|
Editor's Note: Copy messenger Sheena Jeffers didn't
know the first thing about NASCAR. That changed Saturday night, when an
up-close view of the Dan Lowry 400 gave her a whole new perspective on
the sport.
 It
would have been safe to say I was living under a rock when it comes to my
knowledge of NASCAR. Sure, I knew it existed. I grew up hearing the roar
of engines from the television screen, and some of my little brother's
first words were: "Put'em in the wall!" Other then that, I knew nothing.
Until Saturday, when I walked up to Kevin Harvick's pit box and my entire
view of NASCAR changed.
It started with the drivers meeting. Each driver-and-crew-chief team
listened to directions, jotting down notes and nodding their heads. Then
everyone returned to their haulers where the air smelled of barbecue
chicken, as everyone mentally prepared for the Dan Lowry 400.
I am given a scanner so I can hear Harvick's discussion with his spotter,
Bill O'Dea, and his crew chief, Todd Berrier. The tension in the garage
starts to simmer as the grills turn C6 off and the crew members start
focusing on their duties.
As I'm walking toward the pit box, I see the mass of dots staring. Are
those people? The roar is enormous; the energy is a pickup better than
any cup of coffee.
Suddenly, I'm alert, focused and climbing the stairs to the pit box as
the crew teams line up. After a giant "Amen" from the crowd, and the
swooping appearance from the Blue Angels, the drivers did what they'd
been waiting to do all day: start their engines.
Harvick wishes his pit crew a good race, and then:
"Ready . . . ready . . . green! Green! Green!" Spotter O'Dea said. And
Harvick was off.
I watched the pit crew members practice removing lug nuts. One team
member checked the weather. DeLana Harvick sat calmly in the corner. She
wrote down her husband's lap statistics: his timing, the gap and other
important statistics Kevin Harvick and the team will need in postrace
analysis.
 "Thirty-five
laps from having a pit," crew chief Berrier said.
The crew grabbed tires, gas, tools then exchanged a special handshake and
jumped over the wall.
This was the exact moment NASCAR changed for me. It was the moment I
became a fan of the intense bonds holding these teams, sponsors and fans
together. It's a brotherhood of support. In less than 13 seconds, Harvick
was off again.
Click Here To Continue Reading at www.inrich.com |
For New Fan, It's About
Team