UPDATE #3 NASCAR is trying to make pit road safer in all three of its national tours in 2011 as the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series will now adopt the refueling system currently used in the Camping World Truck Series. NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton revealed during a media briefing in conjunction with a Goodyear tire test Thursday at Daytona that the change will debut in the two premier tours at Speedweeks 2011 at Daytona International Speedway, whereby "self-venting dump cans" will be used to refuel cars on pit stops. The system, which was made an option at the beginning of the 2010 season in the Truck Series, eliminates the seventh over-the-wall crewman who held a catch can to retrieve fuel that might spill from a vent on the back of the car. "Over our three national series, we'll run a fueling system that will eliminate the catch-can guy because it fuels and vents all in one process," Pemberton said. "It's what the trucks have used, successfully." In addition to eliminating the most exposed member of the over-the-wall crew, since the catch-can member would have their back to oncoming traffic, Pemberton said the advent of E-15 ethanol fuel also figured into the decision. "It better enables us to keep a control on the open container of fuel," Pemberton said. "Because with the E-15 you want to make sure you never get any moisture introduced into that and this better helps that."
NASCAR.com
10/11/10 NASCAR will eliminate the use of the fuel overflow catch can in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series beginning in 2011, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed Saturday. NASCAR went to a self-venting fuel can for the Camping World Truck Series this year. By eliminating the catch-can man, teams can possibly save money by needing only six people instead of seven to service the car on a pit stop. Teams also will not have to worry about the costly penalty of having the catch can remain attached to the car when the driver takes off following a pit stop SceneDaily
10/04/10 This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' with today's news.
09/25/10 NASCAR officials on Friday confirmed that the Nationwide Series will move to six-man pit crews for all teams next season, eliminating the catch-can position. The change puts Nationwide in line with the Trucks series, which already has made the change. The series' new gas tanks will have a single-point, self-venting system that doesn't require a crew member to operate. Charlotte Observer
Editor's Note: We hear they will be eliminated from the Sprint Cup Series as well as NASCAR finally gets rid of another of their antiquated procedures.
