NASCAR pit stop speed: Fuelers are tall former offensive lineman who can hold two 82lb fuel cans

https://stanfordmag.org/contents/the-need-for-speed

The Need for Speed
A former Cardinal athlete coached NASCAR pit crews into racing shape—and made the sport even faster.

As he recovered from back surgery in the winter of 1991, Andy Papathanassiou was coming to grips with the end of his sports career. Then a NASCAR race popped up on his TV. A former offensive guard on the Stanford football team as well as a shot putter and discus thrower for Cardinal track and field, Papathanassiou, ’89, MA ’90, noticed something familiar about the pit stops.

“I saw this uniformed group performing this coordinated team activity in competition with other teams, with one group ultimately helping bring their car to the winner’s circle with high-fives and Champagne and all that,” he says. “It clicked for me as an athletic event, not a mechanical event.”

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The FUELER ranks are full of tall former offensive linemen. Why? The job includes positioning and holding up two 82-lb. fuel cans while executing fancy footwork to exchange the cans, set the plug properly, dodge the tire changers and avoid spraying fuel. “The fueler is the guy who can blow everyone up,” says Papa.

The TIRE CARRIER has to jump over the wall and sprint while carrying two 45-lb. tires. Think linebacker or fullback. He drops off the tire for the right front and then runs to the rear, where he positions a new tire and rolls the old one to the wall so it’s out of the way. He also makes quick adjustments to the rear springs and to the tape that restricts airflow into the grille.

The JACKMAN needs a linebacker’s combo of strength, size and speed to steer a 27-lb. jack into position and lift the car in one stroke. He then places a new front tire into position for a tire changer. He repeats his moves on the wall side of the car, positioning a new rear tire. Once the tires are on and fueling is complete, he drops the car and pulls the jack, which signals the driver to go.

The main task for the two TIRE CHANGERS is to bolt the tires to the car—in seconds. Quickness, hip flexibility and hand-eye coordination are key; long arms are a plus. Hockey goalies, shortstops and second basemen make great tire changers—if they have a deft touch. “The lugs have to be on tight enough that they don’t loosen but not so tight that you waste time getting them off on the next stop,” says Papa.