Truck to limit pit stops
NASCAR could just limit the number of crew members brought each weekend, but it also could prohibit pit stops except after an accident or a flat tire.
When the series first started, the teams did not have pit stops unless the car had a mechanical problem on the track. NASCAR had a halftime break for teams to adjust on their cars and teams did not lose position for pitting.
If implemented, the move could save anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 per team, said TRG Motorsports Director of Competition Butch Hylton.
“I’m more worried about the fans and how they are going react to it," Hylton said. “Is that part of the show for them? Is it OK that we don’t have pit stops? At the end of the day, if they’re not happy with our races, that’s not going to help us economically."
And with the current length of Truck races, often teams would need two breaks.
“It takes some of the glamour out of it for the fans and it kills the TV thing because the fuel cells, with the way they are today, we would have to have two breaks, not a halftime break," said Germain Racing general manager Mike Hillman Sr. “I don’t know for sure, but I’d be surprised if they went totally that way [to no stops]."
Another option, Hillman said, would be to limit teams to four over-the-wall crewmen during a pit stop instead of seven. The stops would be slower but all teams would be on equal footing. SceneDaily.com
01/16/09 NASCAR officials met with owners from the Camping World Truck Series at the Kevin Harvick, Inc. shop on Thursday to discuss potential procedural changes for this season. Chief among those discussed changes was the possible elimination of green/yellow flag pit stops, multiple sources told FOXSports.com. The sanctioning body wanted to open dialogue to discuss cost saving measures to ensure the health of the series this season since the truck count – and the sponsored truck count in particular – has diminished drastically. When the truck series first debuted, the series was able to limit expenses by having teams pit once at halfway under a competition caution and have fewer men over the wall. A similar plan could be in the works that would bring trucks down pit road according to the order on the track. Teams would be allowed to pit and the trucks would then return to the track in the same order, similar to a TV time out in football or basketball.
Last season, 27 teams drove full time and 11 of 25 races had a full field of 36 trucks starting. While no confirmed counts have been released yet, it appears that number will be lower as some teams have shut down during the offseason. The full impact of the economy likely won't be felt by the sport until after the season opening weekend at Daytona. Fox Sports