WORK IN THE FAST LANE - Bureau Of Labor Statistics

CAREERS INAUTO RACING:WORK IN THE FAST LANEWilliamLawhornWilliam Lawhornis an economist inthe Office of Occupational Statisticsand EmploymentProjections. Hecan be reached at(202) 691-5093or atlawhorn.william@bls.gov.Long before most people had seen anautomobile, thrill-seekers across the globewere driving cars competitively. The firstrecorded auto race in the United States took placein 1895 in Illinois. The winner covered the54-mile course in a little more than 10 hours.The speed of racecars has accelerated steadilysince then, as has the popularity of the sport.In public opinion polls of sports popularity, infact, auto racing consistently finishes near thetop. And racecar drivers may be the star of theirevent, but they depend on support from manyothers—including some workers who aren’t onthe track.2 Occupational Outlook Quarterly Fall 2009

The person behind the wheel is justone of many driving the sport ofauto racing. Learn about workers onthe track and in the shop whocontribute to the thrill of race day.You don’t have to be behind the wheel topursue a career in auto racing. From pit crewsto promoters, a variety of workers contributeto the excitement of race day. The followingpages provide information about occupationsin the racing industry. After an introduction tothe sport, you’ll read about what these workers do, either on the track or in the workshop,and how they train. And you’ll learn where tofind more information.Types of auto racingModern motorsports are a vast industry. Professional drivers compete for prize money—known as a purse—in everything from gokarts to tractor-trailers. In the United States,however, three types of motor racing are mostprominent: stock car, open wheel, and drag.Stock car racing features cars that arebased on commonly manufactured production vehicles sold to the public. Stock racecarsrange from those that are minimally modifiedto those that are custom-built and share onlytheir external appearance with productionvehicles. Races generally are held on ovaltracks with steeply banked turns.The National Association for Stock CarAuto Racing—better known as NASCAR—isthe most prominent stock car racing organization. But there are several smaller, usuallyregional, stock car associations. These organizations often serve as a training ground forracers and crews who later rise to prominenceon the NASCAR circuit.Open-wheel racing features custom-builtracecars with exposed wheels and an opencockpit. The most prominent open-wheelracing organization in the United States is theIndy Racing League. Most Indy races are onoval tracks. A few races, however, are heldon closed public streets or on courses built tomimic public streets.Drag racing is a form of organized racingin which two vehicles race along a straightcourse—a drag strip—that is usually aquarter-mile long. Cars in drag racing rangefrom stock production autos to highly specialized, custom-built vehicles.Most drag races in the United States aregoverned by the National Hot Rod Association. A smaller organization, the InternationalHot Rod Association, governs nearly allremaining U.S. drag races.Fall 2009 Occupational Outlook Quarterly3

On the trackAccording to the 2009 National SpeedwayDirectory, there are about 1,800 racing venuesthroughout the United States, and every eventrequires drivers and pit crews.The specifics of the track and pit dependon the type of car being raced. Speed enthusiasts, for example, might be drawn to dragracing, in which cars with 7,000-horsepowerengines reach speeds of 330 miles per hour.Other races have different paces and requiredifferent skills—from both drivers and crews.Racecar driverRacecar drivers mustskillfully maneuver carsat high speed.A racecar driver maneuvers his or her carthrough the course, around the track, or up thestrip—at the fastest possible speed. To do this,the driver must remain acutely aware of trackconditions and the position of other drivers.All drivers make quick decisions aboutshifting gears, braking, and accelerating.Then, they execute these tasks while travelling at high speed. They must understand thegeometry of the racetrack to move efficiently.While successfully maneuvering past acompetitor, drivers must also prevent othercompetitors from passing them. Driversconsider every detail, from the position oftheir own bodies to weather conditions, andconstantly reevaluate and monitor the performance of their car.4 Occupational Outlook Quarterly Fall 2009In stock car and open-wheel racing, drivers seek maintenance in the designated “pit”area of the track. To make these pit stops,drivers must position their car properly whenentering the pit area, because misalignmentcosts time.And drivers don’t just drive; they alsomake special appearances to promote theirteam, sponsors, and racing organization. Likeother professional athletes, racecar driversanswer fans’ questions and sign autographs.Pit crewThe pit crew is a vital part of the racing team.These workers take care of the racecar’smechanical needs during pit stops. Pit stopsusually involve refueling, tire changes, andmechanical repairs.Depending on the length of the race, thedriver may need to make several pit stops.The type and size of car, the volume of fuelit holds, and the length of the race determinewhat type of work must occur during a pitstop.While stopped, drivers lose their raceposition relative to other drivers. Therefore,it is critical that pit stops are completed asquickly as possible. A standard pit stop takesabout 15 seconds, in contrast to more than aminute in racing’s early days. Not surprisingly, crew members are usually physically fit;some are former college athletes who have thestrength and agility to performpit tasks quickly and accurately.The planning of pit stopsis a key part of racing strategy.Before a race, the pit crewensures that the car is mechanically sound and that all fuel,tools, parts, and equipmentneeded for pit stops are in place.During the race, the crew worksto keep the car running; afterward, there’s cleanup and evaluation of performance. Betweenraces, they practice pit stops.Below are job descriptionsfor several members of the pitcrew.

U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel ElkinsOn the track, pit crewstake care of their team car’smechanical needs.Crew chief. This worker plans andorganizes all race preparations. Duties vary,depending on the type of race. For example, acrew chief on a hot rod may also be involvedin the tuning of the engine prior to the race.On some stock car teams, the crew chiefmanages work schedules, handles employeetraining, and is a parts supply liaison.Pit coach. Major stock racing teams havea pit coach, who is responsible for ensuring smooth pit stops. Job tasks may includedeveloping weekly pit practices and workouts. In top-level racing series, pit crews havea full-time training regimen because everyfraction of a second is important and requirespreparation.Gas person. In longer races, cars need tobe refueled. A gas person handles the fuelingof the car. Fuel is held in containers that keepan exact amount of fuel. After the pit stop, thegas person measures the amount of remainingfuel to calculate when the next pit stop mustoccur.Jack operator. This worker operatesthe jack that lifts the car so the tires can bechanged. The driver knows it is safe to gowhen the jack operator drops the car afterchanging the last set of tires.Tire carrier, changer, and catcher. A tirecarrier brings tires to the front and back of thecar and assists the tire changer in replacingthem. Tire changers operate the air gun thatloosens and tightens the lug nuts. Changersthen roll the used tire toward a tire catcher,who removes it from the pit area.Windshield cleaner. The windshieldcleaner ensures visibility by washing thewindshield to remove buildup such as dirt, oil,rubber, and bugs that have accumulated there.Mechanic. Pit mechanics specialize ineither under-car or front-end setups. Theunder-car specialist is concerned with theengine, transmission, and other drivetraincomponents. The front-end specialist insuresthat various parts of the car associated withtire alignment are properly adjusted.Some auto racing mechanics alsohave jobs in the workshop. Their tasks aredescribed in the section on shop workers.Scorer and spotter. A scorer tracks the laptimes for the car to help determine speed andtotal racing time. The spotter stays in communication with the driver during the race andinforms the driver of any issues on the track,such as oil spots, crashes, and competitorpositions.Fall 2009 Occupational Outlook Quarterly5

In the shopAll racecars start in the workshop—morecommonly known as the “shop”—and endup back there. Most shops have specific areasdedicated to fabrication, mechanics, paint,parts, and engines. Shop workers preparemore than one car for a race, because teamsneed to have a backup ready for each event.And teams often tailor car preparation tospecific tracks.OccupationsShop mechanics may haveto repair car parts damagedduring an event.In-shop workers include mechanical engineers, mechanics, fabricators, and painters. All of them are supervised by a shopforeperson.Shop foreperson. The shop forepersonplans and coordinates all the activities of shopworkers. The foreperson also acts as a liaisonbetween the shop workers and the tracksidecrew chiefs and addresses problems the chiefnotices during a race.Mechanical engineers. Mechanicalengineers develop, design, and test new autobodies, engines, and tools. Using designsoftware, these workers create the plans thatmechanics and other technicians use whenproducing parts and assembling the vehicles.Engineers consider every aspect of a car’sdesign, from aerodynamics to engine torque.They also factor in safety considerations.Mechanics. Mechanics prepare thecars for races. They diagnose mechanicalPhoto: National Science Foundationproblems, tune the engine, adjust chassis andwheel alignment, and perform many othertasks that help performance.Racing mechanics are often specialized.Examples include engine tuner and suspension specialist. Constant repetition with thesame product allows mechanics to completework quickly and efficiently. Their knowledgeand skills depend on the rules of the variousracing series. But diagnostic skills are important for mechanics in auto racing to maximizeperformance.Fabricators. Fabricators create thehighly specialized pieces of the racecar, repairautobody damage, and make adjustments toreduce the body’s contact with the track. Bycutting and welding prefabricated parts, fabricators create the pieces a particular racecarneeds.Body hangers. Body hangers attachthe autobody shell to the car’s frame. Strictstandards apply to fitting metal templates tospecific points on the car. Manufacturers havespecialists perform this task for race shops,but some shops also employ their own bodyhangers.Painters. Painters apply the base colorsand coatings to racecars. Almost every partof a racecar is painted in a process that takesabout 2 days. A recent time-saving innovationinvolves “wrapping,” covering all or part ofthe car in vinyl. Wrapping makes it possibleto change a car’s color scheme in 4 hours orless.Employment and wagesThe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)does not have employment and wage data specific to occupations in auto racing. Businessesinvolved in the operation of auto races—including racing teams—are classified withinthe spectator sports industry. But this industryalso includes nonracing sports businesses. Inaddition, establishments classified in otherindustries provide support to the auto racingindustry. As a result, BLS can’t determineexactly how many workers are employed inauto racing.6 Occupational Outlook Quarterly Fall 2009