From Some College Jocks Find Their Pro Careers Are in the Nascar Pits:
After Bob Dowens finished playing college football, he turned pro. But not in the NFL — in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.Once a defensive back at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the 28-year-old Mr. Dowens is now a professional tire carrier in a Nascar pit crew. At Evernham Motorsports, the stock-car racing team for which Mr. Dowens works, pit-crew members practice five days a week. A pit coach studies videos to hone their footwork and hand speed. A trainer has them lift weights and run sprints.
‘This is a professional sport as far as I’m concerned,’ Mr. Dowens said recently, drenched in sweat after a morning workout. ‘It’s 95 degrees out, and today we were running an obstacle course. Last week, I was so drained, I almost couldn’t eat lunch afterwards. This is as tough as any football practice.’
A beer-belly used to be OK, when the pace was a bit slower:
Twenty years ago, pit crews were doing pretty well to change four tires in less than 30 seconds. Today, taking more than 16 seconds can be disastrous.