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Frank Youtzy is a crew chief for a local Sportsman team at Five Flags Speedway, in Pensacola Florida. He will give us a birds-eye view of what it's like to race at the grassroots level. He will also field questions from the readers concerning weekly local racing.
March 19, 2009
By Frank Youtzy
Hello again race fans!
Here in Pensacola we are starting our season this Friday. An open practice was held for the teams to verify car changes, and get accustomed to the ‘new’ track surface. The track asphalt is getting very old and was eating tires like crazy last year, so the owners ground off the top layer hoping for better grip and closer racing for everyone to enjoy this year.
Our team had changed over to the GM crate motor, and I had made some handling ‘improvements’ over the winter, so out to the track we go.
Impending rain was in the forecast, and sure enough the weather peeps were right for a change. We managed to get one run in with lap times pretty decent for the tires we had.
Ahh, the sweet smell of heated rubber, and exhaust was so good to experience after the off season. After checking tire temps/pressures/stagger, fixing a leaking water hose and slight carb adjustment we were ready to go back out for some more aggressive laps. The late models were just finishing up and here comes the rain just as promised!
The track officials promptly began drying procedures and soon we were ready to go out only to get soaked again. Dry the track, strap back in and. . . . Guess what now? Yep more rain.
Oh well, we decided to go talk to the other teams while waiting it out. Walking along pit road after our successful test, I found a lug nut.
I am not really a very superstitious guy, but everything was looking good for the upcoming year, so I put it in my pocket and told my driver I now had my own good luck charm. (Actually not a bad idea to have spare lug nut handy anyway)
So the conversation went that my driver has his own good luck charm taped to the dash, a fan had given him her own good luck medallion to keep us safe.
Talking to the other drivers and crew chiefs, I found quite an interesting array of ‘good luck’ items varying from coins, pictures, and stuffed animals strapped in the car riding with them. One had his ‘lucky socks’ that he always wore while on the track, I let that one go for almost TMI (too much information). Fellow crew members wore their lucky T shirts or hats, and all truly believed that it made a difference.
Anyway, the rain finally let up enough to load up the car. Finished for the day, I went to the AMVETS post, our major sponsor, to let the membership know how we did and assured them that we were ready for the season to begin.
You know, it’s not much different in our professional racing teams either;
- Darrell Waltrip used to eat a ham sandwich before he raced (mustard, no mayo).
- Rusty Wallace had a bunch of them that I have heard.
- Eating peanuts in the pits is a proven No, No! ...I have personal experience with this one, just don’t do it OK?
- The Cup drivers tape items to the dashes of their cars too.
Pay attention to the in-car cams and you will see them. Sometimes they are mentioned during pre race interviews about the driver’s charity, or a gift from a child recovering from surgery. So, I was wondering if you all wanted to let me know about your own ‘good luck’ charms, and maybe post them here in the future. Like before, don’t get too TMI on me, I probably couldn’t post those anyway.
If anyone has a question or a topic of relating the NASCAR teams to the local racers or tracks, let me know and I’ll relay it back to you.
Next week will be the first report on how we did and I’ll compare it to the Bristol race coming up.
Until next time, go fast, turn left, and take care,
Comments or suggestions are encouraged. Please contact Frank Youtzy at Insider Racing News.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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