Air Force Scheme at Dover and crew changed a C-5 tire: The Air Force will be the primary sponsor of Elliott Sadler’s #21 Ford during this week-end’s events at Dover International Speedway. The branch served as the primary sponsor during the Coca-Cola 600 in May and has a smaller sponsor-ship during the other Cup races. Besides sponsoring the #21 Ford, the Air Force sets up recruitment booths at NASCAR tracks and conducts a fly-over on race day. Len Wood, a co-owner of the car with his brother Eddie, said his team’s relationship with the Air Force has a special quality. He and Eddie have taken rides in fighter jets, he said. Members of the #21 pit crew, who will don flight suits instead of their usual uniforms Sunday, and maintenance troops at Dover Air Force Base traded places Thursday. The pit crew taught the troops how to handle a two-tire pit stop on the car and the troops showed crew members how to do a pit stop on a C-5 cargo plane [what Jayski used to work on when stationed at Dover in 82-85] – refueling, changing tires and climbing a tall stair-case to wash the windshield. Maintenance troops completed their NASCAR-style pit stop in 18 seconds. “It’s a whole different world,” Airman 1st Class Alleem Humber said about the difference between work-ing on a large cargo carrier and a Winston Cup car. Airman Humber said the power tools used on race cars are not suitable for the C-5s because the plane is too delicate. Instead of using gas cans to refuel, the C-5 needs a tanker to pump gasoline into it. Mike Smith, the #21’s car chief, said working the C-5 had some similarities to a car, such as having to use a jack to change the tire, but not many. Mr. Smith and the rest of the #21 crew completed their plane pit stop in about 90 seconds. The Air Force also sponsors the #34 Chevy in the BGN driven bt Steve Grissom.(Dover Newszap)(9-20-2002) The #21 Air Force/Motorcraft Ford and a C-5B at Dover AFB, photo by Jason Minto of Dover Newszap
