Pit Stop Challenge
|
Action during the 2014 Pit Stop Challenge | |
| Award details | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Indy Car Racing |
| Competition | Pit stop cotest |
| Discipline | Verizon IndyCar Series |
| Given for | Outstanding performance by a pit crew |
| History | |
| First award | 1977 |
| First winner | Jim McElreath (Carillo Racing) |
| Most wins | Team Penske (15) |
| Most recent | Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) |
The TAG Heuer Pit Stop Challenge is a pit stop contest held during activities leading up to the Indianapolis 500. Since 1977, the event has been held on Carb Day, following the final practice session. As many as twelve top teams in the field compete in a single-elimination, tournament-style competition, two teams at a time. Under the current rules format, during each heat, two cars line up side-by-side in a specially-constructed pit lane, which resembles a drag racing layout. The cars go from a standing start, and race into the pit box. Pit crews must change four tires and hook-up a dummy fuel hose to simulate a refuel. The driver races out of the pit box to cross a finish line, which is a couple hundred feet down the lane. The time is taken from the drop of the green flag to the crossing of the finish line.
Since 2013, the event has been sponsored by TAG Heuer.
Past winners
Statistics
Most victories – Team
- Penske Racing: 15
- Galles Racing: 6
Most victories – Driver
Most victories – Chief mechanic
- Owen Snyder: 3
- Chuck Sprague: 3
- Rick Rinaman: 3
Won Pit Stop Challenge and Indianapolis 500 in the Same year
- 1981: Bobby Unser, Penske Racing
- 1985: Danny Sullivan, Penske Racing
- 1995: Jacques Villeneuve, Forsythe Green Racing
- 2002: Helio Castroneves, Penske Racing
- 2004: Buddy Rice, Rahal Letterman Racing
- 2009: Helio Castroneves, Penske Racing
History
Since its inception, the event has been held on Carb Day, the day in which the final practice session is held for the Indianapolis 500. From 1977-2004, the event was held on the Thursday before the Indy 500. Starting in 2005, Carb Day was moved to Friday, and the event moved to Friday along with the Freedom 100.
In 2008, the event was cancelled due to rain, and the posted prize money was donated to charity.
Previous event sponsors include Miller (1977–1995), Coors (1996–2002), Checkers/Rally's (2003–2007), McDonald's (2008), Izod (2010-2012).
Broadcasting
Television coverage of the first contest appeared on ABC's Wide World of Sports. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, ABC would show highlights of the contest during the race broadcast on Sunday during down times. From 1995-2007, coverage was shown live or same-day tape on ESPN/ESPN2. Since 2009, coverage has been live on Versus/NBC Sports Network.
References
- 2011 Indianapolis 500 Media Guide