NASCAR Cup Series

Forget timing lines — Keselowski's stout

Published Mar. 21, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

Jeff Hammond

I realize there was a lot of talk at Bristol Motor Speedway about the additional timing lines that were added to pit road. This is a product of what happened in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the track last August. At that time, driver Brad Keselowski and his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, did the calculations and figured out a way to make up time on pit road but not break the rules.

They used that to their advantage and that Saturday night they ended up driving into Bristol’s Victory Lane. A few drivers, particularly Jeff Gordon, complained about it and so for the race last week, NASCAR closed that advantage.

Last year, for example, with the way the timing lines were laid out, you could gain position on three or four cars. This year, by doubling the amount of timing lines on the frontstretch and backstretch pit roads, the gain was reduced to only about one car.

So in talking to series director John Darby, NASCAR felt it had leveled the playing field as much as possible for this year's spring Bristol event. So while the opportunity was still there for fast pit stops and the ability to gain a position or two on pit road; the opportunity to gain many positions was reduced from 2011.

This isn’t something new. Crew chiefs know this is an area where they can make up time on pit road. You will see crew chiefs and drivers out on pit road hours before an event measuring and calculating the space from their pit stall to the first timing line.

This is nothing different than a baseball team playing in a stadium where the distance to the right field wall, for example, is shorter than that to the left field wall. They then adjust their lineup to maximize the potential of hitters that can hit to right field.

NASCAR gives the crew a map of pit road showing where the timing lines are. This is part of our sport and part of the game. It’s a fascinating component of the strategy that goes into what we see happen on pit road. If there are teams out there that aren’t taking advantage, or that are trying to take advantage of this within the rules, well those are the ones you won’t see vying for the championship.

This is why where you qualify for the race is so important. The polesitter gets his choice of pits. The outside polesitter gets to pick second and on down the list to the 43rd competitor. Trust me, these teams definitely look at the timing line map when it is their turn to pick a pit stall. Again, all of this is within the NASCAR rules and it can play an important role in the outcome of a race.

The competition today is so tight. So when there is an opportunity to make up time and position on your competitors, you have to be ready to take advantage of it. Bristol, last Sunday, was a perfect example of how hard it is to pass. We saw guys run side by side, lap after lap, to simply gain a single car length on a guy.

What you saw Sunday was a winning team that had evolved from the last Bristol race. Last August, the team used the timing lines on pit road to its advantage and ultimately won the race. Seven months later, it is back at Bristol with an even better race car. Even though NASCAR had changed the timing line rules, this team adapted. They performed flawlessly on pit road.

At the end of the day, crew chief Paul Wolfe made some great calls and gave Brad Keselowski a really solid car to take advantage of their opportunities. So for the press and the rest of his competitors that want to complain, well I only have one thing to say – shut up!

Simply give that team its just rewards. This team has done its homework for the last two Bristol races. Keselowski and his team adapted and won both events. That’s what is expected of all these teams.

If someone is beating you, well quit your whining, figure out what they are doing and figure out a way to do it better. That’s how you win races and ultimately win championships.