CONCORD, N.C. - July marked the second part of the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew combine as selected prospects returned for a three-day minicamp, aiming to land a spot on a NASCAR Cup Series pit crew.
Around 60 recruits turned out for the initial session and that number was more than halved as the department brought back 21 athletes for the second phase of the combine. The returning talent took part in film analysis and equipment tutorials before engaging in stationery and live pit stops. Head pit coach, Jacob Claborn, and current pit crew members provided guidance and mentorship during multiple practice sessions, showing prospects how to efficiently complete a stop in any given situation.
"The first thing we tell these guys when they get here is they are going to be evaluated in everything they do, from being in the meeting room to being on the pit pad to when we do workouts in the gym," said Claborn. "The first and foremost thing we want to see in these guys is who is going to be the great teammate first. We know they can physically do it so we want to know who is going to be a great teammate that can make it work in our organization, so we will continue to evaluate them over these next three days, four practices and roughly six to eight events and see how they intact with each other; who is a vocal leader and who is a silent leader?
"We've got 10 guys who are looking at the changer position, five guys that the looking at the carrier position and six guys that are looking at the jackman position. (The) biggest thing that they showed us from combine was they could physically do the task and they have all come with high character references. The biggest thing for us is that they were all highly recommend and that they could physically move very well in the combine process and that's what made us want to bring them back to the mini camp. Now we teach them how to do an actual pit stop and see where we can go from there."
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Pit crew members from Hendrick Motorsports aided in leading the event, giving the recruits another relatable source. Blaine Anderson, currently the front tire changer for the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team, was on the pit pad, teaching prospects how to efficiently complete a pit stop as a tire changer. Like Claborn, Anderson values teamwork and intangibles in possible crew members.
"You are looking for guys who are going to listen, guys who are going to be coachable and guys who are going to try and find do stuff to do when maybe they're not sure what to do," said Anderson. "Obviously, you want to be a good athlete. That's why everybody is here. It's going to be big to find guys that want to be coachable, be a good teammate and be a good support system for the guys around you.
"The biggest thing for these guys to take away is to slow down the process of trying to think you have to go fast now and be ready to learn. The speed will come eventually."
Further elaborating on the camaraderie of the pit crew, Anderson described the importance of finding teammates that will mesh well together with other teammates during the rigorous week-to-week schedule.
"Pit stops are controlled chaos," Anderson observed. "You have to trust that the guy next to you is doing his job because he's doing the same for you. When you are leaning on each other like that and being on the road with each other for 36 to 38 weeks out of the year, you want to be around good guys who are going to help you out. You are going to have a lot of highs and lows so just leaning on each other helps the team overall."
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Veteran crew members are dedicated to finding new talent that can perform on and off the track. Once minicamp is complete, a select few will be chosen to return.
"Coach (Keith) Flynn likes to say a lot, 'Nobody grew up playing pit crew in the back yard,'" Claborn said. "Their eyes are going to be wide open to a new world, so we want to see them develop over the next three days and just be exposed to this world and the opportunities that are presenting themselves in their post-colligate careers."