Slower pit stops in 2005

UPDATE NASCAR officials appear to be ready to implement a suggestion from Busch Series crew chief Ricky Pearson, who wants to restrict the flow of gasoline during pit stops. That would lengthen most pit stops and take away the advantage of teams that have full-time tire changers who can perform their tasks much quicker than the part-timers who work for many Busch teams. The changes would start in the Busch and Craftsman Truck series [in 2005], then possibly be expanded to Cup [in 2006]. Atlanta Journal-Constitution 11/06/04 NASCAR wants to slow pit stops next season on the Nextel Cup and Busch tours, and officials are considering a drastic change in the fuel-dump cans. Now a gas man can dump two 11-gallon cans in a car in about 11 seconds, and that has put a remarkable premium on car owners putting together a pit crew fast enough to change four tires in that brief time span. By ordering teams to use fuel cans with smaller spouts, NASCAR officials hope to slow the dump time to 19 seconds. In turn, that would lessen the need for lightning-fast pit crews. But some top pit-crew men are upset with NASCAR's plans, saying NASCAR is playing to car owners, who have been complaining about the rising cost of hiring fast pit-crew men. Winston Salem Journal