Conventional wisdom at the vast majority of race tracks says that pitting in stall No.1—the box closest to the exit from pit road—is a huge advantage.
After all, it offers both unimpeded egress and proximity to the final timing line, allowing quick acceleration back to the racing surface.
There were mitigating factors, however, in Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship event at Phoenix Raceway. At the first stage break, Ty Majeski beat eventual winner Corey Heim off pit road, even though Heim was pitting in stall No. 1.
On Lap 150, on the stop that proved decisive, Layne Riggs left pit road ahead of Heim when both drivers made four-tire stops. Only a breathtaking seven-wide charge into Turn 1 made Heim a winner in overtime.
Scott Zipadelli, Heim’s crew chief, said rubber build-up in the first bit box prevented a smooth exit.
“It’s supposed to be a benefit, but it really wasn’t,” Zipadelli said. “There was a lot of rubber, residual rubber, from past races there. Our guys prepped the box.
“What happens is you’re just prepping the rubber that’s already down. When he was spinning his wheels, it was just spinning on top of the rubber that was there. It got worse…
“You’re going to see the same thing (Saturday night) and on Sunday, if they don’t scrape the boxes, put new traction compound on top of them.”
Doubtless, crew chiefs in the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series were paying close attention to Heim’s difficulty. Cliff Daniels, crew chief for Championship 4 Cup driver Kyle Larson certainly was.
“Most likely (we) would pick that stall,” Daniels said. “What you just described is certainly a consideration for the grip level in the stall. That’s always a big thing out here.
“We have a couple other stalls in mind. Hopefully, we’re in that position where I have to make that decision. Pit stall No. 1 offers a lot of good things, so it’s hard to overlook that.”
Indeed. When Larson and Daniels won the series championship in 2021, it was a lightning-fast stop in stall No. 1 that vaulted Larson from fourth to first among the title contenders and propelled him to the race win and the championship.
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