Who has the quickest crew?
All five manufacturers will face off in Auckland to see who has V8 Supercars’ quickest pit crew.
The Pit Stop Challenge will take place in Aotea Square in Queen Street, next Wednesday at 12.30pm local time – and with pride on the line, it won’t just be a fight between marques, but Aussies versus Kiwis.
The crowd will be encouraged to participate as the five crews go through a number of different drills to determine who is the quickest on the eve of the ITM 500 Auckland.
Shane van Gisbergen and his Team TEKNO VIP Petfoods crew will represent Holden, while Scott McLaughlin and Valvoline Racing GRM will fly the Volvo flag – both drivers in the New Zealand camp.
Meanwhile, Rick Kelly and Jack Daniel’s Motorsport will perform for Nissan, Will Davison and his Erebus Motorsport team, and Mark Winterbottom and his Ford Pepsi Max Crew will challenge for the win.
“I reckon it’ll be really good,” Winterbottom told v8supercars.com.au.
“They’re pretty pumped,” he said of his crew.
“They all train pretty hard and are pumped to have a crack at this. There’s a lot of pride for them to try and win it so they’re working out a strategy and what they need to do to win.
“They’ll have a good crack!”
Each team will have a full pitstop crew, bar the refueller (as there is no fueling for the competition) and the fireman, for the showdown.
During a race, a good pitstop for four tyres is between five and five and a half seconds. Each crew will complete approximately 39 scheduled pit stops in a season, with around 156 tyres changed per car – which roughly travel 155km each.
The five crews won’t just have one shot at it on Wednesday – they will have to complete a number of drills and ensure they don’t drop the ball.
The ‘cannon’, ‘time trial’, ‘push and pit’, ‘front to rear’ and final challenge – with their driver involved – will play out, as Kiwi favourite Greg Murphy hosts the day alongside Craig “Sooty” Lord. Even the Mayor Len Brown will be there as a judge of fact, to make sure the correct team is awarded the win.
The final two will go head to head with a final simple pit stop. Who will be victorious?
The best part is, there’s not just the chance to see the V8 Supercars up close, but to meet all the drivers involved, and grab some autographs and photos before the ITM Auckland 500 kicks off the next day.
For ‘Murph’ fans, this is one of the only opportunities to catch him in person at a V8 Supercars event ahead of the race meeting. The ‘King of Pukekohe’ will also be hosting a fundraising event at Pukekohe RSA that evening – tickets available here.
So head down to Queen Street on Wednesday to cheer on your favourite team and learn all about the mechanics of a pit stop, one of the crucial parts of a race.
Buy your ticket for the ITM 500 Auckland, running April 24-27, now.
