Jeff Burton’s Crew Wins Pit Challenge

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Jeff Burton’s team won NASCAR’s Pit Crew
Challenge on Thursday, beating Reed Sorenson’s crew in record time
in the final round.
    The No. 31 Chevrolet’s seven-member team changed four tires, put
in gas and pushed the car 40 yards in an event-best 22.115 seconds
to collect the $70,100 first prize.
    Burton’s team, which beat Denny Hamlin’s crew in the semifinals,
will get to make the first pit-row selection for Saturday’s
All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
    In a season where pit road mishaps have been a recurring theme,
the over-the-wall teams had a chance at redemption, with Burton’s
crew spraying champagne after the victory.
    Martin Truex Jr.‘s team won three of the four individual
categories, worth $10,000 apiece.
    Jeff Kerr was the top jackman, lifting both sides of the car in
5.666 seconds; gas man Preston Cordell and catch-can man Eric Hoyle
filled the car in 10.072 seconds and front tire changer Dennis
Terry and carrier Shannon Keys took 14.855 seconds.
    The No. 1 team’s total time set an event record - until it was
beaten by Burton’s showing in the semifinals and final. Vickers’
crew was eliminated by Tony Stewart’s team in the second round.
    “We won three categories out of four. Everyone knew we meant
business when we came here,“ Keys said.
    Kyle Busch’s team prevented a No. 1 team sweep when rear tire
changer Jake Seminara and rear tire carrier Kenny Barber posted a
time of 14.900 seconds.
    In its fifth year, NASCAR’s only sanctioned indoor competition
included 24 crews, with the top eight in the Sprint Cup owners
standings getting a bye into the second round. Teams faced each
other in head-to-head, single-elimination stops.
    Held inside at Time Warner Cable Arena, it was far from pit
stops you’d see during a race.
    There were eight unmarked cars on each side of the arena floor.
Teams changed tires on two cars, filled the gas tank with water on
another and a jackman lifted the fourth car.
    The jackmen then ran to the team’s regular cars, lined up
side-by-side. The jackman - often with team’s driver inside - would
push the car down a simulated pit lane. The rest of the crew joined
in as they finished their tasks, and the first car to cross the
finish line 40 yards away was the winner.
    Teams received time penalties for infractions ranging from loose
lug nuts to spilled gas. There were plenty of miscues - a familiar
sight this season.
    From a problem with a tire change for Carl Edwards at Texas to a
lug nut mishap with Jeff Gordon at Phoenix to Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s
series of problems, pit crews have received unusual scrutiny.
    None was bigger than when Marcos Ambrose’s gas man, Jimmy Watts,
chased after a runaway tire at Atlanta, bring out a race-changing
caution.
    Back from his four-race suspension, Watts cleanly filled his car
with gas in the first round, but his No. 47 team was eliminated by
Truex’s crew.
    Earnhardt’s pit woes continued when his team just beat 2008
champion Brian Vickers’ crew to the finish line, but then lost
because of a 5-second penalty for spilled gas.
    Busch’s team was eliminated in the second round also because of
a gas penalty, while Vickers’ No. 83 crew knocked out points leader
Gordon’s team in round two.
    The No. 83 team’s repeat title hopes ended in the quarterfinals
because of two gas penalties. Stewart’s team beat Sorenson’s car to
the finish line in the semifinals, but lost because of a 3-second
rear tire penalty.