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) for top 10 at Texas and season standings, see my Pit Crew Page.(4-7-2004)
