the pit crew coach is Phil Horton.(DMF Commincations PR)(11-24-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Nov. 21)
Nextel Cup Ford 400 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Sterling Marlin Team 238.383 seconds 40 43
2.
Bobby Labonte Team 241.073 “ 18 42
3.
Michael Waltrip Team 258.508 “ 15 41
4.
Kevin Harvick Team 262.756 “ 29 40
5.
Jamie McMurray Team 275.355 “ 42 39
6.
Greg Biffle Team 276.481 “ 16 38
7.
Elliott Sadler Team 279.154 “ 38 37
8.
Carl Edwards Team 284.784 “ 99 36
9.
Tony Stewart Team 289.069
“ 20 35
10. John Andretti Team 343.744
“ 14 34
Others:
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 382.877 “ 8 32
2004 Winners of The
McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade:
|
Daytona (2/15) Tony
Stewart Team
Rockingham (2/22)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team
Las Vegas (3/7) Kurt
Busch Team
Atlanta (3/14) Robby
Gordon Team
Darlington (3/21) Greg
Biffle Team
Bristol (3/28) Sterling Marlin Team
Texas (4/4) Michael
Waltrip Team
Martinsville (4/18) Kurt
Busch Team
Talladega (4/25) Robby
Gordon Team
California (5/2) Robby
Gordon Team
Richmond (5/15) Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Team
Charlotte (5/30) Jamie
McMurray Team
Dover (6/6) Tony
Stewart Team
Pocono (6/13) Casey
Mears Team
Michigan (6/20) Elliott
Sadler Team
Sonoma (6/27) Elliott
Sadler Team
Daytona (7/3) Michael
Waltrip Team
Chicago (7/11) Elliott
Sadler Team
|
N. Hampshire (7/25) Kurt Busch Team
Pocono (8/1) Greg
Biffle Team
Indianapolis (8/8) Elliott
Sadler Team
Watkins Glen (8/15) Tony Stewart Team
Michigan (8/22) Greg
Biffle Team
Bristol (8/28) Robby
Gordon Team
California (9/5) Elliott
Sadler Team
Richmond (9/11) Michael
Waltrip Team
N. Hampshire (9/19) Sterling Marlin Team
Dover (9/26) Kurt
Busch Team
Talladega (10/3) Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Team
Kansas (10/10) Elliott
Sadler Team
Charlotte (10/16) Elliott
Sadler Team
Martinsville (10/24) Kevin
Harvick Team
Atlanta (10/31) Ricky
Rudd Team
Phoenix (11/7) Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Team
Darlington (11/24) Jamie
McMurray Team
Homestead (11/21) Sterling Marlin Team
|
Final Point Standings for NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Teams Competing
In The McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit
Championship fueled by POWERADE:
Following Homestead (11/21);
pit crew wins in parentheses
Pos. Car # Pit Crew of Points Prize Money
1 20 Tony
Stewart Team (3) 1262 60,000
2 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team (4) 1258 80,000
3 38 Elliott
Sadler Team (7) 1248 140,000
4 97 Kurt
Busch Team (4) 1240 80,000
5 29 Kevin
Harvick Team (1) 1222 20,000
6 15 Michael Waltrip Team (3) 1215 60,000
7 30 Jeff Burton Team 1214
8 42 Jamie McMurray Team (2) 1206 40,000
9 18 Bobby Labonte Team 1188
10 40 Sterling Marlin Team (3) 1168 60,000
11 88 Dale
Jarrett Team 1159
12 01 Joe
Nemechek Team 1158
13 31 Robby Gordon Team (4) 1146 80,000
14 21 Ricky
Rudd Team (1) 1123 20,000
15 99 Carl
Edwards Team 1116
16 16 Greg
Biffle Team (3) 1113 60,000
17 41 Casey Mears Team (1) 1083 20,000
18 49 Ken
Schrader Team 1055
19 43 Jeff Green Team 1041
20 0 Mike Bliss Team 992
21 45 Kyle
Petty Team 972
22 50 Todd
Bodine Team 768
23 09 James
Finch Team (owner) 583
24 198 William
Edwards (owner) 513
25 02 Hermie
Sadler Team 429
26 89 Morgan
Shepherd Team 362
27 1 DEI Team 240 `
28 72 Kirk
Shelmerdine Team 217
29 280 Stanton Hoover (owner) 206
30 251 Kevin
Lepage Team 146
31 14 John
Andretti Team 131
32 91 Bill
Elliott Team 128
33 100 Kenny
Wallace Team 106
34 36 Boris
Said Team 101
35 194 Stanton Barrett Team 100
36 11 J.J.Yeley Team 78
37 133 Kerry
Earnhardt Team 77
- Teams NOT participating in the Powerade Program
[usually sponsor conflicts, Powerade is a Coca Cola Product]
#2-Rusty Wallace
#4-Jimmy Spencer
#5-Terry Labonte
#6-Mark Martin
#9-Kasey Kahne
#10-Scott Riggs
#12-Ryan Newman
#17-Matt Kenseth
#19-Jeremy Mayfield
#22-Scott Wimmer
#24-Jeff Gordon
#25-Brian Vickers
#32-Ricky Craven
#48-Jimmie Johnson
- McMurray’s Crew Takes Darlington Win - One Point Separates #20 and #8: Just like the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade is also going down to the final race of the season. Entering this weekend’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a mere one point in the McDonald’s/POWERade standings separates the top two crews of Tony Stewart (1227) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1226). Elliott Sadler’s crew is third (1211) and Kurt Busch’s crew is fourth (1210).
The McDonald’s/POWERade season champion pit crew will be awarded a $200,000 bonus. In Sunday’s Nextel Cup race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Jamie McMurray’s pit crew won the McDonald’s/POWERade competition and picked up the weekly purse of $20,000. It was the second win of the season for the No. 42 crew. McMurray’s Texaco/Havoline Dodge spent the least amount of time on Darlington’s pit road with a time of 387.121 seconds. Jeff Burton’s AOL Chevrolet was second at 425.823 and Carl Edwards’ World Financial Group Ford was third at 428.261. “This is cool for the guys on the Texaco/Havoline team," said McMurray. "They've worked really hard this year, and have shown that we're a championship caliber team. It's cool that they are being recognized for their hard work."
The No. 42 over-the-wall crew consists of: Bobby Burrell (front tire changer), Darren Jolly (front tire carrier), David Collins (rear tire changer), Scott Myers (rear tire carrier), Mark Cass (jackman), Mike Bodick (gas man) and Heath Silver (catch can). Donnie Wingo is the crew chief and Mike Brill is the car chief.(DMF Commincations PR)(11-18-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Nov. 14)
Nextel Cup race at Darlington Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Jamie McMurray Team 387.121 seconds 42 43
2.
Jeff Burton Team 425.823 “ 30 42
3.
Carl Edwards Team 428.261 “ 99 41
4.
Joe Nemechek Team 430.185 “ 01 40
5.
Jeff Green Team 439.531 “ 43 39
6.
Bobby Labonte Team 441.372 “ 18 38
7.
Sterling Marlin Team 445.793 “ 40 37
8.
Tony Stewart Team 471.493
“ 20 36
9.
Robby Gordon Team 476.196 “ 31 35
10. Mike Bliss Team
491.583
“
0 34
Others:
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 557.086 “ 8 32
13. Kurt Busch Team 585.732 “ 97 31
14. Elliott Sadler Team 657.028
“ 38 30
Dale Jr.'s Pit Crew wins at Phoenix: The pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured the Phoenix competition of the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. The victory lifted the No. 8 team into first place in the pit crew standings with two races remaining in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule. It was the fourth McDonald's/POWERade win for the #8 crew and in three of those victories Earnhardt also won the race - Richmond (May 15), Talladega (Oct. 3) and Phoenix (Nov. 7). The McDonald's/POWERade point standings got shuffled following the Phoenix race. Earnhardt's team moved from third to first while Elliott Sadler's team dropped from first to third. Tony Stewart's team remained in second, three points out of the lead. The top four crews heading into Darlington (Nov. 14) are: Earnhardt's (1194 points), Stewart's (1191), Sadler's (1181) and Kurt Busch's (1179). Earnhardt's crew is the reigning McDonald's/POWERade champion. Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on Phoenix International Raceway's pit road with a time of 285.50 seconds. Biffle's National Guard Ford was second at 325.98 and Jeff Burton's AOL Chevy was third at 329.87. "Great team, great car, great pit stops," said Earnhardt following his Phoenix victory. "What else can you say? I'm really proud of these guys for not giving up this year. We had awesome pit stops all day, and Tony (Eury) Sr. did a great job making the calls from the pits. Whether it was the decision to take four (tires), or the decision to stay out when I was hollerin' on the radio to pit, Tony Sr. and Tony Jr. and the whole team earned their stripes." The #8 over-the-wall crew consists of: Jeff Clarke (gasman), Kevin Pennell (jackman), Phil Drye (front tire changer), Danny Earnhardt (front tire carrier), Greg Burkhart (rear tire changer), Troy Prince (rear tire carrier), Craig Lund (catch can). Tony Eury Sr. is the crew chief and the car chief is Tony Eury Jr. The pit crew coach is Walt Smith.(DMF Comminications PR), see top-10 at Atlanta with time, season standings and more on my Pit Crew page.(11-11-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Nov. 7)
Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 285.50 seconds 8 43
2.
Greg Biffle Team 325.98 “ 16 42
3.
Jeff Burton Team 329.87 “ 30 41
4.
Bobby Labonte Team 331.26 “ 18 40
5.
Tony Stewart Team 370.56 “ 20 39
6.
Kyle Petty Team 393.66 “ 45 38
7.
Michael Waltrip Team 411.67 “ 15 37
8.
Sterling Marlin Team 413.27 “ 40 36
9.
Kurt Busch Team 413.55 “ 97 35
10. Jeff Green Team
422.76 “ 43 34
- Rudd's Pit Crew Claims Atlanta Win; Four Crews in Hunt For $200,000 Champion's Bonus: Ricky Rudd's pit crew won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was the first victory for No. 21 crew in the weekly competition that pays $20,000 to the winner. Heading into the final three races of the season, the McDonald's/POWERade points race has heated up with four pit crews in a closely-contested battle for the $200,000 champion's bonus.
Leading the chase is the No. 38 pit crew for Elliot Sadler with 1160 points. Tony Stewart's crew is second with 1152 points, third is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew (1151) and fourth is Kurt Busch's crew (1144). Rudd's Rent-a-Center Motorcraft Ford spent the least amount of time on Atlanta's pit road with a time of 280.639 seconds. Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet was second at 285.441 and Michael Waltrip's NAPA Chevy was third at 286.842. "I'm real proud of the guys," said Rudd. "They were really decent from the beginning of the year, but have gotten even better the past few weeks. I knew they were quick because we went forward all day. I'm just real proud of them. Our crew has picked up the pace, and we've got Gary Smith (pit crew trainer) on board now. He has trained a lot of the top teams and he has helped." Rudd's crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain said, "Our crew and Ricky have really been working hard on this. It is good to see that all the hours they have put in practicing, and Ricky working on getting on and off pit road, have really paid off."
Rudd's over-the-wall crew consists of: Tony Martin (jackman), Mike "Andretti" Smith (front-tire changer), Andy Silver (front-tire carrier), Rob Fuller (rear-tire changer), Heath Cherry (rear-tire carrier), Henry Benfield (gasman) and Marc Smith (catch can).
(DMF Comminications PR)(11-4-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Oct. 31)
Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Ricky Rudd Team 280.639 seconds 21 43
2.
Tony Stewart Team 285.441 “ 20 42
3.
Michael Waltrip Team 286.842 “ 15 41
4.
Bill Elliott Team 300.811
“ 98 40
5.
Sterling Marlin Team 302.776 “ 40 39
6.
Jeff Burton Team 311.628 “ 30 38
7.
Carl Edwards Team 317.611 “ 99 37
8.
John Andretti Team 324.894 “ 14 36
9.
Jeff Green Team 325.050 “ 43 35
10. Kyle Petty Team
326.344 “ 45 34
- Martinsville Performance Gives Harvick's Pit Crew First Win of Season: The pit crew for Kevin Harvick scored its first victory in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade by taking top honors in Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The No. 29 crew earned $20,000 for the win. With four races remaining, only 13 points separate the top three crews in the McDonald's/POWERade standings. Elliott Sadler's crew leads with 1140 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is second with 1129 and Kurt Busch's crew is third with 1127. The championship pit crew will earn a $200,000 bonus. Harvick's GM Goodwrench Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on Martinsville's pit road with a time of 323.762 seconds. Jeff Burton's AOL Chevy was second at 340.342 and Busch's IRWIN Ford was third at 349.652. "Kevin does everything he can on the track so we have to do everything we can for him when he comes into the pits," said Todd Berrier, crew chief for the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet team. "Track position is critical at Martinsville because of how difficult it is to pass so winning the McDonald's/POWERade award there shows how good our Goodwrench crew is. All the pit stop practice and time in the weight room the guys do at the shop during the week really pay off." Harvick's over-the-wall crew consists of: Mike Scearce (jackman), Brian Englehart (gasman), Scott Naset (catch can), Jason Pulver (front-tire changer), Josh Mick (front-tire carrier), Clint Pittman (rear tire changer) and Kenny Barber (rear-tire carrier).(DMF Comminications)(10-27-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Oct. 24)
Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Kevin Harvick Team 323.762
seconds 29 43
2.
Jeff Burton Team 340.342 “ 30 42
3.
Kurt Busch Team 349.652
“ 97 41
4.
Greg Biffle Team 355.890
“ 16 40
5.
Sterling Marlin Team 360.583 “ 40 39
6.
Jamie McMurray Team 365.372 “ 42 38
7.
Tony Stewart Team 407.290 “ 20 37
8.
Bobby Labonte Team 420.386 “ 18 36
9.
Michael Waltrip Team 460.348 “ 15 35
10. Ken Schrader Team 479.129 “ 49 34
- Sadler's Pit Crew Wins Charlotte Event; Donates Prize Money: Elliott Sadler's pit crew scored its seventh win of the season in the weekly McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade by taking top honors in Saturday night's UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte. Sadler's crew is donating its $20,000 first-place prize money from Charlotte to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and to the Autism Society of America. Each charity will receive $10,000. "This weekend I was told the guys are going to donate the winnings to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and to the Autism Society of America," said Sadler. "Both of these charities are very close to Dale Jarrett's and my hearts, so we are proud the team decided to donate their prize money to two great causes." The chase for the McDonald's/POWERade season championship is shaping up to be a battle between Sadler's crew and the No. 8 crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr., which finished second in Charlotte. With five Nextel Cup races remaining, Sadler's crew has a 10-point lead over Earnhardt's crew - 1115 to 1105. Lurking in third is Kurt Busch's crew with 1086 points. Sadler's Combos Ford spent the least amount of time on Lowe's Motor Speedway's pit road - 406.582 seconds. Earnhardt Jr.'s Budweiser Chevrolet followed with a time of 421.810. Jeff Burton's No. 30 AOL Chevy was third at 439.302. Sadler's over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Commications PR)(10-20-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Saturday’s (Oct. 16)
UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 406.582
seconds 38 43
2.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 421.810 “
8 42
3.
Jeff Burton Team 439.302 “ 30 41
4.
Tony Stewart Team 441.601 “ 20 40
5.
Dale Jarrett Team 446.234 “ 88 39
6.
Bobby Labonte Team 446.940 “ 18 38
7.
Jamie McMurray Team 448.531 “ 42 37
8.
Ricky Rudd Team 455.874 “ 21 36
9.
Ward Burton Team 469.171 “ 0 35
10. Robby Gordon Team 476.726 “ 31 34
- Kansas Win Puts Sadler's Pit Crew Back On Top: Elliott Sadler's pit crew won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade Sunday at Kansas Speedway. The victory lifted the No. 38 crew into first place in the point standings and the chase for the $200,000 champion's bonus. Sadler's crew leads the weekly competition in both victories (six) and prize money ($120,000). With six Nextel Cup races remaining, Sadler's crew goes into the homestretch with a nine-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew - 1072 to 1063. Earnhardt's crew finished 12th in Kansas. Sadler's M&M's Ford spent the least amount of time on Kansas' pit road - 150.499 seconds. Greg Biffle's National Guard Ford was second at 182.875. Dale Jarrett's UPS Ford came in third with a time of 184.018. "It's awesome to have great pit strategy and a great pit crew," said Sadler. "Our M&M'S pit crew has been on top of their game all year. They practice hard all week and it shows up every Sunday. This is by far the best pit crew I've ever had in my career and our results echo their success on pit road. Every time the yellow comes out I know we are going to come in and pick up some spots. Those guys deserve this McDonald's/POWERade award and our team has won this more than any other team this season and now we're back in the lead." Sadler's over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Commuincations PR)10-13-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Oct. 10)
Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 150.499
seconds 38 43
2.
Greg Biffle Team 182.875 “ 16 42
3.
Dale Jarrett Team 184.018 “ 88 41
4.
Ricky Rudd Team 189.597 “ 21 40
5.
Jamie McMurray Team 193.929 “ 42 39
6.
Joe Nemechek Team 218.847 “ 01 38
7.
Michael Waltrip Team 256.657 “ 15 37
8.
Tony Stewart Team 264.249 “ 20 36
9.
Jeff Burton Team 266.953 “ 30 35
10. Kurt Busch Team 279.040 “ 97 34
(12.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 305.814 “ 8 32)
- Dale Jr.'s Pit Crew Takes Over Points Lead After Talladega Win: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s pit crew not only captured Sunday's McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade at Talladega Superspeedway, but the No. 8 crew also took over the competition's points lead which will pay the season champion a $200,000 bonus.
It was the third time this season that Earnhardt's crew won the $20,000 weekly prize - the other wins were at Rockingham and Richmond in May. The No. 8 crew, which played a vital role in Earnhardt's victory in the restrictor-plate race, overcame a 19-point deficit to Elliott Sadler's crew going into Talladega. Earnhardt's crew earned 43 points for the win while Sadler's crew picked up 22 points for finishing 22nd.
With seven Nextel Cup races remaining, the McDonald's/POWERade points race is shaping up to be a tightly-contested battle. The top-five crews are: Earnhardt Jr. (1031 points), Sadler (1029), Kurt Busch (1020), Kevin Harvick (1013) and Tony Stewart (997).
Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on Talladega's pit road - 203.341 seconds. Busch's Sharpie Ford was second at 211.299. Joe Nemechek's No. 01 U.S. Army Chevy came in third with a time of 213.680.
"Great pit stops all day," said Earnhardt. "I believe every time we made a pit stop, we picked up positions. Tony Jr. made a great call there when we were coming in for a quick gas-and-go with about 12 or 11 to go. The caution came out just as we had entered pit road, so he was yelling 'Put on two tires! Put on two tires!' That was a split-second decision, and I think it was the difference in us winning and losing. Those two right-side tires made the car turn so much better, and I had 'em and nobody else did."
Tony Eury Sr., crew chief for the No. 8 team, said, "We've finally got our pit crew going the way we need it to. We made a few changes not too long ago, because we felt like if we're going to make a serious run at this championship, we need to get our act together in the pits. Our pit stops have been really good last month, and it just so happens we've won two races and added a few more top-fives to go with them. Dale Jr. has done a great job driving the car, and the guys in the pits have done a great job getting him in and out."
The No. 8 over-the-wall crew consists of: Jeff Clarke (gasman), Kevin Pennell (jackman), Phil Drye (front tire changer), Danny Earnhardt (front tire carrier), Greg Burkhart (rear tire changer), Troy Prince (rear tire carrier), Craig Lund (catch can). Tony Eury Sr. is the crew chief and the car chief is Tony Eury Jr. The pit crew coach is Walt Smith.(DMF Communications PR).(10-7-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Oct. 3)
EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 203.341
seconds 8 43
2.
Kurt Busch Team 211.299 “ 97 42
3.
Joe Nemechek Team 213.680 “ 01 41
4.
Robby Gordon Team 214.165
“ 31 40
5.
Jeff Burton Team 220.755 “ 30 39
6.
Kevin Harvick Team 228.252
“ 29 38
7.
Ward Burton Team 228.944 “ 0 37
8.
Michael Waltrip Team 246.150 “ 15 36
9.
Ken Schrader Team 293.331
“ 49 35
10. Tony Stewart Team 328.965 “ 20 34
(22.
Elliott Sadler Team 616.380 “ 38 22)
- Busch's Pit Crew Takes Top Honors in Dover: Kurt Busch's pit crew captured the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's MBNA America 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. It was the fourth victory of the season that Busch's team has won the $20,000 weekly prize. The other three victories were in Las Vegas, Martinsville and the July race in New Hampshire. With eight Nextel Cup races remaining, Elliott Sadler's pit crew continues to cling to the McDonald's/POWERade points lead and the chase for the $200,000 champion's bonus. Sadler's crew has a 19-point lead - 1007 to 988 -- over the pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Busch's crew is third with 978 points. Busch's No. 97 Sharpie Ford spent the least amount of time on Dover's pit road - 197.353 seconds. Michael Waltrip's No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet came in second with a time of 198.824. Ricky Rudd's No. 21 "Keep It Genuine" Ford was third at 199.386. "These Sharpie guys did a great job on Sunday," said crew chief Jimmy Fennig. "We had a lot of changes going on to keep up with the car during the stops, and the over-the-wall guys really hit their marks. Pit stops are just as important as anything else in this "Chase" deal, so to win the McDonald's/POWERade competition shows that we're doing that part right." Busch's over-the-wall crew consists of: Scott Ward (front tire changer), Mark Full (front tire carrier), Kevin Gilman (rear tire changer), Jason Binger (rear tire carrier), Doug Newell (gasman), Scott Radel (jackman) and Jim Gaudette (catch can).(DMF Communications)(9-29-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Sept. 26)
MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway
Time
Car # Points
1.
Kurt Busch Team 197.353 seconds 97 43
2.
Michael Waltrip Team 198.824 “ 15 42
3.
Ricky Rudd Team 199.386
“ 21 41
4.
Jamie McMurray Team 205.554 “ 42 40
5.
Greg Biffle Team 229.463 “ 16 39
6.
Kevin Harvick Team 232.480
“ 29 38
7.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 237.051
“
8 37
8.
Dale Jarrett Team 237.291 “ 88 36
9.
Tony Stewart Team 240.156
“ 20 35
10.
Ken Schrader Team 248.907 “ 49 34
(14.
Elliott Sadler Team 253.700 “ 38 30)
- Marlin's Pit Crew Wins in New Hampshire: The pit crew for Sterling Marlin won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. It was the second time this season that Marlin's crew earned the $20,000 weekly prize - the team's other win was at the March race in Bristol, Tenn. In the McDonald's/POWERade point standings, Elliott Sadler's pit crew remains in the lead and the chase for the $200,000 bonus which will go to the season champion. After 27 races, Sadler's crew enjoys a 26-point lead - 977 to 951 -- over the pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Harvick's crew, a non-winner so far in 2004, is third with 937 points. Marlin's No. 40 Coors Light Dodge spent the least amount of time on pit road in New Hampshire - 169.138 seconds. Michael Waltrip's No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet came in second with a time of 172.124. Harvick's No. 29 Goodwrench Chevy was third at 180.261. "The Coors Light crew did a great job getting me in and out of the pits," said Marlin. "The guys work hard week in and week out and I am proud of them for winning the McDonald's/POWERade pit crew competition this past weekend." Marlin's over-the-wall crew consists of Steven Wolfe (front-tire changer), Trent Davis (front-tire carrier), Barry Boeckenstedt (rear-tire changer), Tim Shore (rear-tire carrier), Mark Jacobs (jackman), Randy Hildreth (gasman) and Mike Motil (catch can). The team's crew chief is Lee McCall and the pit crew coach is Phil Horton.(DMF Communications PR)(9-23-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Sept. 19)
Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire
International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Sterling Marlin Team 169.138
seconds 40 43
2.
Michael Waltrip Team 172.124 “ 15 42
3.
Kevin Harvick Team 180.261 “ 29 41
4.
Kurt Busch Team 187.091 “ 97 40
5.
Joe Nemechek Team 189.730
“ 01 39
6.
Carl Edwards Team 207.902
“ 99 38
7.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 214.411 “
8 37
8.
Elliott Sadler Team 219.764 “ 38 36
9.
Dale Jarrett Team 223.634
“ 88 35
10.
Ken Schrader Team 238.359 “ 49 34
- Waltrip's Crew Wins in Richmond; Sadler's Crew Extends Points Lead: Michael Waltrip's crew captured the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was the third time the No. 15 crew claimed the $20,000 weekly prize. The team's other wins were at Texas and the Daytona race in July. Waltrip's crew edged Elliott Sadler's crew for the Richmond victory. But coming in second for Sadler's No. 38 crew earned them enough points to enjoy their biggest lead in the McDonald's/POWERade standings. With 10 Nextel Cup races remaining, Sadler's crew has a 27-point lead over Dale Earnhardt's crew - 941 to 914. The season champion will receive a $200,000 bonus.
Waltrip's crew, which finished second overall in last year's McDonald's/POWERade competition, moved into seventh place with 855 points.
Waltrip's No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet spent 121.762 seconds on Richmond's pit road. The pit road time for Sadler's No. 38 M&M's Ford was 123.926. Jeff Burton's No. 30 AOL Chevy came in third at 124.054.
"It's always very cool to win the McDonald's/POWERade pit crew competition," said crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe. "The guys were awesome in Richmond, averaging 13.20 seconds a stop.
"We didn't make the Chase for the Nextel Cup, but there's one championship we can still win and that's the McDonald's/POWERade championship. There are 10 races remaining and we're still in the hunt for the title. We need to pick up eight to nine points a race - that's doable. We finished second in the championship last year and would love to come back and win it this year."
The over-the-wall pit crew for Waltrip's team consists of: Brian Chase (jackman), Jeff Opal (gasman), Chris Crumley (front tire changer), Greg Osborne (rear tire changer), Shawn Ward (front tire carrier), Chad Walter (rear tire carrier) and Tom Vigue (catch can). The team's pit crew coach is Walt Smith.(DMF Communications PR)(9-15-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Saturday’s (Sept. 11)
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond
International Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Michael Waltrip team 121.762 seconds 15 43
2.
Elliott Sadler Team 123.926 “ 38 42
3.
Jeff Burton Team 124.054 “ 30 41
4.
Bobby Labonte Team 124.611 “ 18 40
5.
Tony Stewart Team 125.483 “ 20 39
6.
Kurt Busch Team 152.663 “ 97 38
7.
Kevin Harvick Team 158.673 “ 29 37
8.
Jeff Green Team 167.250 “ 43 36
9.
Mike Bliss Team 169.049
“ 180 35
10.
Joe Nemechek Team 181.759 “ 01 34
- Sadler's Pit Crew Takes Over Points Lead: Elliott Sadler's pit crew captured its fifth victory of the season by taking top honors in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway in Fontana. The No. 38 crew, which paced Sadler to victory at California and a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, has earned $100,000 in McDonald's/POWERade prize money and leads all crews with five season victories. As a result of the California win, Sadler's crew moved into first place in the season standings with 889 points, eight more than the second-place crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The two teams have been waging a season-long battle for the McDonald's/POWERade lead and the 200,000 champion's bonus that will be paid out at the awards banquet in New York City. Sadler's M&M's Robert Yates Racing Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road at California Speedway - 284.837 seconds. Coming in second was Joe Nemechek's No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet with a time of 290.866. Jamie McMurray's Texaco/Havoline Dodge was third at 292.925.
"Our entire organization is extremely proud of our win in the Pop Secret 500," said Eddie D'Hondt, general manager of Robert Yates Racing. "You have to admire the outstanding effort our M&M's "Chocolate Thunder" pit crew put forth this week to put Elliott in position to drive his way to victory. The McDonald's/POWERade Drive-Thru Pit Championship has been an ongoing battle for these guys and they have responded to the challenge all year long. They are the best and they have played a big part in the success the Robert Yates Racing No. 38 team has enjoyed throughout this year."
Sadler's over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Communications PR)(9-9-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Sept. 5)
Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway in Fontana
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 284.837 seconds 38 43
2.
Joe Nemechek Team 290.866 “ 01 42
3.
Jamie McMurray Team 292.925 “ 42 41
4.
Jeff Burton Team 297.835 “ 30 40
5.
Bill Elliott Team 302.412 “ 98 39
6.
Sterling Marlin Team 331.687 “ 40 38
7.
Boris Said Team 334.295 “ 36 37
8.
Robby Gordon Team 335.205 “ 31 36
9.
Carl Edwards Team 343.986 “ 99 35
10.
Kurt Busch Team 375.119 “ 97 34
- Gordon's Pit Crew Wins At Bristol: The pit crew for Robby Gordon won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was the fourth victory of the season for the No. 31 Cingular Wireless crew, which has amassed $80,000 in season prize money. The record of four McDonald's/POWERade victories ties Elliott Sadler's crew for most pit crew wins in 2004. The victory also lifted Gordon's crew from eighth to sixth in the season point standings. The crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to lead in the title chase that will pay $200,000 to the season pit crew champion. Earnhardt's crew has a 12-point lead over Sadler's crew - 868 to 856. Gordon's Cingular Chevrolet spent 207.043 seconds on pit road in Bristol. Greg Biffle's National Guard Ford was second with a time of 211.289 and Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevy was third at 264.916.
"Saturday night was tough," said Chris Andrews, crew chief for the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Team. "The long green-flag run was brutal on the drivers and pitting the car without losing too much ground is always a challenge at Bristol because of the track's short distance. "Robby and the guys really worked hard all night to get the job done. I knew they were doing pretty good when we actually gained two positions after everyone was forced to make green-flag pit stops approaching the midway point of the race. We were 12th and then we were 10th. That doesn't seem like much, but Bristol is one place it is not easy to gain position when you come down pit road." Gordon's over-the-wall crew consists of: Ira-Jo Hussey (front-tire changer), Kevin Nervegna (front-tire carrier), Timmy Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Ron Liddell (gas man), Mike Moore (jackman) and Coy Hedrick (catch can).(DMF Communications PR)(9-2-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Saturday’s (Aug. 28)
Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Robby Gordon Team 207.043 “ 31 43
2.
Greg Biffle Team 211.289 “ 16 42
3.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 264.916 “ 8 41
4.
Jeff Burton Team 267.133 “ 30 40
5.
Elliott Sadler Team 267.441 “ 38 39
6.
Kurt Busch Team 268.451 “ 97 38
7.
Jamie McMurray Team 272.217 “ 42 37
8.
Sterling Marlin Team 317.745
“ 40 36
9.
Kenny Wallace Team 370.172 “ 100 35
10.
Bobby Labonte Team 464.373 “ 18 34
- Biffle's Crew Takes Michigan Honors: While Greg Biffle celebrated victory Sunday at Michigan International Speedway so did his pit crew, which finished first in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. It was the third time this season the #16 National Guard crew took home the $20,000 weekly prize. The other No. 1 finishes were at Darlington and the August Pocono race. After 23 races, the reigning McDonald's/POWERade championship crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the chase for the $200,000 season-ending bonus with 827 points. Elliott Sadler's crew is second with 817 points and lurking in third is Tony Stewart's crew with 811 points. Biffle's National Guard/The Flash Ford spent 228.417 seconds on pit road - edging Robby Gordon's No. 31 Cingular Chevrolet's time of 229.287. Joe Nemechek's No. 01 U.S. Army Chevy was third at 235.513. Biffle's over-the-wall crew consists of Adam Emmert (front-tire changer), Jeff Silver (front-tire carrier), Mike Hillman (rear-tire changer), TJ Hamilton (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Merkel (jackman), Donnie Ratledge (gasman), John Eicher (catch can). "I think it's deserving for the day they all had," said crew chief Doug Richert. "It made for a perfect day. Not only were they rewarded with the race win, they got the McDonalds / POWERade pit crew challenge award to go with it. They averaged under 14 seconds per stop, which is a pretty good day."(DMF Communications PR)(8-25-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Aug. 22)
GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan
International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Greg Biffle Team 228.417 “ 97 43
2.
Robby Gordon Team 229.487 “ 31 42
3.
Joe Nemechek Team 235.513
“ 01 41
4.
Jamie McMurray Team 236.888 “ 42 40
5.
Dale Jarrett Team 239.907 “ 88 39
6.
Carl Edwards Team 243.565 “ 99 38
7.
Tony Stewart Team 243.851 “ 20 37
8.
Sterling Marlin Team 248.490 “ 40 36
9.
Ken Schrader Team 285.646 “ 49 35
10.
Michael Waltrip Team 285.736 “ 15 34
- Stewart's Pit Crew Scores Big At Watkins Glen: It was a double win for the #20 Home Depot/Joe Gibbs Racing Team Sunday at Watkins Glen International. Not only did driver Tony Stewart capture the win on the 2.45-mile road course, but his pit crew also came away with a victory -- taking top honors and $20,000 in the weekly McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. It was the third victory of the season for Stewart's crew, which has claimed $60,000 in prize money and is in position to contend for the $200,000 season champion's bonus. In the McDonald's/POWERade pit crew standings -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew regained the #1 spot with 800 points, six more than the second place crew for Elliott Sadler. Stewart's crew sits in third with 774 points.
Earnhardt's crew placed sixth at Watkins Glen and earned 38 standing points. Sadler's crew, which held the points lead the past two weeks, picked up 27 points with a 17th-place finish. Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on the Watkins Glen pit road -- 77.743 seconds. Coming in second was Kurt Busch's #97 IRWIN Ford with a time of 89.704 seconds. Third was Casey Mears' #41 Target Dodge at 90.476. "These guys have never given up on me no matter what has happened. I'm never giving up on them," said Stewart, who battled severe stomach cramps for much of the 90-lap race. "With a car like we had at Watkins Glen and the pit stops my guys gave me, I wasn't going to take a win away from those guys knowing we had a car capable of winning the race."
Stewart's over-the-wall crew consists of: Chuck White (jackman), Tom Dean (front-tire carrier), Mike Lingerfelt (front-tire changer), Jay Barry (rear-tire carrier), Todd Foster (rear-tire changer), Jeff "Gooch" Patterson (gas man) and Brian Larson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Greg Zipadelli and the pit stop coordinator is Paul Alepa.(DMF Communications PR)(8-19-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Aug. 15)
SIRIUS at The Glen at Watkins Glen
International
Time Car # Points
1.
Tony Stewart Team 77.743 seconds 20 43
2.
Kurt Busch Team 89.704 “ 97 42
3.
Casey Mears Team 90.476 “ 41 41
4.
Joe Nemechek Team 90.722 “ 01 40
5.
Robby Gordon Team 108.426
“ 31 39
6.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 111.973 “
8 38
7.
Kevin Harvick Team 115.889 “ 29 37
8.
Richard Childress Racing 125.855 “ 30 36
9.
Bobby Labonte Team 129.641 “ 18 35
10.
Ricky Rudd Team 134.415 “ 21 34
- #38 Crew take the honors at Indy: Elliott Sadler's pit crew took first place honors in Sunday's Brickyard 400, scoring its fourth win of the season in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. The four victories for Sadler's crew, which have come in the last seven races, lifted the team's earnings to $80,000 -- $20,000 for each win. The other victories for the #38 crew were at Michigan, Sonoma and Chicago. Sadler's and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crews continue to wage a tight points battle that will pay the McDonald's/POWERade season champion $200,000. After 21 Nextel Cup races, Sadler's crew is five points ahead of Earnhardt's crew - 767 to 762. Lurking in third is Tony Stewart's crew with 731 points. Sadler's M&M's Ford spent the least amount of time on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's pit road, beating its Robert Yates Racing teammate -- Dale Jarrett's No. 88 UPS Ford. Sadler's car was clocked at 211.980 seconds while Jarrett's car was nearly six seconds off the pace at 217.693. Earnhardt's No. 8 Budweiser Chevy was third at 234.223. "Both our pit crews are performing well right now," said Eddie D'Hondt, general manager of Robert Yates Racing. "For the #38 M&M's team to win this award for the fourth time in seven weeks, is just incredible. They are hitting their stride at the right time of the season as they build upon their lead in the chase for the McDonald's / POWERade championship. I am very proud of our guys, Elliott and (crew chief) Todd Parrott and I don't see us letting up the rest of the year. It takes track position and the whole package to run in the top 10 in points all year long and the M&M's crew is bringing it, every week. They are awesome." Sadler's over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Communications PR)(8-11-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Aug. 8)
Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 211.980 seconds 38 43
2.
Dale Jarrett Team 217.693
“ 88 42
3.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 234.223 “ 8 41
4.
Tony Stewart Team 235.077
“ 20 40
5.
Greg Biffle Team 239.175
“ 16 39
6.
Joe Nemechek Team 272.838 “ 01 38
7.
Jeff Green Team 274.995 “ 43 37
8.
Bill Elliott Team 290.004
“ 91 36
9.
Jeff Burton Team 299.280 “ 99 35
10.
Kevin Harvick Team 314.763 “ 29 34
- Biffle's Pit Crew Grabs Pocono Win; Sadler's Crew Takes Over Points Lead: Greg Biffle's pit crew won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's (Aug. 1) Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. It was the second time this season that Biffle's No. 16 crew claimed the $20,000 first-place prize. In the season standings and the chase for the $200,000 McDonald's/POWERade champion's bonus, Elliott Sadler's crew took over the lead following Pocono with 724 points, three more than Dale Earnhardt's crew. Tony Stewart's crew remains third with 691 points. Sadler's crew earned 40 points in Pocono with a fourth-place finish while Earnhardt's crew picked up 31 points with a 13th-place finish. Biffle's National Guard Ford spent the least amount of time on Pocono's pit road - 339.00 seconds. Casey Mears' Target Dodge came in second with a time of 365.00. Third was Robbie Gordon's Cingular Chevrolet at 375.00. "I feel like these guys have been performing to this quality all year," said Biffle's crew chief Doug Richert. "As a team we were able to capitalize on their performance in Pocono and finish where we've been running all season. It was motivating for the crew because it was the first time they really got to follow through and show the kind of pit stops they've been giving us all year." Biffle said, "That's awesome that they won the pit crew challenge last weekend. We had a good run and that just adds to the momentum going into Indy." Biffle's over-the-wall crew consists of Adam Emmert (front-tire changer), Jeff Silver (front-tire carrier), Mike Hillman (rear-tire changer), TJ Hamilton (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Merkel (jackman), Donnie Ratledge (gasman), John Eicher (catch can).(DMF Communications)(8-5-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (Aug. 1)
Pennsylvania 500 at
Pocono Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Greg Biffle Team 339.00 seconds 16 43
2.
Casey Mears Team 365.00 “ 41 42
3.
Robby Gordon Team 375.00 “ 31 41
4.
Elliott Sadler Team 392.00 “ 38 40
5.
Joe Nemechek Team 430.00 “ 01 39
6.
Dave Blaney Team 507.00 “ 30 38
7.
Ricky Rudd Team 543.00 “ 21 37
8.
Kyle Petty Team 642.00 “ 45 36
9.
Sterling Marlin Team 677.00 “ 40 35
10.
Ken Schrader Team 704.00 “ 49 34
- Busch's Pit Crew Scores New Hampshire Win; Sadler's Crew Closing In On Points Lead: Pacing Kurt Busch to victory in Sunday's Siemens 300 Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway was his pit crew, which took top honors in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. It was the third time this season that Busch's #97 crew pocketed the first-place prize that is worth $20,000 for each win. The other pit crew victories for Busch's team were at Las Vegas and Martinsville. In the quest for the $200,000 McDonald's/POWERade bonus that goes to the crew that garners the most points at the end of the season, Dale Earnhardt's team has a slim six-point lead over Elliott Sadler's crew (690-684). Busch's team remains in fifth place with 652 points. Busch's IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford spent the least amount of time on New Hampshire's pit road --113.812 seconds. Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet came in second with a time of 115.241. Third was Jamie McMurray's Texaco/Havoline Dodge at 119.200. "These IRWIN guys really stepped it up to show what being a team is all about," said crew chief Jimmy Fennig. "Our car chief stayed in Charlotte over the weekend with his wife to have a baby, so the rest of the guys all did more than their fair share to fill in and make sure everything was perfect. The over-the-wall guys hit their marks all day during those three stops and helped us gain some positions in the pits." Busch's over-the-wall crew consists of: Scott Ward (front tire changer), Mark Full (front tire carrier), Kevin Gilman (rear tire changer), Jason Binger (rear tire carrier), Doug Newell (gasman), Scott Radel (jackman) and Jim Gaudette (catch can).(DMF Communications)(7-29-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday’s (July 25)
Siemens 300 at New
Hampshire International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Kurt Busch Team 113.812 seconds 97 43
2.
Tony Stewart Team 115.241 “ 20 42
3.
Jamie McMurray Team 119.200 “ 42 41
4.
Michael Waltrip Team 152.849 “ 15 40
5.
Kevin Harvick Team 154.282
“ 29 39
6.
Dale Jarrett Team 185.688 “ 88 38
7.
Jeff Burton Team 186.510
“
99 37
8.
Bobby Labonte Team 190.980 “ 18 36
9.
Bobby Hamilton Jr. Team 212.466 “ 09 35
10.
Sterling Marlin Team 248.297 “ 40 34
- Chicago Win Gives Sadler’s Pit Crew Third Victory in Last Four Races: The pit crew for Elliott Sadler claimed the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday’s (July 11) Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. It was the third time in the last four races that Sadler’s No. 38 crew collected the first-place $20,000 prize. The other wins were in Michigan and Sonoma. At the halfway point of the 36-race schedule, Sadler’s pit crew remains a top contender for the McDonald’s/POWERade season championship and the $200,000 bonus. The No. 38 crew is in second place, only nine points behind series leader – the No 8 crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sadler’s M&M’s Ford spent 190.811 seconds on pit road during the Tropicana 400. Tony Stewart’s Home Depot Chevy was second with a time of 193.051. Third was Sterling Marlin’s Coors Light Dodge at 212.097. My M&M’s crew brings their “A” game every weekend to the track,” said Sadler. “I cannot tell you how pumped up these guys are and how fast their stops are week in and week out. Track position is so important these days, and these guys know that. They are prepared, in great shape and have made it their mission to win the McDonald’s/POWERade championship. We all win if they win the race off pit road every week. They are one of the reasons we have stayed in the top-10 in points for the entire season.” Sadler’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team’s crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Communications)(7-15-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (July 11)
Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 190.811 seconds 38 43
2.
Tony Stewart Team 193.051 “ 20 42
3.
Sterling Marlin Team 212.097 “ 40 41
4.
Casey Mears Team 268.292 “ 41 40
5.
Michael Waltrip Team 268.910
“ 15 39
6.
Kevin Harvick Team 274.225
“ 29 38
7.
Jamie McMurray Team 283.781
“
42 37
8.
Dale Jarrett Team 292.195 “ 88 36
9.
Bobby Labonte Team 314.281 “ 18 35
10.
Robby Gordon Team 325.688
“ 31 34
- Waltrip's Pit Crew Takes Daytona Win: The pit crew for Michael Waltrip captured the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Saturday night's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. It was the second time this season that Waltrip's #15 crew claimed the $20,000 first-place prize. The crew's other victory was at Texas Motor Speedway in April. The Daytona victory lifted Waltrip's crew into sixth place in the McDonald's/POWERade standings with 562 points. Waltrip's DEI teammate, the pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr., continues to lead the competition with 638 points. Elliott Sadler's pit crew is second with 614 points and Kurt Busch's crew remains in third with 588. A $200,000 bonus awaits the season champion. During Saturday night's 400-mile event in Daytona, Waltrip's NAPA Chevrolet logged the least amount of time on pit road - 175.899 seconds. Coming in second was Ricky Rudd's Motorcraft Ford with a time of 178.633. Third was Dave Blaney's AOL Chevy at 180.120. The over-the-wall pit crew for Waltrip's team consists of: Brian Chase (jackman), Jeff Opal (gasman), Chris Crumley (front tire changer), Greg Osborne (rear tire changer), Shawn Ward (front tire carrier), Chad Walter (rear tire carrier) and Tom Vigue (catch can). The team's crew chief is Richard "Slugger" Labbe and the pit crew coach is Walt Smith.(DMF Comminications PR)(7-8-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in
Saturday’s race (July 3) at Daytona International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Michael Waltrip Team 175.899
seconds 15 43
2.
Ricky Rudd Team 178.633 “ 21 42
3.
Dave Blaney Team 180.120 “ 30 41
4.
Robby Gordon Team 180.151 “ 31 40
5.
Kevin Harvick Team 187.422 “ 29 39
6.
Tony Stewart Team 190.590 “ 20 38
7.
Casey Mears Team 192.285 “ 41 37
8.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 193.776 “
8 36
9.
Kurt Busch Team 197.562 “ 97 35
10.
Bobby Labonte Team 198.584 “ 18 34
- Sadler's Pit Crew Shines Again: Elliott Sadler's pit crew pocketed its second victory in as many weeks by winning the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's Dodge / Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Sadler's #38 pit crew also took top honors the week before at Michigan International Speedway. The back-to-back victories by Sadler's crew not only increased its prize money total to $40,000 ($20,000 for each win), but significantly closed the gap in the McDonald's/POWERade season point standings and the chase for the $200,000 champion's bonus. Sadler's pit crew gained 16 points on the leading #8 crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. After 16 of 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, Sadler's crew has 590 points, only 12 behind Earnhardt's crew. Kurt Busch's crew is third with 553 points. During Sunday's road-race on the twisting 11-turn, 1.99-mile circuit, Sadler's M&M's Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road - 104.331 seconds. Jeff Burton's Roush Racing Ford was second with a time of 105.277 and Michael Waltrip's NAPA Chevy was third at 108.526. "Two-in-a-row is pretty stout," said #38 crew chief Todd Parrott. "These guys are working their hardest. I am real excited for this team and I am speaking on behalf of Elliott as well. We would not have the finishes we've had without the help of the pit crew. How cool is that!" Sadler's over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Communications PR)(7-1-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (June 27)
Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 104.331
seconds 38 43
2.
Jeff Burton’s Team 105.277 “ 99 42
3.
Michael Waltrip Team 108.526 “ 15 41
4.
Casey Mears Team 109.093 “ 41 40
5.
Jamie McMurray Team 110.640 “ 42 39
6.
Scott Pruett Team 110.665 “ 39 38
7.
Klaus Graf Team 110.832 “ 59 37
8.
Boris Said Team 113.195 “ 36 36
9.
Ken Schrader Team 116.688 “ 49 35
10.
Greg Biffle Team 162.252 “ 16 34
- Sadler's Crew Grabs First Win of Season with Michigan Victory: Elliott Sadler's pit crew captured its first victory of the season in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade with an impressive performance in Sunday's DHL 400 at Michigan International Speedway. With Sadler's No. 38 crew winning the $20,000 weekly prize, there have been 10 different pit crew winning teams in the first 15 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races of the season. In the McDonald's/POWERade standings, Sadler's crew closed the gap with the first-place team of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 crew. Earnhardt's pit crew has a slim 28-point lead over Sadler's crew in the chase for the $200,000 that will be awarded to the season champion. The No. 38 pit crew scored a narrow victory in Michigan over its Robert Yates Racing teammate - the No. 88 crew for Dale Jarrett. Sadler's M&M's Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road - 192.295 seconds. Jarrett's UPS Ford was right behind with a time of 192.498. Kevin Harvick's No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevy was third at 202.837. "My pit crew deserves this," said Sadler. "Eddie D'Hondt recruited all of these guys over the off season and we have just meshed together. I never had a crew so good - and never had a team so pumped up and wanting to win. Every time I come to pit road I'm confident they are going to give me good track position. These guys deserve the recognition because they work their tails off - not only last weekend but all season long. Those guys are awesome and I'm real proud of them." Sadler's over-the-wall crew consists of: Darryl Lockyer (front-tire changer), Kevin Hall (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer/car chief), Lance Hanna (rear-tire carrier) Rodney Fetters (jackman), Preston Cordell (gas man) and Jay Thompson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Todd Parrott.(DMF Communications PR)(6-23-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (June 20)
DHL 400 at Michigan International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Elliott Sadler Team 192.295
seconds 38 43
2.
Dale Jarrett Team 192.498 “ 88 42
3.
Kevin Harvick Team 202.837 “ 29 41
4.
Michael Waltrip Team 237.883 “ 15 40
5.
Sterling Marlin Team 242.268 “ 40 39
6.
Ricky Rudd Team 282.812 “ 21 38
7.
Kurt Busch Team 314.124 “ 97 37
8.
Jeff Green Team 321.217 “ 43 36
9.
Dave Blaney Team 344.074 “ 30 35
10.
Bobby Labonte Team 344.473 “ 18 34
- Mears' Pit Crew Collects Pocono Win; #8 Crew Extends Points Lead: The pit crew for Casey Mears, which has been close many times in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade, can now lay claim to winning the weekly contest with a solid effort in Sunday's Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway. The victory, worth $20,000, was the third of the season for the Chip Ganassi Racing stable. Mears' teammates - the No. 40 team for Sterling Marlin and the #42 team for Jamie McMurray - also scored pit crew victories with Marlin's crew winning in Bristol and McMurray's in Charlotte. Mears' crew gained five spots in the McDonald's/POWERade standings, moving from 17th into a tie for 12th. The #8 crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues in first place with a 38-point margin over Elliott Sadler's team. In the first 14 races of 2003, the #8 crew has garnered two wins, nine top fives and 13 top 10s. The season champion receives a $200,000 bonus. Mears' #41 Target Dodge spent the least amount of time on pit road in Pocono - 233.419 seconds. Busch's Irwin Ford followed with a time of 260.402. Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevy was third at 304.851. "I am really proud of the guys," said Jimmy Elledge, crew chief for the 41 team. "Pit stops have never been our suit, but the Target guys have been working really hard during the week. This just proves that their hard work is paying off and we are getting the results that we've been striving for over the past year." Mears' over-the-wall crew consists of: Dave Gebhardt (front-tire changer), Marty Forcier (front-tire carrier), Jason Sheets (rear-tire changer), Scott Myers (rear-tire carrier), Rick Reling (jackman), Les Huntley (gas man) and Todd Anderson (catch can).(DMF Communications)(6-17-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (June 13)
Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Casey Mears Team 233.419
Seconds 41 43
2.
Kurt Busch Team 260.402 “ 97 42
3.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 304.851 “
8 41
4.
Greg Biffle Team 322.525
“ 16 40
5.
Kevin Harvick Team 368.898 “ 29 39
6.
Jamie McMurray Team 399.015
“ 42 38
7.
Robby Gordon Team 420.433
“ 31 37
8.
Elliott Sadler Team 421.381 “ 38 36
9.
P.J. Jones Team 486.316 “ 50 35
10.
Jeff Green Team 503.346 “ 43 34
- Stewart's Pit Crew Wins in Dover: Tony Stewart's pit crew took home the $20,000 first-place check as a result of winning the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's MBNA 400 "A Salute To Heroes" at Dover International Speedway. It was the second victory of the season for Stewart's crew, which also finished first at the Daytona 500 opener. Stewart's crew remains third in the chase for the $200,000 bonus that will go to the McDonald's/POWERade season champion. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew continues to lead in the standings with 501 points, 33 more than Elliott Sadler's team and 37 more than Stewart's crew. Stewart's Home Depot/Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on Dover's pit road with a time of 305 seconds. Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevy was second at 338 seconds and Kurt Busch's Sharpie Ford was third at 355. "The crew gave me great stops all day long," said Stewart, who finished second in the 400-mile race. "They were definitely on their game at Dover. We led a bunch of laps and contended for the win, and they were a big reason why." Stewart's over-the-wall crew consists of: Chuck White (jackman), Tom Dean (front-tire carrier), Mike Lingerfelt (front-tire changer), Jay Barry (rear-tire carrier), Todd Foster (rear-tire changer), Jeff "Gooch" Patterson (gas man) and Brian Larson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Greg Zipadelli and the pit stop coordinator is Paul Alepa.(DMF Communications PR)(6-10-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (June 6)
MBNA 400 “A Salute To Heroes” at Dover
International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Tony Stewart Team 305.000
Seconds 20 43
2.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 338.000 “
8 42
3.
Kurt Busch Team 355.000 “ 97 41
4.
Jeff Burton Team 362.000
“ 99 40
5.
Michael Waltrip Team 371.000 “ 15 39
6.
Dale Jarrett Team 393.000 “ 88 38
7.
Kevin Harvick Team 438.000
“ 29 37
8.
Robby Gordon Team 457.000 “ 31 36
9.
Ken Schrader Team 577.000 “ 49 35
10.
Johnny Sauter Team 684.000 “ 30 34
- McMurray's Pit Crew Scores First McDonald's/POWERade Victory: Jamie McMurray's pit crew claimed the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Though McMurray's crew had been close to the top in a number of races, this was the first time the #42 team captured the $20,000 weekly prize. The first-place finish lifted McMurray's crew from 11th to eighth in the McDonald's/POWERade point standings. The season winner will collect a $200,000 bonus. Speaking of winners, last year's season champion - the pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- remains first with 459 points and a 21-point margin over Elliott Sadler's crew. The margin of victory for McMurray's crew was a mere three-tenths of a second over Sadler's team. McMurray's Texaco-Havoline Dodge, which is part of the Chip Ganassi racing stable, spent 283.521 seconds on pit road. Sadler's Pedigree Ford was clocked at 283.824. Michael Waltrip's NAPA Chevy was third at 288.029. "I'm really proud of this entire Texaco/Havoline team," crew chief Donnie Wingo said. "They have really pulled together and we have a very solid pit crew. I also want to send a word of thanks to Dave Collins, who is an important part of the 42 pit crew. Dave injured his finger a while back and is out of commission for now, but we look forward to him getting back soon. I also want to say thank you to McDonald's and POWERade for their support of this pit crew competition. Our team takes great pride in being awarded this prize." The #42 over-the-wall crew consists of: Shane Church (front tire changer), Keith Mansch (front tire carrier), Billy Curwood (rear tire changer), Andrew Carter (rear tire carrier), Mark Cass (jackman), Mike Bodick (gas man) and Heath Silver (catch can).(DMF Communications PR)(6-3-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (May 30)
Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Jamie McMurray Team 283.521
Seconds 42 43
2.
Elliott Sadler Team 283.824 “ 38 42
3.
Michael Waltrip Team 288.029
“ 15 41
4.
Bobby Labonte Team 291.791
“ 18 40
5.
Joe Nemechek Team 300.026 “ 01 39
6.
Ward Burton Team 302.026
“ 0 38
7.
Robby Gordon Team 307.747
“ 31 37
8.
Dale Jarrett Team 341.130 “ 88 36
9.
Jeff Green Team 371.866 “ 43 35
10.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 372.241 “
8 34
- Pit Crew Win Gives Earnhardt Jr.'s Team Double Victory in Richmond: It was a double victory Saturday night for the No. 8 DEI team at Richmond International Raceway. Not only did Dale Earnhardt Jr. capture the Chevy American Revolution 400, but his pit crew also claimed victory in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. It was the second victory of the season for Earnhardt Jr.'s pit crew, which leads in the McDonald's/POWERade standings with 425 points. Elliott Sadler's crew took over second with 396 points and Tony Stewart's crew moved into third with 390 points. The prize money for the pit crew championship includes $20,000 to the weekly winner and $200,000 to the season champion. The #8 crew edged its DEI teammate - Michael Waltrip's No. 15 pit crew -- for top honors in Richmond. The No. 8 and the No. 15 crews finished first and second respectively in last year's McDonald's/POWERade season championship point standings. Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevrolet spent 125.128 seconds on pit road in Richmond while Waltrip's Napa Chevy was second with a time of 163.435. Tony Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet was third at 165.927. "It wasn't too bad of a night in the pits," said Tony Eury Jr., car chief for the No. 8 team. "We didn't have our front tire changer (Phil Drye), so I had to do some tire changing. It was kind of like an old-school type deal (Tony Jr. was formerly the full-time front tire changer before relinquishing his over-the-wall duties prior to last year). It's just like wearing an old shoe -- if you can do it, you can do it; if you can't, you can't."
"This pit crew did another great job," said Dale Jr. "And I got to hand it to ol' Tony Jr. He hasn't had to change tires for quite some time, so it was kind of neat seeing him chugging around the car. I had to make sure I hit the brakes early to give him plenty of room! Our pit stops have been real good all year long, and that's a big reason we're leading the (driver) points right now." The No. 8 over-the-wall crew consists of: Bill Snyder (gasman), Kevin Pennell (jackman), Phil Drye (front tire changer), Danny Earnhardt (front tire carrier), Shannon Myers (rear tire changer), Troy Prince (rear tire carrier), Craig Lund (catch can). Tony Eury Sr. is the crew chief and the car chief is Eury Jr. The pit crew coach at DEI is Walt Smith.(DMF Communciations PR)(5-19-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Saturday’s (May 15)
Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond
International Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 125.128
Seconds 8 43
2.
Michael Waltrip Team 163.435 “ 15 42
3.
Tony Stewart Team 165.927 “ 20 41
4.
Elliott Sadler Team 202.606 “ 38 40
5.
Dale Jarrett Team 204.306 “ 88 39
6.
Jeff Burton Team 205.130 “ 99 38
7.
Sterling Marlin Team 238.868
“ 40 37
8.
Ricky Rudd Team 252.067
“ 21 36
9.
Johnny Sauter Team 253.750 “ 30 35
10.
Bobby Hamilton Jr. Team 266.617 “ 09 34
- Pit Crew for Robby Gordon Pockets Third Win of Season: For the second straight week and third time of the season, the pit crew for Robby Gordon claimed top honors in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. Gordon's crew became the season's first three-time winner of the competition by scoring the best pit road time at last week's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana. The other wins for the No. 31 crew were the week before in Talladega and March 14 in Atlanta. The three victories have earned Gordon's crew $60,000. The McDonald's/POWERade weekly competition pays $20,000 for an event victory and a bonus of $200,000 to the season pit crew champion. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s pit crew continues to lead in the standings with 382 points. Kurt Busch's crew is second with 360. Gordon's crew is 10th with 321. Gordon's Cingular Wireless Chevrolet spent 213.700 seconds on pit road in the California race, edging Joe Nemechek's U.S. Army Chevrolet by less than a second (214.423). Ken Schrader's No. 49 Schwan's Home Service Dodge was third with a time of 215.555. "I knew the Cingular Wireless pit crew had to be in strong contention after having another phenomenal performance in California," said Chris Andrews, crew chief of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team. "We made two pit stops within the first 60 laps of the race. After that second stop, we had gained 15 positions from where we had started and I know at least eight of the 15 were obtained on pit road." Gordon was equally complimentary of the No. 31 crew. "There are so many factors that affect how a team is going to finish a race and pit performance is one factor that definitely plays a huge role," said Gordon. "Our finishes are finally starting to show what Team Cingular is capable of and I do attribute a lot of that to my guys on pit road." Gordon's over-the-wall crew consists of: Ira-Jo Hussey (front-tire changer), Kevin Nervegna (front-tire carrier), Timmy Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Ron Liddell (gas man), Mike Moore (jackman) and Coy Hedrick (catch can).(DMF Communications PR)(5-7-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (May 2)
Auto Club 500 at California Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Robby Gordon Team 213.700
seconds 31 43
2.
Joe Nemechek Team 214.423 “
01 42
3.
Ken Schrader Team 215.555 “ 49 41
4.
Jamie McMurray Team 216.762 “ 42 40
5.
Casey Mears Team 218.262 “ 41 39
6.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 219.696 “ 8 38
7.
Jeff Burton Team 243.279 “ 99 37
8.
Ward Burton Team 261.868
“ 0 36
9.
Kevin Harvick Team 262.948 “ 29 35
10.
Tony Stewart Team 263.595 “ 20 34
- #31 Pit Crew Notches 2nd Win of Season; #8 Crew Takes Over Points Lead: The pit crew for Robby Gordon's Chevrolet won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The $20,000 victory was the second time Gordon's Cingular Wireless pit crew took top honors this season. The other was at the March 4th race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second in Talladega and moved into first place in the McDonald's/POWERade season standings with 344 points, 10 more than the second place crew for Kurt Busch's team. Elliott Sadler's team is third with 329 points. The season champion will receive $200,000.
Gordon's #31 Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on Talladega's pit road -- 255.107 seconds. Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevy was close behind with a time of 264.364.
"I remember saying after their first McDonald's/POWERade win this year the Team Cingular pit crew would be back on top more than once this year," said Chris Andrews, Team Cingular crew chief. "Thank goodness they didn't make a liar out of me. I suspected they were going to win or be real close to first by the end of the day Sunday because they really hit their marks all day long.
"I know there were three times Robby came down pit road outside of first place, but was in the lead by the time the guys sent him back out on the track. I didn't make it easy on those guys either, because there was more than one time Sunday I didn't make the final pit call for four or two tires until Robby was driving down pit road and those guys responded every time, not fumbling once."
Gordon's over-the-wall crew consists of: Ira-Jo Hussey (front-tire changer), Kevin Nervegna (front-tire carrier), Timmy Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Ron Liddell (gasman), Mike Moore (jackman) and Coy Hedrick (catch can).(DMF Communications PR).(4-28-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (April 25)
Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Robby Gordon Team 255.107
seconds 31 43
2.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 264.364 “
8 42
3.
Michael Waltrip Team 268.162 “ 15 41
4.
Jamie McMurray Team 298.633 “ 42 40
5.
Ricky Rudd Team 314.689 “ 21 39
6.
Jeff Burton Team 327.320 “ 99 38
7.
Jeff Green Team 345.854
“ 43 37
8.
Ken Schrader Team 389.535 “ 49 36
9.
Tony Stewart Team 401.401
“ 20 35
10.
Casey Mears Team 424.852 “ 41 34
- Busch's Pit Crew Wins in Martinsville; Increases Points Lead: Kurt Busch's pit crew increased its points lead in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade after taking top honors in Sunday's Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The Martinsville victory, worth $20,000, was the second of the season for Busch's pit crew, giving the #97 crew the distinction of becoming the first team to score multiple wins in 2004. The team's other pit crew victory was the March 7th race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, Busch's pit crew leads the McDonald's/POWERade standings with 312 points, 10 more than the second place crews for Elliott Sadler and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tony Stewart's crew is fourth with 280 points. Busch's IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road in Martinsville -- 284.693 seconds. Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevrolet was second with a time of 289.324. Bobby Labonte's Interstate Batteries Chevy was third at 290.121. "These Sharpie/IRWIN guys worked really hard in the off-season on our stops," said Jimmy Fennig, crew chief for the No. 97 team. "We've been consistent in the pits and had some good qualifying runs to get favorable spots on pit road which helps too. Kurt has done a great job of keeping the fenders on the car too, which has kept us out on the track for position. It's a team effort all around, and these guys really keep an eye on the McDonald's/POWERade Drive-Thru point standings." Busch's over-the-wall crew consists of: Scott Ward (front tire changer), Mark Full (front tire carrier), Kevin Gilman (rear tire changer), Jason Binger (rear tire carrier), Doug Newell (gasman), Scott Radel (jackman) and Jim Gaudette (catch can).(DMF Communications PR)(4-21-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (April 18)
Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Kurt Busch Team 284.693 seconds 97 43
2.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 289.324 “
8 42
3.
Bobby Labonte Team 290.121
“ 18 41
4.
Elliott Sadler Team 294.777 “ 38 40
5.
Sterling Marlin Team 296.349 “ 40 39
6.
Jamie McMurray Team 300.517 “ 42 38
7.
Jeff Green Team 382.894
“ 43 37
8.
Tony Stewart Team 385.826 “ 20 36
9.
Michael Waltrip Team 407.037 “ 15 35
10.
Jeff Burton Team 424.912 “ 99 34
- Waltrip's Pit Crew Wins in Texas: Michael Waltrip's pit crew claimed the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's (April 4) Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The #15 NAPA crew edged the No. 38 crew of Elliott Sadler's team for the win and the $20,000 first-place check. Waltrip's crew finished second in the overall McDonald's/POWERade championship standings in 2003 with five victories and $100,000 in prize money. In the current McDonald's/POWERade season standings, Kurt Busch's #97 crew leads with 269 points. Sadler's crew is second with 262 points and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is third with 260. The season champion receives a $200,000 bonus. Waltrip's #15 NAPA Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road in Texas -- 218.010 seconds. Sadler's M&M's Ford was clocked at 229.014 seconds to finish second and Earnhardt's Budweiser Chevy was third with a time of 233.636. "The NAPA crew guys continue to do an excellent job and we're excited about winning the McDonald's/POWERade contest in Texas," said crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe. "We clicked off some excellent pit stops and it's always gratifying to see that our guys are rewarded and recognized for their outstanding effort." The over-the-wall pit crew for Waltrip's team consists of: Brian Chase (jackman), Jeff Opal (gasman), Chris Crumley (front tire changer), Greg Osborne (rear tire changer), Shawn Ward (front tire carrier), Chad Walter (rear tire carrier) and Pete Rondeau (catch can). The pit crew coach is Walt Smith.(DMF Communications PR)(4-7-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (April 4)
Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Michael Waltrip Team 218.010
seconds 15 43
2.
Elliott Sadler Team 229.014 “ 38 42
3.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 233.636 “
8 41
4.
Ken Schrader Team 235.905
“ 49 40
5 Kevin Harvick Team 238.295 “ 29 39
6.
Robby Gordon Team 243.955 “ 31 38
7.
Dale Jarrett Team 262.258
“ 88 37
8.
Casey Mears Team. 262.576 “ 41 36
9.
Jamie McMurray Team 279.543 “ 42 35
10.
Johnny Sauter Team 293.087 “ 30 34
- Marlin's Pit Crew Takes Bristol Win: #40-Sterling Marlin's pit crew won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's (March 28) Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Marlin's crew earned $20,000 for the victory and became the sixth different winner in the first six races of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. Kurt Busch's #97 crew, which finished second to Marlin's crew in Bristol, remains in first place in the McDonald's/POWERade standings with 236 points. #38-Elliott Sadler's crew is second (220) and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is third (219). The season pit crew champion will receive a $200,000 bonus. Marlin's fourth-place finish at Bristol was helped by his Coors Light pit crew. His #40 Dodge spent 250.170 seconds on pit road, six seconds fewer than Busch's Sharpie Ford. Michael Waltrip's NAPA Chevrolet was third with a time of 315.650. "I think it is great that McDonald's and POWERade put on a program that allows the pit crews to compete against other pit crews and show what they do every weekend," said Lee McCall, crew chief for the No. 40 team. "We had some good stops at Bristol and I am really proud of the guys. The Coors Light pit crew works hard every week and this time we were able to get a top-five finish." Marlin's over-the-wall crew consists of Steven Wolfe (front-tire changer), Trent Davis (front-tire carrier), Randy Cox (rear-tire changer), Tim Shore (rear-tire carrier), Mark Jacobs (jackman), Randy Hildreth (gasman) and Mike Motil (catch can). The team's pit crew coach is Lorin Ranier.(DMF Communications PR), see the top 10 at Bristol and season standings on my Pit Crew Page.(3-31-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (March 28)
Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Sterling Marlin Team 250.170
seconds 40 43
2.
Kurt Busch Team 256.152
“ 97 42
3.
Michael Waltrip Team 315.650 “ 15 41
4.
Ken Schrader Team 321.233
“ 49 40
5 Kevin Harvick Team 371.937 “ 29 39
6.
Greg Biffle Team 373.377
“ 16 38
7.
Elliott Sadler Team 379.060
“ 38 37
8.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 381.177 “ 8 36
9.
Johnny Sauter Team 432.111
“ 30 35
10.
Derrike Cope Team 438.422 “ 50 34
- Pit Crew For Greg Biffle Captures McDonald's/POWERade Win in Darlington: Greg Biffle's pit crew claimed first prize and the $20,000 weekly check for winning the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's (March 21) Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Biffle's Roush Racing teammate - the crew for Kurt Busch's No. 97 team finished third in Darlington and jumped into first place in the McDonald's/POWERade standings with 184 points, 10 more than Tony Stewart's second-place crew. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is third with 183 points. The season pit crew champion will receive a $200,000 bonus. Biffle's crew displayed a superior effort in Darlington with a 35-second margin over last week's winner - the No. 31 crew for Robby Gordon. Biffle's Travel Lodge/National Guard Ford spent 378.315 seconds on pit road compared to 413.964 for Gordon's No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet. "This pit crew is awesome," said Biffle. "They totally deserve this award for all their hard work and dedication to the team. This is the second year for most of these guys working together. And not only are they fast but they are consistently fast, which is what it takes to have the competitive edge on Sunday." Biffle's over-the-wall crew consists of Adam Emmert (front-tire changer), Jeff Silver (front-tire carrier), Mike Hillman (rear-tire changer), TJ Hamilton (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Merkel (jackman), Donnie Ratledge (gasman), John Eicher (catch can). The team's crew chief is Doug Richert.
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (March 21)
Carolina Dodge
Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway
Time Car # Points
1.
Greg Biffle team 378.315
seconds 16 43
2.
Robby Gordon Team 413.964 “ 31 42
3.
Kurt Busch Team 422.808 “ 97 41
4.
Elliott Sadler Team 426.639
“ 38 40
5 Bobby Labonte Team 428.468 “ 18 39
6.
Joe Nemechek Team 430.206 “ 01 38
7.
Ken Schrader Team 442.961 “ 49 37
8.
Jeff Green Team 446.259 “ 43 36
9.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 450.091
“
8 35
10.
Johnny Sauter Team 459.514 “ 30 34
- Robby Gordon's Pit Crew Pockets Win In Atlanta; Stewart's crew takes over first in point standings: The #31 pit crew for Robby Gordon squeaked by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew to capture the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in Sunday's (March 14) 500-mile NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. While Gordon's crew grabbed the $20,000 weekly prize, the pit crew for Tony Stewart moved into first place with 154 points. Kurt Busch's crew stands second, one point behind at 153. Earnhardt's crew, the reigning McDonald's/POWERade champion, is third with 148 points. Last week's point leader - Elliott Sadler's crew - dropped to fourth with 143 points. Though Earnhardt's No. 8 Chevrolet found its way to winner's circle in Atlanta, it was Gordon's Cingular Wireless Chevy that spent the least amount of time on pit road. Gordon's pit road time of 281.691 seconds was just over a second quicker than Earnhardt's time of 282.864. Jeff Burton's Ford was third at 284.833. "The guys work hard at the shop and at the track," said Chris Andrews, crew chief of the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet. "Between working on cars, spending time in the gym and at pit stop practice, they've managed to bang out 13 to 14-second, and sometimes even 12-second stops every weekend. "We made seven stops Sunday and gained track position every time we came down pit lane. Our over-the-wall crew is a competitive group of guys. I don't think this will be the last time I will be asked to comment about their performance this year for the McDonald's/POWERade championship." Gordon's over-the-wall crew consists of: Ira-Jo Hussey (front-tire changer), Kevin Nervegna (front-tire carrier), Timmy Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Ron Liddell (gasman), Mike Moore (jackman) and Coy Hedrick (catch can).(DMF Communications PR)(3-18-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams in Sunday’s (March 14)
Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Robby Gordon Team 281.691
seconds 31 43
2.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 282.864 “
8 42
3.
Jeff Burton Team 284.833 “ 99 41
4.
Kurt Busch Team 285.817 “ 97 40
5 Tony Stewart Team 287.484 “ 20 39
6.
Dale Jarrett Team 288.504 “ 88 38
7.
Bobby Labonte Team 289.636 “ 18 37
8.
Sterling Marlin Team 290.534 “ 40 36
9.
Joe Nemechek Team 291.774 “ 01 35
10.
Johnny Sauter Team 293.136 “ 30 34
2004 Winners of The
McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade:
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Daytona (2/15) Tony
Stewart Team
Rockingham (2/22)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team
Las Vegas (3/7) Kurt
Busch Team
Atlanta (3/14) Robby
Gordon Team
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- Three races, three different winners and three different point leaders: That’s how the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade has fared at the first three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events of the 2004 season. The latest McDonald’s/POWERade winner to claim the $20,000 weekly prize is Kurt Busch’s pit crew, which had the best performance for participating teams in Sunday’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The victory by Busch’s crew follows wins by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew in Rockingham and Tony Stewart’s crew in Daytona. The victory lifted Busch’s pit crew into third place in the overall McDonald’s/POWERade standings with 113 points. Elliott Sadler’s No. 38 crew leads the chase for the $200,000 season-ending bonus with 118 points. Stewart’s crew is second with 115 points. Busch’s No. 97 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road in Las Vegas -- 267.302 seconds. Bobby Labonte’s Chevrolet was a close second with a time of 267.465. Sadler’s Ford was clocked at 269.395 to finish third. "These guys have done a great job in all three races this year,” said Jimmy Fennig, crew chief for the No. 97 team. “On Sunday we were a little too aggressive on our set-up and we were making some pretty significant adjustments to the car every time we came into the pits. “So to win the McDonald's/POWERade championship says a lot about how great these IRWIN guys have been. We came in six times and picked up a couple of spots on three of those stops. We were consistent on our times and that’s our goal for the year." Busch’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Scott Ward (front tire changer), Mark Full (front tire carrier), Kevin Gilman (rear tire changer), Jason Binger (rear tire carrier), Doug Newell (gasman), Scott Radel (jackman) and Jim Gaudette (catch can).(DMFCommications PR)(3-10-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams In Sunday’s (March 7)
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Time Car # Points
1.
Kurt Busch Team 267.302
seconds 97 43
2.
Bobby Labonte Team 267.465 “ 18 42
3.
Elliott Sadler Team 269.395 “ 38 41
4.
Tony Stewart Team 271.509 “ 20 40
5.
Kasey Kahne Team 273.983 “ 9 39
6.
Casey Mears Team 277.482 “ 41 38
7.
Dale Jarrett Team 278.284 “ 88 37
8.
Johnny Sauter Team 282.096 “ 30 36
9.
Jeff Burton Team 291.057 “ 99 35
10.
Kevin Harvick Team 311.181 “ 29 34
- #8 Pit Crew fastest at the Rock: The pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. edged Sterling Marlin's crew to claim first place in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade at Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race in Rockingham, N.C. The Rockingham victory paid $20,000 and lifted the No. 8 pit crew into the points lead. Being in first place is nothing new for Earnhardt's crew. The #8 team, part of DEI's multi-car operation, collected the $200,000 bonus for winning the inaugural McDonald's/POWERade pit crew season championship in 2003. The 2004 pit crew champion will also collect $200,000 at the season-ending Awards Banquet in New York. Earnhardt's Chevy was a hair quicker on Rockingham's pit road than Marlin's Dodge. The No. 8 Budweiser machine spent 301.939 seconds off the track compared to 302.233 seconds for Marlin's Coors Light Dodge. Third was Jamie McMurray's No. 42 Texaco Dodge with a time of 302.613. Dale Jr., who leads in the Nextel Cup driver standings, was quick to give credit to his team for his fifth-place finish in Rockingham. "We feel like a top-five here at Rockingham is almost like a win," said Earnhardt in post-race interviews. "We didn't have a great car, but we made changes during every stop and the car got better and better. If your crew can't make the right changes and get you in and out fast, you have no chance at Rockingham. We had great strategy all day and took advantage of the yellow flags. I told (car chief) Tony Jr. on the radio to ignore me if I started begging to come in and change tires. It's so hard here to hang onto the car when the tires go away, but the guys in the pits made the right calls. It paid off for us." Earnhardt's over-the-wall crew consists of: Bill Snyder (gasman), Kevin Pennell (jackman), Phil Drye (front tire changer), Danny Earnhardt (front tire carrier), Shannon Myers (rear tire changer), Troy Prince (rear tire carrier), Craig Lund (catch can). Tony Eury Sr. is the crew chief and the car chief is Tony Eury Jr. The pit crew coach at DEI is Walt Smith.(DMFCommications PR)(2-26-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams In Sunday's (Feb. 22)
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham
Time Car # Points
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 301.939 seconds 8 43
2. Sterling Marling Team 302.233 " 40 42
3. Jamie McMurray Team 302.613 " 42 41
4. Ricky Rudd Team 315.254 " 21 40
5. Kurt Busch Team 320.976 " 97 39
6. Kevin Harvick Team 338.576 " 29 38
7. Johnny Sauter Team 344.227 " 30 37
8. Elliott Sadler Team 345.484 " 38 36
9. Kasey Kahne Team 351.103 " 9 35
10. Ward Burton Team 381.582 " 0 34
2004 Winners of The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade:
Daytona (2/15) Tony Stewart Team
Rockingham (2/22) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team (DNF Communications PR)(2-26-2004)
- Pit Crew for Tony Stewart Grabs Top Honors at Daytona Tony Stewart's #20 Home Depot pit crew captured first-place honors at the Daytona 500, the opening race for the 2004 McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. The McDonald's/POWERade championship is in its second season of rewarding the pit crews, the unsung heroes in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The program will award $20,000 per week to the top participating pit crew. In addition, results will be tabulated throughout the season to determine the program's championship crew, which will take home a $200,000 bonus at the completion of the 36-race schedule. The #20 crew, which is part of the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, edged the reigning McDonald's/POWERade champions, the #8 pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Though Stewart finished second to Earnhardt in Sunday's season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, the #20 pit crew performed flawlessly in the pits. The Home Depot Chevy registered the least amount of time on pit road during the 500-mile race , 216.397 seconds. Earnhardt's car was in the pits for a total of 223.435 seconds. Third was Elliott's Sadler's #38 Ford with a time of 227.944. "Our pit stops at Daytona were awesome," said Stewart. "Every one of them was perfect and quick. And that's important at Daytona, because one slow stop there can really mess up your day. Everyone on the Home Depot team has a lot to be proud of." Stewart's over-the-wall crew consists of: Chuck White (jackman), Tom Dean (front tire carrier), Mike Lingerfelt (front tire changer), Jay Barry (rear tire carrier), Todd Foster (rear tire changer), Jeff "Gooch" Patterson (gasman) and Brian Larson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Greg Zipadelli and the pit stop coordinator is Paul Alepa.(DMF PR)[sorry, still no pit crew chart - work in progress](2-19-2004)
Top 10 Pit Crews For Participating Teams In Sunday's (Feb. 15)
Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Time Car # Points
1. Tony Stewart Team 216.397 seconds 20 43
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 223.435" 8 42
3. Elliott Sadler Team 227.944" 38 41
4. Ricky Rudd Team 231.104" 21 40
5. Greg Biffle Team 248.101" 16 39
6. Kevin Harvick Team 258.136 29 38
7. Dave Blaney Team 263.551 23 37
8. Joe Nemechek Team 263.867 01 36
9. Kyle Petty Team 315.525 45 35
10. Ward Burton Team 338.297 0 34
other 2004 Pit Crew News
- #2 Penske Team changes Pit Crew..again: Penske Racing South has undergone some personnel changes that will be in effect this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Bill Wilburn, who served as driver Rusty Wallace's crew chief last season and moved into the role of shop foreman this season for the #77 Dodges and driver Brendan Gaughan, will return to his old role changing tires for Wallace's team, sources confirmed Wednesday. Wilburn will continue working with the #77 during the week, but will take over as front tire changer on Wallace's team this weekend, sources said. Wallace's team has tried several different people on its pit crew since the season started and decided to return to an experienced veteran. Wilburn began his career in the NASCAR Dash Series and his Cup career dates back to the Cliff Stewart Racing Team in 1982. Wilburn was part of Stewart's 1984 effort that helped Wallace win the rookie-of-the-year title. He has worked with Mike Curb Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports and in full- and part-time efforts at Penske since 1992. In addition to Wilburn's change, Aaron Oakley, an aerodynamics specialist with Ryan Newman's #12 Dodges, will move into the spotter's role for the team this weekend, replacing Penske Racing South general manager John Erickson in that position, sources said. Oakley worked with Erickson last weekend at Las Vegas in the spotters' stand and the team was impressed with his performance, sources said.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-10-2004)
- Crew Chef Challenge highlights events at Pocono: RACE Motorsports Marketing and Pocono Raceway have announced the first annual Crew Chef Challenge to be held the weekend of July 30 at the speedway. The Crew Chef Challenge is a first-time ever cooking competition for Crew Chefs who, in addition to their team responsibilities, slave over a hot grill, week after week following the NEXTEL Cup circuit. The competition will pit crew chef against crew chef in a match full of grillin' and chillin' sure to drive them home to victory. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Victory Junction Gang Camp. A cookbook titled Tastes of Victory will be available for purchase at the event. The cookbook will contain recipes from the Crew Chef Challenge, NASCAR drivers, racing personalities and fans. Fans are encouraged to contribute their favorite race day meal recipes for inclusion in the book. Check www.racesports.net for full details.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-2-2004)
- Update on James Ince MORE: Veteran crew chief James Ince, considered by many to have one of the brightest minds in motorsports, said Friday that he's ready to end a five-month, self-imposed exile from the sport. Ince left the #10 Nextel Cup team in October and retreated to his home in Missouri, where he refused to return phone calls and avoided contact with the NASCAR community. "I had some personal problems, some health issues and some family business to take care of," he said by telephone Friday. Although he said it was "extremely hard" to walk away from racing, it was something he had to do. "My passion and my life is NASCAR racing," he said. "But there were other things that had to come first." He said he's confident he'll soon hook up with a front-running team. "My timing's really bad because this time of the year people think they have the right combination for their race teams," he said(Atlanta Journal-Constitution), NOTE: Ince is not at Rockingham this weekend and NOT working for the #56 Busch team as reported on TV during Busch Qualifiying coverage.(2-21-2004)
MORE: James Ince's phone used to ring all of the time. Now, he's waiting for somebody to call. When Ince was the youngest crew chief in NASCAR's top series, there were people trying to lure him away from the #10 team. But last year, the circumstances of real life made racing take a backseat for the first time in his adult life. "I turned down offers from half the garage area when I was working," Ince says. "My timing was off." He left the team he'd help build and hold together through some hard times to deal with some hard times for himself and for his family. "I had some things I had to take care of," he says now. "Someday, I know I am going to look back on it and say it was the best thing I ever did." Ince's father took ill last year and the family business was in danger of going under. "People were going to lose their homes and things like that," Ince said. Ince had how own issues, too. Mainly, he was burned out, and that didn't at all surprise people who knew him best. To say that Ince is intense is to say that the ocean is wet. When he's working on his race car, that's exactly what it is - his race car. He built cars and raced them on all kinds of tracks all across the Midwest before coming to NASCAR. When somebody here gave him the reins to a team, they found out quickly that Ince didn't consider it a loan. If he was going to be held responsible for how well it did, he was going to be the one who decided how it should be built and tuned. That attitude doesn't sit particularly well with some, and Ince understands that. But he still believes that he's got something to offer to the right team, and still believes that sometime soon that team will ring his phone. Ince wasn't at North Carolina Speedway on Sunday for the Subway 400, a track where he got his first win as a crew chief in November 2002 with Johnny Benson at the wheel of the #10 Pontiac. He's just back in the Charlotte area from Missouri, where he's been handling his own and his family issues. And he says he's ready to go racing again. "For the first time in three years my fire is relit," said Ince, who's now 33. "I am just trying to find somebody who's ready to win races and win championships." After he left the #10 team during 2003, he had chances to go back to work. "But I had a million things on my plate I had to attend to," he said. "If it had been one thing I could have handled it, but I got hit with a bunch of things at once. Now, I've emptied my plate." The #10 team, for years, had an "us-against-the-world" mentality that held it together longer than otherwise would have been possible. That came unglued last year, though, and Ince accepts his share of the blame. MBV Motorsports team has gone in a new direction, with rookie Scott Riggs driving its Chevrolets. Benson is driving in the Busch Series and Ince is looking for a place to start again. "It got to a point where I just felt like I wasn't able to make anything good happen for the team," Ince says. "That's part of the sport, and finally I figured out it was OK for me to make a personal decision to do what was best for me and not go down with the ship." Ince watched the Daytona 500 on TV and said all it really did was make him mad. "I saw my life on television and I wasn't a part of it," he said. Now he wants back in the game. "My goal is to find a car owner who wants to win races who is willing to let me do what I do," he said. "People used to think I was too intense, but now I am going to be twice now as intense as I ever was."(ThatsRacin.com)(2-26-2004)
- Robbie Reiser Crew Chief of the Year [2003] by Racer: Matt Kenseth’s run to NASCAR’s final Winston Cup title owed much to Roush crew chief Robbie Reiser, who oversaw the team that prepared the #17 DeWalt Ford Kenseth drove to 11 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in 2003. It culminated a long-term relationship between the two that dates back to 1997, and the performance obviously impressed the readers of RACER Magazine, who named him Crew Chief of the Year in their online balloting by a decisive margin.(Speed Channel)(2-24-2004)
- Pit Crew Trainees/Drive for Diversity story: All they wanted was a chance, an equal opportunity to put their abilities and know-how on display. They got it courtesy of the motorsports scouting combine testing and evaluation branch of the Drive for Diversity program, a NASCAR-backed outlet designed at giving the industry at stock car racing's premier level a more widespread demographic look. The Mooresville [NC] area in general played a direct hand in helping reach that goal, doing so specifically through the use of the local-based Five Off Five On race team performance and pit crew instruction and training facility situated in the Lakeside Park.(1-17-2004)
