F1 and NASCAR: In The Pits

First thing that every fan, ever spectator and every team watches with keen eyes is the pit stops.  Visibly the sports look quite different, both in numbers and in length, but again, on the layout and technique, quite similar. You could almost say that they are from the same mold. Both sports are concerned with safety, with the men that perform their duties under immense stress and circumstances.

With Formula One, fans seem to hold their breath the moment it looks like their driver is heading for pits.  We've seen it before, something as simple as a dropped lug nut can set a driver far back on the grid. In Formula One, when the command 'to the box' is given, 17 men jump into action.

The "Lollipop" Man
The pit crew member that is designated to the team's pit sign.  He also helps the driver find the team's 'box' and reminds the driver whether he should be on brakes, first gear when the jacks are lowered and also gives the sign for the driver to leave the 'box', all with different motions of the 'lollipop'.

The Four Tyre Changers
One man solely in charge of the pneumatic wrench that removes and re installs the car's single nut on their given tyre.

Eight Tyre Carriers
Two men per tyre, one solely responsible for the removal of the tyre and the other for the installation of the new tyre.  The front tyre carrier can also be responsible for the car's front wing during the stop as well.

The Front and Rear Jack
One man per end of the car that are solely responsible for the lever-jacks used to lift and lower the car during the pit stop.  As a note, the rear jack man is the only pit crew member that is not in position before the car enters the 'box'. Since refuelling has been banned, the front jack man has the most hazardous job as he must stand in front of the car as it enters the pit.

The Fire Extinguisher
One man stands ready with a hand-held fire extinguisher to try and stop any accidental fires that may occur during a stop, at least long enough for the pit crew and driver to evacuate.

*This job became standard following Jos Verstappen's 1994 pit fire.

Engine Air Filler /  Starter
One man's position is not necessarily working on the car like all the others. His responsibility is to keep air flowing through the engine to avoid the car overheating.  He is also on hand with a starter tool in case the car stalls out.

In comparison to the 17 men in the F1 pitcrew, NASCAR Pitcrews only have 7.  With NASCAR the pit crew were once the mechanics as well but now most teams have dedicated men and positions to the pits stops now.  Unlike Formula One and their 'to the box', NASCAR has the 'over the wall'. The seven positions dedicated to NASCAR pit stops are as follows:

The Jack Man:

One man that jacks up the car so that the tires can be replaced. The jack man is the one who signals for the driver to leave the pits by dropping the jack.

The front tyre changer:

One man changes only the front tyres with air wrench.

The rear tyres changer:

One man changes only rear tyres with air wrench.

The gas man:

One man fills the car with gasoline with a special gas can.

*The gas catch man:

One man catches any fuel overflow and usually holds one gas can while the gas man fills car with the second can.

Edit *The job of the catch can man has been eliminated. Nascar went to a self venting refueling system that vents through the gas can... (See, we F1 fans needs to sit down and watch the sport. Thanks Russ!)

Front tyre carrier:

Four men bring the new front replacement tyres over the pit wall and guides them onto the studs. He also takes the used tyres back over the wall.  He can also be responsible for cleaning debris from the grill and adding tape to the grill during a pit stop for more front-end downforce.

Rear tyre carrier: 

Four men bring the new rear replacement tyres over the pit wall and guides them onto the studs. He also takes the used tyres back over the wall.

*An eighth man is allowed over the wall, usually to clean the windshield, and in some situations, is permitted to attach extra dark shields to assist as the sun begins to set.