Track Talk NASCAR Spotlight Shines on Iconic Car, Fast Crew One of the biggest storylines this season just might be the iconic No. 43 car’s resurgence in the NASCAR spotlight. Behind the wheel of the legendary car that often still sports the famous Petty Blue shade, driver Aric Almirola currently finds himself in the top10 in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings and is emerging as a real Chase contender. Besides having a Hall of Fame team owner in Richard Petty and an experienced crew chief in Todd Parrott, Almirola has yet another advantage every time he wheels the 43 down pit road — an awardwinning pit crew. The No. 43 Smithfield Ford over-the-wall crew has been named the Quarter One Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew — an honor determined by a vote of each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
crew chief given quarterly to top-performing pit crews. “It’s just awesome,” said rear tire changer Dwayne Ogles. “Just the history of the 43 car in itself and us kind of being the underdogs, it’s pretty cool to bring the 43 back. Everybody’s looking at us and it’s cool for the spotlight to be back on the 43 team.” The No. 43 crew’s precise performance this season has helped to cement Almirola’s solid start to the 2013 campaign. According to Ogles, being recognized by peers for their accomplishments is a huge honor for the entire team. “It means a lot to me and to all of the guys,” said Ogles, a nine-year pit road veteran who hails from Hoover, Ala. “Working out, practicing, building the cars in the shop — there’s a lot that goes into it. We put in a lot of long hours, so it’s
Rear tire changer Dwayne Ogles says having the spotlight back on the legendary No. 43 car is pretty cool. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
The No. 43 crew has won the Quarter One Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award – the highest honor for pit crews in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
nice to see the performance and results showing.” In addition to Ogles, the 43 over-the-wall crew consists of: Joe Karasinski (gas man), Jeremy Neeley (jack man), Greg Donlin (front tire changer), Lance Hanna (front tire carrier) and Eric Wallace (rear tire carrier). Andrew Carter is the team’s pit crew coach. “I can remember as a kid watching Richard Petty race the 43 car,” reminisced coach Carter, who trains both the No. 43 and No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports pit crews. “He [Petty] was one of my favorite drivers, so getting to work with these guys every day is pretty special.” Carter puts the crew through pit stop practice three days a week and a grueling weight training regimen four days per week. “We push these guys pretty hard,” said Carter. “Between working on the cars, finding time to get to practice, and then going to the gym and pushing themselves even harder, they do a great job at it. The results have
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shown on the track.” The Carter-coached No. 43 six-member team can change four tires, add fuel and make adjustments in as little as 11 or 12 seconds, thanks to rigorous training and technological advances by companies like Mechanix Wear, who supply 20 to 25 products, from gloves to kneepads, to NASCAR pit crewmen. Carter also maintains having a primary sponsor like Smithfield reaps its own competitive benefits, too. “It always helps to be ‘fueled by bacon’ when you’re going over-the-wall,” quips Carter. “That extra protein really helps give the guys that extra boost to perform at their best.” Benefitting from best-inclass gloves, bacon and some good old-fashioned blood, sweat and tears, Ogles and company wouldn’t have it any other way. “All the hard work pays off,” added Ogles. “It’s worth every bit of it.” By: Kimberly Hyde, NASCAR