Watch How a Pitstop Can Make or Break a Motorsport Race

If you have watched motorsport of any kind you’ll know that a successful pit stop can make or break a race. Watching a pitstop is a little like watching a five-star kitchen operate; every individual knows their tasks and executes them to perfection while maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the entire team.

When watching from the comfort of your couch. it can be easy to think that pit crews look easy but these teams are training just as hard as the drivers to get their job done in record time with record precision. Online retailer, FCP Euro have created a great video documenting a pit stop made by the MARC Cars team during the Intercontinental GT Challenge 8 Hours of California at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The video explains all the hidden details in the art of a perfect pitstop such as how only four crew members can be ‘over the wall’ during the stop and that a ground cable needs to be connected to the car before any fueling can begin to prevent possible static charge causing a fire. The wheel guys, whose job it is to changes the tires on the cars, have extra wheel nuts strapped to their body just in case they drop one during the heat of the moment.

Watch the whole video to get a sense of just how tense the pitstops. The video also gives a glance into just how much effort is put into the pitstop and the race generally by the whole race team. While at the final flag, the driver may be the person on the podium, they know they could never have achieved their speed and success without their dedicated crew behind them.