Dreaming Of The Pits At Indianapolis 500? Here's How To Practice At Home

5 June 2017
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Boy, those pit crews at the Indy 500 really know how to move, do they not? Tires changed in under sixty seconds, and those pit crews move almost as fast as the cars on which they work. If you have big dreams about joining a pit crew, you should start practicing now. They do not take just anyone, and you have to audition and prove your mettle. Here is how you can practice their moves and get up to speed at home.

Paoli Wheel Guns

If you watch tapes of pit crews closely, they have hydraulic lug nut guns to quickly remove nuts and tires and put new tires back on. They do not operate with corded guns either, because the race cars could utterly destroy the cords or take the cords and guns with them when the cars peel out of the pit. If you are going to practice tire changing at high speed at home, you need something like Paoli wheel guns, which are both cordless and high-speed hydraulic. You may also want an accurate timer to make sure you can remove and replace a tire in under thirty seconds.

Fast Jack

In the pits, you do not have time to crank up a manual jack to elevate the cars and get to work. You have to get that car up quickly. A fast jack is one that lifts the entire frame like a person in a barbershop chair. A couple of quick stomps and that jack has the car up and ready for a tire change. After you have used a wheel gun to improve your tire-changing speed, incorporate a fast jack into the routine and work to make the whole process even faster.

Wash and Squeegee in One

There is absolutely no time in the pits to reach for a window wash tool and then reach for a squeegee and a rag or towel. You need a wash and squeegee in one tool. You leave it in the bucket of washer fluid, pull it out to wash windows, flip to squeegee, and the rag or towel is in the handle. While this is an atypical maneuver, you should still know how to use it in case the track is really dusty or extremely muddy. The Indianapolis track has been known to be both dusty and extra muddy during the course of this race's history. The drivers need to see, so windows may need a quick cleaning.