D.J. Twitty soaked in the atmosphere: jackmen elevating the race cars, the sharp sound of air guns tightening lug nuts, and the heaving of 50-pound wheels. For the 24-year-old from South Carolina, this chaotic environment felt almost heavenly.
“I’m eager to make this my home,” Twitty expressed. He was among the 55 recruits participating in the annual pit crew combine for Hendrick Motorsports. This extensive event, held in June, along with a shorter three-day minicamp last week, enables the team’s coaches and trainers to identify half a dozen athletes who can quickly get on a track, refuel a vehicle, and change tires in under 10 seconds.
Formerly a running back at the University of South Carolina, Twitty was drawn to the event as Hendrick and other teams recognize that ex-football players often serve as the best candidates for five-person crews due to their strength, speed, and agility. Thus, teams actively search college campuses for athletes like Twitty, who may not have secured a spot with an N.F.L. team and are interested in swapping their football helmets for fireproof gear. While a few, including Twitty, had some familiarity with NASCAR—growing up as a fan of driver Denny Hamlin—most participants are new to the sport and struggle to change their car’s oil.
“You don’t grow up pretending to be a pit crew member in your backyard,” remarked Keith Flynn, Hendrick’s developmental pit crew director, who has spent 14 years scouting athletes. “Many of these football players are completely unaware that this opportunity exists. But once they come to the campus and experience it, they become quite enthusiastic.”
NASCAR races can extend up to 600 miles, with cars reaching speeds nearing 200 miles per hour. Yet outcomes often hinge on mere seconds—or fractions of a second. A sluggish pit stop can set teams back by hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings and sponsorship opportunities. Each second saved at a stop translates to approximately 20 car lengths on the track.
Last season, the average winning margin was 1.11 seconds, with 19 of the 36 races decided by less than one second. This season, ten of the 23 races thus far have also concluded with a margin under one second.
“While vying for positions on the track, you can gain several spots on pit road,” stated Dave Alpern, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, which fields around 50 athletes in its pit crews. “It can absolutely secure a race victory or completely cost you a race.”
This quest for a competitive advantage is why Hendrick, Gibbs, Penske, and other major racing teams invest millions in recruiting and training tire changers, jackmen, and gas can handlers capable of operating in high-pressure situations during race weekends, which occur 38 weeks per year. These teams are establishing cutting-edge gyms and engaging premium trainers, chefs, and yoga coaches. They are also offering substantial salaries—some exceeding $200,000—to attract elite athletes and entice pit crew members from their competitors.
Hendrick started its formal pit crew combine 15 years ago, and this year’s cohort represented the largest turnout yet.
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athletes, including several college lacrosse players and wrestlers, were grouped based on their body types: larger linemen in one category, slimmer receivers and defensive backs in another, and more compact linebackers and running backs in a third. They were assessed on 12 distinct skills and tasks. (During minicamp, coaches gathered 49 separate data points for evaluation.) For several hours in sweltering heat, they sprinted around cones, raced to attach lug nuts to wheels, and lifted weights in a bench press, engaging in activities reminiscent of an N.F.L. Pro Day, minus the football.
Following lunch, they were escorted to a designated practice area known as a pit pad, where they were provided with jacks, air guns, and tires. Trainers instructed them on proper foot and knee placement, which hands to utilize, and how to maneuver effectively among the other participants.
“If you’re involved in football, the drills are quite similar,” explained Ben Wilson, a former wide receiver at Penn State. “However, the pit crew aspect represents a significant learning curve because tire changing isn’t something you practice often, and when you do, it’s rarely completed in eight seconds.”
Wilson gained insights into pit stops from Brandon Johnson, a fellow Penn State graduate who joined Hendrick in 2018. Like many of his peers, Wilson didn’t turn to NASCAR until he realized his hopes of reaching the N.F.L. were unrealistic. Although he hadn’t followed the sport, his uncle, an enthusiastic fan, persuaded him to audition with Hendrick. In early June, Flynn invited Wilson, who resides in Santa Rosa, Calif., to his inaugural NASCAR race at Sonoma Raceway. Wilson was captivated by the teamwork and camaraderie displayed by the pit crews, leading him to purchase a plane ticket to Charlotte to participate in the combine the following day.
