The ins and outs of NASCAR racing

Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 | 2 a.m.

NASCAR is unlike any other professional sport. From the engineering to the fanfare to the unbearably high stakes, it truly is in a category of its own. Car racing demands a careful orchestration among the crew chief, the pit crew, transporter drivers and race car drivers. After all, when a sport includes expensive technology and thousands of spectators crowded around a track, it’s important you get it right. Here’s an inside look at four key NASCAR jobs that make everything go.

The crew chief

The crew chief essentially is a head coach. He works closely with both the race car driver and the pit crew, strategizing every move made before and during a race.

While all good coaches are knowledgeable in their sport and adept at strategizing players’ movements, crew chiefs have only two players: the race car driver and the race car itself.

Managing human influence along with the complex engineering of a machine is no easy feat. At the drop of a hat, the crew chief could go from making high-stakes calls that impact the aerodynamics of a car to calming a racer after a wreck. Crew chiefs also are responsible for setting the pit strategy and dictating exactly what happens during pit stops, including when to fuel, which tires to change and how much air each tire should get. Crew chiefs must know exactly how the combination of adjustments will affect the car and race.

The pit crew

The fast-paced job of a pit crew member is not for the faint of heart. A full pit stop consists of changing all four tires, adding a full tank of fuel, cleaning the grille and making other adjustments — all in about 12 seconds. A good pit crew is as finely tuned a machine as the cars members work on.

A typical pit crew consists of 12 members: a rear tire carrier, a rear tire changer, a jackman, a front tire carrier, a front tire changer, a gas man, a support crew, an extra man, a car chief, a crew chief, an engineer and a NASCAR official to monitor the work and maintain pit-lane safety.

The race car driver

Being a race car driver requires skill, stamina and athleticism most people can’t imagine. Driving a heavy stock car at 200 mph for three to five hours while managing velocity and turns are just a few of the obstacles drivers must overcome. They also must maintain sharp focus and employ different strategies to gain inches on their opponents. Furthermore, they must be constantly aware of the potentially fatal risks of their sport.

“Everyone assumes that race car drivers aren’t athletes, that the car is doing everything for you,” Brendan Gaughan, Xfinity Series Driver. “But here’s the thing: It’s 130 degrees in the cockpit. You’re wearing a heavy fireproof suit. You feel like your feet are melting off. You still have 70 laps to go, and it’s just you and your sport and your force of will making it happen. Don’t tell me that’s not an athlete.”

“The hard part about racing is that people can’t relate to you in the same way they can with other sports,” said Gaughan. “Racing fans can’t hop in a stock car to get a taste of what it’s like. But I think that’s also what makes NASCAR fans so fanatical. People always say they watch racing to see a wreck, but they’re not looking to see racers get hurt. They’re looking to see them stumble out of a ball of fire, throw their arms up triumphantly and wave to the cheering crowd.”

The transporter driver

NASCAR transporters are 18-wheeler trucks that hold two team race cars and all the pit crew’s equipment. Transporter drivers are responsible for ensuring that the cars get to each racetrack safely and that all the equipment is on the truck, accounted for and replenished as needed. Each track is different and can require different race car configurations, so the haulers continuously travel back and forth between racetracks and the team’s home base to get the proper tools for each race. During racing season, a transporter driver can log 45,000 to 50,000 miles.

“Everyone says it’s the hardest job on the racetrack, but it’s my favorite,” said Jerry Tuttle, a transporter driver with Richard Childress Racing. “I’ve been involved in car racing my whole life, and driving the transporters has given me the chance to see the whole country.” Transporter drivers often do other jobs for their race team as well, such as working for the pit crew, acting as a spotter or cooking for the team.