Tales of the Wash

Care and Feeding of Crew and Driver

As of late, I find certain problems among some of the race teams. I have had some myself and now realize that they are not the fault of any single person or groups of persons but rather due to the lack of "paying your dues".

Now some of you know me as having been around the sport for many years, not as many as some, but then more than some others. Others only know me as having been around this past year of racing. Well be advised that I ran my first autocross in 1976, first hill climb in 1977, first high speed event on an open racetrack or airport in 1977, and worked as race car crew since 1979. With that in mind, I think I may have accumulated some thought on this matter.

Let's start with DRIVERS. After all, if it was not for drivers, we wouldn't be doing any of this. I'm sure my corner working friends would not be standing out on a racetrack for the scenery if there were no race cars going past. As for all references to the driver as "he", I do not forget that many are "she". That's a journalism problem.

Drivers are usually nervous and worry a lot at the race track. They say they don't but most do. They have a lot on their minds and are under a lot of stress. The least little problem can set them off into a frenzy. Everyone around should be aware of this but it still gets to you. Maybe they don't seem to be working much but they do a surprising amount. All of their muscles are usually at the max during a race and, when they finish, they are usually running on adrenaline. When they come down to earth, they come fast and hard. I will go into their responsibilities later.

CREW: They are a very important part of the team, but only if they do their job. In one sentence, they are there to take care of the driver and the car. Period. They are not at the races for sightseeing or anything else. Here is a partial list of their responsibilities.

Don't sign up as crew unless you really plan on working. If you just want an inside look at the track, buy a pit pass and let a real crew worker on the crew list.

Plan on staying at the track with him all of the time. The driver and the car need you ALL day.

If the crew go to the track together, get the driver there EARLY. He does not need the problems of being late.

Try to travel to the track together. This saves parking space. But more importantly, after the race is over, the driver will come down from his adrenaline high and be worthless. He won't be able to drive too well and may not be able to drive home. Plan on driving the tow vehicle if you have to travel very far, in fact, plan on it all the time to save everybody some grief.

Take care of the driver. Make sure his straps are adjusted, his suit is on, his helmet and visor clean, and everything else when he goes out. Check the window net, the mirrors, all switches, and his shoe laces. The least little thing could distract him.

Tighten the straps TIGHT. My preference is to put them on loose, tighten the lap belt, the crotch strap, and then the shoulder straps. Find out his preference and do it that way.

Have someone at the hot pits ALWAYS when he is out. If he comes in with something even as simple as a loose window net or fogged windshield, the CREW is needed to fix it. BE THERE.

When the driver comes in at the end of the race, help him out of the car. Get his helmet off. Get him something to drink. Get him cooled off. He has depleted a lot of body fluids by sweating and needs water or Gatorade. Don't give him soda or anything sweet. If you are running winter races, get a jacket so he doesn't cool off too quickly and catch cold. Even a comfortable 50° day may be cold to him.

Give him moral support. Let him know the car is okay and that he is driving well.

Don't wait for him to tell you to work on the car. You should have a checklist of things to do between races to the car. Ask how the car handled and what is right and wrong. Get it done NOW, not after lunch.

Double check your work on the car. If in doubt, check it again. Loose lug nuts could kill the driver.
If you bring girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, or husbands along, let them know your first responsibility is to the driver and car. If you are going to be their tour guide at the track, don't sign up as crew.
Food. The driver is probably going crazy by lunchtime and too busy to eat. Get him something anyway and make him eat. Avoid the greasy or spicy stuff which may require the use of trackside facilities at race time.
Food, still. If the driver is nice, he'll bring food for everybody. If so, fix it. If he doesn't, bring enough for him, too, as he probably forgot. Arrange this BEFORE you get to the track. Bring plenty of cold liquids to drink.
Be prepared to share motel rooms. If the driver is paying, don't expect the Hilton and separate suites. Be easy on his budget. Don't expect him to pick up the tab for your girlfriend or wife and six kids. Let's be realistic.
If he gets to be a royal pain in the old backside or yells and screams too much, remember he is under a lot of stress and you should ignore it for the most part. Just do your job.

Now it's back to the driver. Since you have seen what is expected of the crew, plan on following this list:

The crew is there to take care of you and the car. DON'T make them mad or abuse them.
You will be tense and irritable at times, even downright angry. Don't take it out on the crew or you may lose them.
Pay attention to their signals at the pits. They can see your car; you can't. Ignore them and the price could be high.
Pay any crew passes needed. They are there WORKING for free while you have fun.
Pay their expenses for the weekend. If you are overnight, you should pick up the room bill.
It is customary for the driver to spring for a celebration dinner after the race. It keeps the crew happy.
Some drivers supply the food for the day at the track. You don't have time to cook it but the crew can handle that if you at least supply everything. It is always a good opportunity to have an old-fashion barbecue and build some crew friendships.
You might consider helping your crew go to driver's school, maybe even with your car. It will do you good to be crew for a weekend. It will give them a greater appreciation of what you go through on the track and off.
Don't yell at the corner workers. Remember that they will remember you long after you have forgotten them and it is they who pull your precious rear end out of a crunched or burning car.
Wave to the corner workers after each session, no matter how bad things have gone. Without them, you don't race!
Acknowledge the flags. Is it that hard to wave an acknowledgement? That waving yellow may save you from becoming the highlight of a T-bone.
Most corner workers appreciate cars and won't hurt yours on purpose. If they do hurt it, it was probably to save your skin.

CORNER WORKERS: Thank you for being there. Please remember we crew and drivers are human and if I screw up and yell at you, I don't really mean it, just venting frustration. I'll be normal again in a couple of hours. If I screw up a lot on the same thing, maybe I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Let me know before you tell the world I'm an idiot and foolish, reckless person. Please understand I probably spent all week until 2 in the morning working on the car to be there this weekend and I'm running a little short on everything. Sorry. As I coast off to the side of the track with a dead engine or something, this lack of sleep and excessive work schedule is catching up to me all at the same time. If I explode, well, maybe now you know why.

Alright, let's go racing!

Save the Wave,

The Doctor