Announcer #1: "FIREBALL" ROBERTS BLOWS A TIRE AND HEADS FOR THE PITS.
BUCK BAKER IN 87 TAKES THE LEAD.
Announcer #2: HE SEEMS TO BE UPSET.
HE'S HAMMERING AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL.
Announcer #3: THERE'S NEIL BONNETT PULLING INTO THE PITS.
HE'S PITTING ON A GREEN FLAG.
Announcer #4: AS THEY WORK THEIR WAY
THROUGH THIS NEW PIT SEQUENCE DOWN HERE,
TAKING A LOT MORE TIME THAN THEY USED TO.
♪♪
Wallace: THE PIT CREW IS LIKE YOUR BACKBONE.
THOSE GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE SURE THEY DO
EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP US UP FRONT,
TO GET US UP FRONT AND WIN RACES.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A PIT STOP IS MASSIVE.
WHEN WE HIT PIT ROAD,
WE'RE ALL GONNA EXECUTE IN THE MOST FAST POSSIBLE WAY.
WHEN WE DON'T, THAT'S A COUPLE SECONDS LOST.
THERE'S SO MANY RACES LOST ON PIT ROAD.
Wright: THESE GUYS GOT TO BE TRAINED FOR IT,
AND RIGHT NOW, IN THE OFF SEASON,
WE'RE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
I THINK THEY'RE SO EXCITED TO PIT BUBBA AND HAVE SUCCESS,
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WITH BUBBA.
♪♪
IT'S A BRAND-NEW TEAM, SO RIGHT NOW,
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE THESE GUYS FEEL
AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE IN A BRAND-NEW ENVIRONMENT.
A LOT OF THESE GUYS,
MOST OF THE GUYS' FIRST YEAR WORKING WITH ME.
TWO STOPS -- SUPER CLEAN ALREADY BOYS. REAL NICE.
ANOTHER GOOD JOB ON THAT JACK HANDLE, MAN.
AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OF PRACTICE,
IT'S COMING TOGETHER PRETTY GOOD.
BOYS, YOU GUYS THIS IS ONE OF YOUR BEST PRACTICES YET.
GOOD JOB.
THE COUPLE THINGS THAT WE LOOK FOR IS
THEY'VE GOT TO BE STRONG, MENTALLY,
THEY'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO FAIL ON THEIR FIRST COUPLE OF STOPS
OR FIRST STOP AND COME BACK AT THE END OF THE RACE.
Wallace: THEY'VE DEFINITELY GOT TO HAVE THE STRENGTH.
THEY'RE ALL GOOD-LOOKING GUYS,
SO I GUESS YOU GOT TO HAVE THE LOOKS.
UH, GREAT BEARD, GOOD HAIR.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHEN I WAS STOP AND EJECT,
I ALMOST ATE IT, BUT I RECOVERED.
AND SO, WE GOT THE BETTER JACKMAN IN THE BACK OF THE CAR.
-WHOO! -YES!
Wright: THIS CREW'S COME FROM SOME DIFFERENT AREAS, RIGHT?
WE GOT A MIXED BAG OF ATHLETES ON THIS 43 PIT CREW.
JO SO, THE REAR CARRIER JACKMAN,
IAN ANDERSON, THE FUELER, PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR FOUR YEARS,
AND THEN THE OTHER GUYS, JOSH FRANKOS, JAMES,
JUSTIN FIELDER, THEY ALL HAVE BEEN ON PIT ROAD
FOR A LONG TIME.
SO, WE GOT THE PERFECT BAG OF GUYS.
THEY EACH BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE,
AND THEY'RE GONNA HELP EACH OTHER OUT,
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES A TEAM A TEAM.
♪♪
Smith: SO, THE SEASON'S MID-FEBRUARY TO MID-NOVEMBER.
NOT A LOT OF OFF TIME, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PIT CREW,
THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR.
THERE WAS A MAJOR RULE CHANGE.
WE'VE HAD TO RE-CHOREOGRAPH OUR PIT STOPS.
Wright: LAST YEAR, WE HAD SIX GUYS ON PIT CREW.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO FIVE-MAN PIT CREW.
WE ARE GOING TO FIVE-MAN PIT CREW,
BUT IT'S REALLY FOUR-MAN PIT CREW,
'CAUSE THE FUELER, ALL HE CAN DO DURING THE STOP
IS HE CAN JUST PUT FUEL IN A CAR.
LAST YEAR, HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE PIT STOP.
WITH SIX-MAN PIT STOPS, PEOPLE WERE DOING 10.80s,
10.90s, 11 FLATS, AND IF YOU'RE WATCHING
TOP-5 CARS COMING DOWN PIT ROAD,
THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE PITTING CARS AT.
A 13.60 IS GONNA BE KING TUT ON PIT ROAD.
A 14 FLAT IS GONNA BE A GOOD STOP.
A 14.50 WILL PROBABLY BE YOUR AVERAGE.
SO, Y'ALL DON'T THINK WE'LL SEE 11s ANY MORE?
OH, NO. NO, DUDE.
THAT'S YOUR NEW 11 RIGHT THERE.
WOW.
Wright: IT'S REALLY COOL FROM A CHOREOGRAPH STANDPOINT
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN A CHALLENGE,
YOU CAN TWIST IT AND TWEAK IT AND MAKE IT WORK
JUST THE WAY IT WORKED LAST YEAR MINUS A GUY,
SO IT'S BEEN GREAT FOR US TO DESIGN A NEW WAY
TO DO PIT STOPS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT TIME BACK.
BUT WE'LL NEVER GET IT BACK, BUT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST, FOR SURE.
HEY, MAN, THE GOOD NEWS IS OUR SLOPPY STUFF, THEY'RE, LIKE,
BACK INTO THE LOW 14s, MAN, AND THAT IS SUPER COOL.
WE'RE CUTTING A GOOD SECOND OFF.
SO, IF WE CAN TAKE 14 FLATS TO THE TRACK,
WE'RE GONNA BE OWNING PIT ROAD, BOYS.
[ ALL CHEER ]
BUBBA'S A SUPER AGGRESSIVE GUY, RIGHT?
I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE THAT EVERY TIME HE DRIVES,
AND I THINK THAT IS SO IMPORTANT ON PIT ROAD
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, YOU CAN BUST OFF A GOOD PIT STOP,
BUT IF YOU'VE GOT AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER
WHO'S GONNA BEAT PEOPLE INTO THEIR PIT BOX,
THEN, HOPEFULLY, WE'LL HAVE A GOOD PIT STOP,
AND HE'S GONNA KILL PEOPLE GETTING OUT OF PIT ROAD.
THAT'S HUGE.
Wallace: I GOT CAUGHT SPEEDING, I THINK FOUR TIMES,
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE MILLISECOND OVER IS SPEEDING,
SO THAT'S WHERE THE PRACTICE COMES IN
OF TUNE WITH WHAT YOUR GAUGES SAY
AND WHAT YOUR SPEED ACTUALLY IS.
I WAS DOING OKAY UNTIL THAT LAST ONE.
I JUST COME IN TOO SLOW.
I DON'T GET NO SQUEAL, I KNOW I COME IN TOO SLOW.
IT'S LIKE, "SKRT!" STOP.
IT JUST COMES DOWN TO PURE SPEED AND...
Wright: ...FREAKING BALLS AND DESIRE, MAN.
EXACTLY.
ALL RIGHT, SO, Y'ALL GONNA WORK OUT NOW?
-YEAH. -YEAH.
POW, YOU'RE IN, BABY.
Wallace: WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF EXCITING TIMES ON THE RACE TRACK,
SO WORKING OUT IS ALL ABOUT CONTROLLING YOUR HEART RATE,
NOT OUT-PACING YOURSELF, AND JUST STAYING IN TUNE
WITH WHAT'S GOING ON.
OHH! HOLY COW.
AN INTENSE WORKOUT WITH THE PIT CREW IS WAY DIFFERENT
FROM MY WORKOUT REGIMEN.
YOU GOT TWO-MAN WORKOUT.
GONNA PICK OUT OF THE ROWER.
COME ON!
HEY! THAT'S 1,000, BUD!
NEXT UP, 25 D-BALL-FACING BURPEES.
THEN YOU GOT YOUR 15 D-BALL OVER THE SHOULDER.
COME ON, BRAH! AAH!
OH, I THOUGHT HE HAD IT. I LET GO.
LIFT, REGRIP, ROLL.
YEAH, THAT'S IT!
Wallace: THAT LITTLE 15-MINUTE WORKOUT,
I FELT LIKE I WORKED OUT FOR 2 HOURS.
THAT JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH STRENGTH
AND HOW GREAT A SHAPE THOSE GUYS ARE IN.
♪♪
I LOVE THE GUYS THAT WORK OUT HARD.
I LOVE THE GUYS THAT GO HARD IN THE GYM,
BECAUSE THAT TELLS ME HE'S PROBABLY GONNA GO HARD
IN THE PIT DEPARTMENT, AS WELL.
HE'S GONNA GO HARD ON PIT STOPS,
HE'S GONNA BE HARD ON HIMSELF, AND THAT'S GREAT.
Wallace: YOU GOT TO WANT IT.
I CAN SEE IT IN MY GUYS, IN THEIR EYES, THAT THEY WANT IT.
THEY WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THEY WANT ME TO BE SUCCESSFUL, I WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT PASSION,
THAT YOU SHARE THAT SAME PASSION,
THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TEAM.
Man #1: PIT. PIT. PIT. PIT. PIT.
Man #2: PIT TIME.
Announcer: BUBBA WALLACE SMOKES SOME LEAVING THE PIT BOX.
[ ENGINE REVVING ]