Free NASCAR Nation by Chris Myers

to repair it and coach him through mechanical malfunctions. Someone has to pay for those malfunctions and organize the pit crew and the team on which the driver relies. All these people work together as a team to make the sport of NASCAR possible. Without cooperation and teamwork, nothing would be possible in NASCAR, and nothing would be possible in America.
    Teamwork is an all-American value. We’re hard-working and we like to get the job done right. Everyone has their role to play, from Hollywood to Washington, from the farms of the Midwest to the boardrooms of New York City, to the races at Talladega. There are the people who design the buildings and those who work in them. There arethe farmers who keep us fed and the teachers who educate our future generations. Sure, the president is important, but by no means is he more important than the rest of society. Everyone is making a contribution to our great nation, and teamwork is what keeps this country running like clockwork.
    It’s the same for NASCAR. Just like we’re all a part of the team that makes up America, the driver is just one part of a complex network of people who work together to win a championship. The driver is the executer. He may be the final step in the process of winning the race, but he’s not the only one leading that car to the finish line. That driver wouldn’t be running to the finish line if he didn’t have the financial support and engineering know-how to get his car on the track. In order to do that, he needs a good team behind him. One team can employ more than a hundred supporting staff. The cost of financing a team with the necessary talent and paying for the materials needed to build the car can be tremendous.
    The economics of NASCAR revolve mainly around sponsorship. Sponsors play a major role in the sport, and finding a good one can make or break a team. You can’t build a car and pay your staff if you don’t have the money to do it. Then the team of mechanics has to be assembled long before the actual car is. These mechanics and engineers are among the most talented in the country. The team boss and crew chiefwill organize who is on the team and the pit crew. These decisions are pivotal to the outcome of the race and the well-being of the car, but are rarely given a second thought by NASCAR fans. And yet, having a good pit crew is crucial to the outcome of the race.
    Well-trained and sharp-minded pit crew members are sought after and noted in the NASCAR industry. Just as major league teams trade prized players, pit-crew members can be lured onto other teams with higher pay. Their paychecks don’t come close to the drivers’ or that of a major league player, but they are highly valued. Every team knows that having the right crew members is the key to getting into Victory Lane. Races have been lost due to a loose lug nut or poorly fixed quarter-panel damage. Having a fast time is critical, and these pit crew members are put under an extraordinary amount of stress to make sure that it happens.
    Sometimes it can be difficult to appreciate the work that the pit crew does when you’re watching the driver blast down the track in full glory. However, I’ve always had an admiration for those who can work well under pressure, particularly with cars. Many people just don’t have the natural skill to do that kind of work. I know I don’t, though my brothers always have. There have been many times in my life when I’ve needed a pit crew of my own – like the time I nearly crashed on the interstate.
    Early in my career, I was doing local television in New Orleans, filling in the five o’clock sports segments on the news. I was driving to work when I suddenly realized I had a flat tire. It certainly would have been nice to have a pit crew then, because I was no tire changer. Not wanting to be late for work, I pulled to the side of the road and quickly changed the front tire as I best