NASCAR Crew Chief Responsibilities

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    The Pit Boss

    • Technically, crew chief is one person but his duties involve work of a pit boss, a coach and a mechanic. Not only does he have to perform all these tasks, he must do them perfectly. On some teams, the crew chief tweaks and tunes the engine before the race. Again, some teams expect the crew chief to handle the schedules, break up the jobs into smaller components and assign appropriate crew to the task. Crew chiefs also decide when to pit and how the crew will handle every pit stop. Just like a football coach is always on the sidelines, thinking what could be the next move, the crew chief is also geared with the headset evaluating every situation and acting on it. He keeps track of the races and records every minute detail to dissect later.

    The Driver's Coach

    • The crew chief is also a coach to the entire team and that includes the driver. There must be a good rapport between the driver and the chief so that the glitches can be dealt with successfully. He must be ready to solve every problem a driver may face on the track and off it. The crew chief gels together the crew and the driver so they can achieve optimum coordination which is essential to best utilize a pit stop.

    The Mechanic

    • A good crew chief must not be afraid to get his hands dirty. He cannot shirk from the technical duties that require handling greased car parts and find out what has gone wrong. The crew chief must be up to date with every part of the car as his team because he is in charge of running the team with maximum possible efficiency. That's why most successful crew chiefs had been in the crew for years, gaining practical experience that serve them well at the top job.

    The Coordinator

    • The crew chief is the link between the on-track crew and the administrative body. He oversees all activities on the track and records them diligently to present to the supervisors for any modification or changes that might positively contribute to the efficiency of the machines and crew alike. He is required to review projects for structural safety and operational competence. Above all, a good crew chief is always looking ways to better his team and give them an edge over the other competitors that would take them the extra mile in the long run.

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