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» What’s Your “Pit” Strategy at Work?
Considered the most prestigious race in NASCAR, the 200-lap Daytona 500 is also the most popular with more than 200,000 fans in attendance and millions watching worldwide. Racing for approximately 3 1/2 hours, where hundredths of seconds count, the race is often determined by the winning team's "pit strategy."

Pit strategy - determining when to stop and what functions to perform - has become an increasingly important feature of a race. That's because during a ten-second pit stop, competitors will gain about one quarter mile over the stopped car. The car that made the stop, however, may have an advantage because it is lighter, carrying less fuel, and have less wear on its tires so it can go faster on the turns.

Teams consider several factors in developing a pit strategy like rate of fuel consumption and tire wear, pit road length and speed limit, weather and lighting as well as competitors' pit strategies.

Efficiency can win or lose a race
With the margin of victory being only one or two seconds, the speed, agility and efficiency of the pit crew can win or lose a race. That's why each NASCAR pit crew member specializes in a specific task.

* Jackman - Jacks up the car so the tires can be replaced and pulls the right rear tire off after it's been loosened. He also signals the driver to leave the pit.
* The front tire changer - Changes only the front tires.
* The rear tire changer - Changes only the rear tires.
* The gas man - Using a special gas can, fills the car with gas or if the car needs little or no gas, helps remove old tires from the car.
* The gas catch man - Because fuel presents hazards on the track, the gas catch man catches any fuel overflow and holds an extra can of gas for the gas man if needed.
* Front tire carrier - Requiring Herculean strength, the front tire carrier brings the new front replacement tires over the pit and mounts them onto the studs.
* Rear tire carrier - In addition to bringing the new rear tire replacements over the pit and mounting them, the rear tire carrier must also roll the old tires to the pit wall.

Sometimes an eighth man is allowed into the pit to clean the windshield, attach sun visors, or provide the driver with fresh water.

Efficiency can make or break your day
With quick turnarounds and tight deadlines, you may feel like you're on a race at work too. While you may not have a pit crew of your own, you can certainly enjoy the efficiencies they provide by keeping the right tools you need at your fingertips. Daily planners, desktop organizers, and special filing systems can help you work swiftly and efficiently towards your own finish line each day. Visit your office supply store to see how they can put you on the fast