♪♪
Rossi: WHEN THE AVERAGE SPEED'S 185 MILES AN HOUR,
YOU TRAIN FOR IT, YOU PREPARE IT.
THIS IS AS MUCH OF A TEAM SPORT AS FOOTBALL.
Announcer: GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!
Narrator: 1911 -- THE FIRST 500-MILE RACE.
Announcer: A GREAT SPEED-CAR DRAMA
IS ABOUT TO THRILL THE CUSTOMERS IN A CLASSIC EVENT.
COLLINS COMES IN FOR A PIT STOP. IT'S THE 10th TIME.
Man: THAT IS TOO EARLY TO BE A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PIT STOP,
SO HE HAS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A PROBLEM.
Woman: MICHAEL ANDRETTI IN THE PITS -- IS ON HIS WAY.
♪♪
[ ENGINE REVS ]
Estrada: EVERYTHING HAPPENS SO FAST.
WHEN ALEX IS COMING INTO THE PITS,
I KNOW HE SEES ME WAVING HIM DOWN.
YEAH, I MEAN, I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT ERIC.
♪♪
Richie: TRUST EXISTS ALL AROUND.
IT EXISTS FROM THE DRIVER TO THE ENGINEER,
THE DRIVER TO THE MECHANIC.
HE HAS TO TRUST US WITH HIS LIFE,
THAT WE DON'T LEAVE NUTS AND BOLTS LOOSE.
THE SAME TIME, LIKE, WE HAVE TO TRUST HIM
WHEN HE'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD AT 60 MILES AN HOUR,
TURNS IN REAL QUICK, AND HAS TO STOP.
Rossi: AND HONESTLY, IT'S AMAZING THAT 98% OF THE TIME,
EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY AND WE CAN GO WIN RACES.
♪♪
THE PIT STOPS ARE STRESSFUL FOR EVERYONE --
STRESSFUL FOR ME, STRESSFUL FOR THE GUYS.
Estrada: I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT, REALLY,
BUT IT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE, AND I LIKE IT.
I LIKE DOING IT.
YOU COULD LOSE OR WIN A RACE IN A PIT STOP.
WE HAVE FIVE GUYS THAT GO OVER THE WALL.
MYSELF, I'M THE CREW CHIEF. I CHANGE THE INSIDE REAR TIRE.
WE HAVE A FUELER, A RIGHT FRONT, INSIDE FRONT, AN OUTSIDE REAR,
AND THEN OUR AIR-JACK GUY.
THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR AS A TEAM.
WE ALL WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER.
MOST OF IT'S MUSCLE MEMORY.
AS SOON AS THEY SAY, "PIT IN. PIT THIS TIME.
PIT THIS TIME," I JUST GRAB MY TIRE,
GO OUT, SET MY TIRE, SET MY GUN, READY TO GO...
AND MAKE THAT EVERYBODY'S DONE BEFORE THEY SEND THE CAR OUT.
I GET, LIKE, JUST LESS THAN A SECOND
TO LOOK THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING OKAY.
THEN I CAN SEND IT.
AS SOON AS THE CAR'S ON THE GROUND AND HE RELEASES ME,
I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S FULL THROTTLE, DROP THE CLUTCH, AND GO.
THERE COULD BE ANOTHER CAR RIGHT THERE,
THERE COULD BE PEOPLE RIGHT THERE,
BUT HE'S MY EYES.
♪♪
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT CAN GO WRONG.
I'M UNDER PRESSURE TO STOP CORRECTLY
SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHIFT THEIR POSITION.
THEY'RE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DROP A WHEEL NUT
AND THEY LOSE A SECOND,
THAT CAN BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MAKE UP.
♪♪
YOU JUST KEEP FOCUSING AND GO FORWARD.
YOU JUST TRY TO MAKE UP THAT MISTAKE.
YOU JUST NEVER GIVE UP, RIGHT?
JUST LIKE ALEX -- IF WE GET A LAP DOWN OR SOMETHING,
WE JUST KEEP TRYING TO PUSH HIM FORWARD.
IF ONE OF THE GUYS MESS UP,
ALEX WILL CALL ON THE RADIO AND SAY,
"WE'LL GET THEM NEXT TIME," YOU KNOW?
SO WE JUST ALL PAT EACH OTHER ON THE BACK
AND TRY TO KEEP GOING FORWARD.
Estrada: WE'RE ALL WATCHING THE RACE.
WE ALL HAVE TO BE, LIKE, ON OUR TOES, LIKE, 100% THERE.
I THINK YOU GOT TO LEAVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
I THINK YOU JUST GOT TO THINK ABOUT YOURSELF
AND YOUR POSITION.
Rossi: WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING A RACECAR AT 230 MILES AN HOUR,
KIND OF JUST HAS TO COME.
[ ENGINE REVS ]
YOU'RE NERVOUS, YOU'RE EXCITED, YOU'RE SCARED --
YOU'RE ALL OF THE EMOTIONS KIND OF BUNDLED INTO ONE.
BUT THEN, AS SOON AS YOU, LIKE, DROP THE VISOR
AND YOUR CAR'S ROLLING, IT'S KIND OF UNBELIEVABLE,
AND IT'S PEACEFUL HOW IT ALL GOES AWAY.
YOU BECOME ONE WITH THE MACHINE.
[ SCANNER SOUNDS ]
♪♪
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE
THE PHYSICAL ASPECT THAT GOES INTO DRIVING A RACECAR.
IT'S A ONE-MILE OVAL, SIX TIMES THE FORCE OF GRAVITY.
AFTER A FULL RACE HERE, I MEAN, YOU GET OUT,
AND YOU'RE KIND OF, LIKE, STANDING CROOKED.
ALL THE BLOOD IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR BODY.
YOUR RIGHT EYE'S BLOODSHOT.
♪♪
THESE GUYS PRACTICE EVERY SINGLE DAY
WHEN THEY'RE BACK AT THE WORKSHOP.
THEY PRACTICE DURING THE RACE WEEK,
AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY GOOD AT IT.
Marks: WELL, A PERFECT PIT STOP IS YOU ALL COME IN,
ALL THE CARS COME IN, AND YOU BEAT EVERYBODY OUT.
THAT'S A PERFECT PIT STOP.
Estrada: THE AMOUNT OF ADRENALINE
GOING THROUGH YOUR VEINS, IT'S AMAZING.
IT'S AN AMAZING FEEL.
WHEN EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT YOU
AND EVERYBODY'S CHEERING FOR YOUR TEAM AND ALL THAT,
IT'S AN AMAZING FEELING, I THINK.
Man: ANOTHER QUARTER DEGREE.
WE'LL WATCH THE FUELING GOING IN.
RIGHT-SIDE, LEFT-SIDE TIRES.
NO ADJUSTMENTS.
OH, NOW -- NOW THE FRONT RIM AGAIN.
HALF TURN...
Rossi: OUR EXPECTATION IS TO WIN IT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
Announcer: CALIFORNIA'S ALEXANDER ROSSI TO THE CHECKERED FLAG,
AND HE'S DONE IT.
Man #2: CHECKERED FLAG. YOU JUST WON THE INDY 500, BABY!
♪♪