Kasey Kahne's pit crew wins Pit Crew Challenge
#1
05-23-2005, 04:40 AM
#4
05-23-2005, 02:47 PM
RE: Kasey Kahne's pit crew wins Pit Crew Challenge
It came on after the All-Star Challenge and NASCAR 360. It was like 12:30AM before it was over!
3 out of the final 4 were Dodge teams!
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Kasey Kahne's team won the Nextel Pit Crew Challenge -- one of two contests aimed at showcasing the skills of NASCAR's behind-the-scenes players -- by beating Jamie McMurray's team in the final round Thursday night.
Kahne's crew -- fresh off helping him to his first career victory last weekend -- changed four tires and filled the tank with fuel in 16.14 seconds to pocket the $70,000 grand prize.
"We're starting to put up money for the crew guys, they don't make what we do or what the drivers do," crew chief Tommy Baldwin said. "These are the guys down in the ditches and this night is all about them."
The crew was not eligible for this competition, held at the Charlotte Coliseum, until Kahne's victory at Richmond International Raceway. This contest was only open to the teams eligible to compete in Saturday night's All-Star race.
"Just like Kasey got his first win, we just got our first win," said jack man Todd Colburn.
McMurray's team completed its stop in 17.83 seconds for second place and a $15,000 prize.
"To get down to the final two and not make any mistakes, we feel real good about it," said Mark Armstrong, McMurray's rear-tire changer.
Kurt Busch's crew, which earned $100,000 for winning the Pit Crew Championship on May 9, did not advance out of the first round of this contest. Neither did Jeremy Mayfield's team, the runners-up in the other competition.
Joe Nemechek's crew, which finished third in both events, won $7,250.
Unlike the first event, this one also highlighted individual crew members by timing them in at their respective positions and awarding $10,000 prizes to the fastest.
Those awards went to: Mike Trower and Shane Cooke, the front tire changers for Scott Riggs; Andy Brown and Donald Richardson, the rear tire changers for Rusty Wallace; Rodney Rhodes and Brent Wentz, the gas man and catch-can man for Kahne; and Kevin Pennell, the jackman for Michael Waltrip.
Kahne's winning crew members were: Kyle Turner (rear tire changer); Eric Wakeland (rear tire carrier); Colburn (jackman); Rhodes (gas man); Jason Gay (front tire carrier); Wentz (catch can); and Nick O'Dell (front tire changer).
NASCAR and series sponsor Nextel announced The Challenge last month, shortly after the Crew Chief Club said it was holding a competition to reward the behind-the-scenes team members who play such a pivotal role in a driver's success.
Unocal sponsored a similar contest for 36 years at North Carolina Speedway, but when the fuel company pulled out of NASCAR last season, the competition went with it.
So a year after having no competition, crews found themselves participating in two this season.
The Crew Chief Club's contest was open to the top 30 teams in the Nextel Cup points standings and the top 10 in the Busch Series standings. Everyone competed except the four Cup teams from Hendrick Motorsports.
The Hendrick teams were on hand, though, for NASCAR's event. But this one was only open to the 24 teams eligible to compete in Saturday night's All-Star race.
This event also differed in that in the first two rounds, teams had to complete their pit stop and then push their car in a 40-yard dash to the finish. It made for awkward and humorous moments as bulky crew members struggled to race down the floor of the Charlotte Coliseum.
NASCAR and Nextel also jazzed this contest up with pageantry, using fireworks to excite the crowd and handing out signs of support for certain teams to random fans.
Both sides have said they will try to merge the dueling competitions into one event next season.
"If we can put all the money together in one competition, it would be great," said Baldwin, a member of the Crew Chief Club and organizer of the first event. "There was a combined $170,000 to the winners and that's a lot of money for these guys."
3 out of the final 4 were Dodge teams!
------------------------
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Kasey Kahne's team won the Nextel Pit Crew Challenge -- one of two contests aimed at showcasing the skills of NASCAR's behind-the-scenes players -- by beating Jamie McMurray's team in the final round Thursday night.
Kahne's crew -- fresh off helping him to his first career victory last weekend -- changed four tires and filled the tank with fuel in 16.14 seconds to pocket the $70,000 grand prize.
"We're starting to put up money for the crew guys, they don't make what we do or what the drivers do," crew chief Tommy Baldwin said. "These are the guys down in the ditches and this night is all about them."
The crew was not eligible for this competition, held at the Charlotte Coliseum, until Kahne's victory at Richmond International Raceway. This contest was only open to the teams eligible to compete in Saturday night's All-Star race.
"Just like Kasey got his first win, we just got our first win," said jack man Todd Colburn.
McMurray's team completed its stop in 17.83 seconds for second place and a $15,000 prize.
"To get down to the final two and not make any mistakes, we feel real good about it," said Mark Armstrong, McMurray's rear-tire changer.
Kurt Busch's crew, which earned $100,000 for winning the Pit Crew Championship on May 9, did not advance out of the first round of this contest. Neither did Jeremy Mayfield's team, the runners-up in the other competition.
Joe Nemechek's crew, which finished third in both events, won $7,250.
Unlike the first event, this one also highlighted individual crew members by timing them in at their respective positions and awarding $10,000 prizes to the fastest.
Those awards went to: Mike Trower and Shane Cooke, the front tire changers for Scott Riggs; Andy Brown and Donald Richardson, the rear tire changers for Rusty Wallace; Rodney Rhodes and Brent Wentz, the gas man and catch-can man for Kahne; and Kevin Pennell, the jackman for Michael Waltrip.
Kahne's winning crew members were: Kyle Turner (rear tire changer); Eric Wakeland (rear tire carrier); Colburn (jackman); Rhodes (gas man); Jason Gay (front tire carrier); Wentz (catch can); and Nick O'Dell (front tire changer).
NASCAR and series sponsor Nextel announced The Challenge last month, shortly after the Crew Chief Club said it was holding a competition to reward the behind-the-scenes team members who play such a pivotal role in a driver's success.
Unocal sponsored a similar contest for 36 years at North Carolina Speedway, but when the fuel company pulled out of NASCAR last season, the competition went with it.
So a year after having no competition, crews found themselves participating in two this season.
The Crew Chief Club's contest was open to the top 30 teams in the Nextel Cup points standings and the top 10 in the Busch Series standings. Everyone competed except the four Cup teams from Hendrick Motorsports.
The Hendrick teams were on hand, though, for NASCAR's event. But this one was only open to the 24 teams eligible to compete in Saturday night's All-Star race.
This event also differed in that in the first two rounds, teams had to complete their pit stop and then push their car in a 40-yard dash to the finish. It made for awkward and humorous moments as bulky crew members struggled to race down the floor of the Charlotte Coliseum.
NASCAR and Nextel also jazzed this contest up with pageantry, using fireworks to excite the crowd and handing out signs of support for certain teams to random fans.
Both sides have said they will try to merge the dueling competitions into one event next season.
"If we can put all the money together in one competition, it would be great," said Baldwin, a member of the Crew Chief Club and organizer of the first event. "There was a combined $170,000 to the winners and that's a lot of money for these guys."
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