Martin’s Pit Crew Wins Again; Claims California Win
Mark Martin’s pit crew took top honors in the Checkers®/Rally’s® Double Drive-Thru Challenge following Sunday’s (Feb. 25) Nextel Cup Series race at California Speedway. The No. 01 Army crew secured their second consecutive win this season, taking an early lead in the competition.
“I don’t know what you can say about these guys, except that they are awesome to work with," said Martin, driver of the 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet®. “The Army crew keeps coming through with fast stops when we need them. They did a good job all day and got me to the checkered flag with a top-five finish. It was another great team effort."
Pit crew coach Lance Munksgard added, “I’m so proud that Checkers/Rally’s is recognizing our crew for all their effort. They’ve worked hard to become one of the fastest teams on pit road and I think winning two-in-a-row this season proves that they are."
Checkers/Rally’s will award Martin’s team $11,150 for winning the weekly award. An additional $111,150 will be presented to the pit crew with the most wins at the completion of the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule.
The No. 01 over-the-wall crew, which spent 297.758 seconds on pit road, includes: Scott King (jack man), Colin Pasic (front-tire carrier), Charlie Brock (front-tire changer), Dwayne Moore (rear-tire carrier), Dave Woodhead (rear-tire changer), Danny Harrington (gasman), Scotty Hazlett (catch can) and J.D. Hilton (windshield). The team’s crew chief is Ryan Pemberton.
To win the Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge, teams are required to finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time on pit road. Checkers/Rally’s is in its third season as title sponsor for the pit crew challenge.