Have You Ever Wondered What Goes On Inside a Stock Car?

On Saturday night, jeremiahboyce.com took a ride inside the machine of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and this allowed us to bring you part one of my special series describing what goes on when a driver is busy behind the wheel. This series was my own idea, where I will take you inside of a certain machine on a particular race day. If you would like more information, continue to read this article. On this Saturday night at Bristol, jeremiahboyce.com chose to take you inside one of NASCAR’s most dominant powerhouses. We decided to hop in with the man that NASCAR really loves, the 88 Hendrick Motor Sports National Guard Mountain Dew Chevrolet with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It’s very hard to drive a stock car, and there is so much more than just a driver. You have the crew chief, which on this Saturday happened to be Steve Letarte. Junior not only has to worry about avoiding a speeding penalty, he has to worry about competitors around him. The one thing I heard a lot last night was “one on your bumper.” And then Earnhardt Jr. has to tell Letarte what the car is doing on a long green flag run, so Steve knows how to fix the 88. The crew has to be able to make mental note of what their driver needs, so that Junior Nation can hopefully have a spot in the Chase. The pit crew has to be able to communicate on an even keel level, so that they get the lug nuts on, and so that they can pack the car full of fuel. Without driver and crew communication, you could be involved in a big accident. There are 43 drivers who want the same thing that Junior wants every Sunday, a win. Why does a NASCAR driver need a spotter? A NASCAR driver needs a spotter to communicate “clear” or “one outside”, or “39 all by himself.” Next week, jeremiahboyce.com continues this series with Super G Jeff Gordon, and this is a series that will continue until a champion is crowned in Homestead. I want you guys to learn what a driver goes through, so that I don’t have to listen to “Junior is no good.” Currently, Junior is fighting for a chance to go after the 2013 Sprint Cup. This is what you guys can look forward to indefinitely. It’s more than just a driver, just like in baseball, it’s more than just the pitching.