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Crew chief
Drew Blickensderfer answers fan questions once a week.
Submit your question
here. |
July
16, 2009 |
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2009 Q&A
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Q |
Is there a method to which car you bring each
week? Do you save better cars for the Chase?
Benjamin
DeMarco, Lee’s Summit, Mo. |
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A |
We have certain cars that are built for short
tracks and certain ones for downforce tracks. Even though the outsides are about
the same, we change things inside and under the car based upon the speed on the
track.
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Q |
Hi Drew, I was wondering, being a crew chief do
you have much free time when it’s not race
weekend? Also, were you a crew chief before you
joined with Matt?
Clifton
McPherson, Naples, Italy |
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A |
I get a little time off. I will still work all
week, but this weekend I will get to enjoy time
with the family for a change. I was a crew chief
in the Nationwide series for three years prior
to this year.
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Q |
What is your job, as crew chief, in getting the
car ready for Matt? Also, how much can you
change the car’s setup as it comes from Chip
[the team’s engineer]?
Denny Mattheis,
Waterloo, Wis. |
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A |
I have the final say on what goes on the cars
from a building process and a set-up process. We
have engineers that find both aero- and other
performance-related options for us to look at,
then I decide which ones would benefit our
program and oversee them getting implemented.
The same goes with set-up stuff. I get the final
say in what we do set-up wise.
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Q |
Which type of race is easiest to set up for —
short track, super speedways, or road courses —
and why?
Scott Heenan, Neenah, Wis. |
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A |
Probably super speedway. NASCAR rules dictate
springs and shocks in the rear. So you basically
only have one end of the car to work on.
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Q |
Which is more challenging, managing the driver
or managing the pit crew?
John Sakal, Gilbertsville, Pa. |
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A |
The
pit crew. Not all of them are as experienced as
Matt, and there are more of them.
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