NASCAR Racing, Pit Crews and Equipment Reliability Improvement

NASCAR race teams’ success is based on efficiently and cost effectively pursuing 100-percent equipment reliability. Their job performance must be safe and consistent to achieve best-in-class performance. Their pit crews are highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals working together in a highly choreographed team where “right the first time” is the top priority.

Learn from our 20 years of experience studying NASCAR teams and pit crews behind the scenes and how their race-proven principles can work in assembly operations, discreet manufacturing, petro-chemical processing, maintenance, facilities, utilities, transportation, mining operations and more. The options include:

  • Pit Crew Experience I (half day)
  • Pit Crew Experience II (full day)
  • NASCAR Racing & Lean Equipment Management Camp (two or three days)
Pit Crew Experience I (half day)

This unique four-hour hands-on workshop guides participants through real-world pit crew training. Learn the pit stop basics of teamwork and leadership focused on common goals in your own fire suit with race guns, fuel cans, jacks, lug nuts, tires and all the regulation pit crew gear on authentic race cars. The pit crew experience starts with a classroom segment that introduces the six key elements of the auto racing business’ pursuit of 100 percent reliability and the 45 critical success factors of a routine pit stop. Learn how these principles and critical success factors apply to your equipment and facilities operational reliability.

The hands-on segment of the pit crew experience is conducted on our own Pit Road with experienced staff and pit crew coaches. Competing pit crews will perform a series of challenging pit stops on full-size professional racecars. Through the series of pit stops, each pit crew will face a variety of pit road challenges in order to learn first-hand how race teams and pit crews improve their performance including:

  • Communication
  • Standardized work
  • Leadership and teamwork
  • Training, coaching and practice
  • Plan, train, execute and debrief
  • Workplace organization
  • Right the first time
  • Go slow to go fast
  • Continuous improvement

Pit Crew Experience Restrictions: The pit crew activity portion is limited to people 18 and older. Each participant must complete a liability waiver before to any activity. Anyone with previous or current health concerns should speak to the facilitator to discuss an appropriate level of participation.

See Workshop & Travel Information below.

PCE I: Contact us for available dates and costs: [email protected]

Pit Crew Experience II (full day)

Expand on your participation in the pit crew experience with an afternoon discovering how to apply these pit crew principles can apply to your business. This four-hour afternoon session is designed for businesses trying to improve their communications, cross-functional teamwork, equipment performance, and continuous improvement. Participants are encouraged to bring real-world examples from their business to discuss and seek solutions.

Participants will leave the pit crew experience II with “individual action plans” designed to help lead improvements when they return to work.

See Workshop & Travel Information below.

PCE II: Contact us for available dates and costs: [email protected].

NASCAR Racing & Lean Equipment Management Camp (two to three days)

Spend two to three days in Mooresville, North Carolina—Race City USA—learning first hand how NASCAR teams and pit crews strive to achieve 100-percent equipment reliability and flawless human performance. This camp is designed for cross-functional company teams wishing to improve their team performance in ways that positively impacts equipment and facility operation, maintenance, setup/changeover, and rapid and sustainable continuous improvement.

This unique camp provides opportunities to visit area NASCAR shops and look behind the scenes at their working environments. In addition, participants will learn first-hand how pit crews improve their performance during our Pit Crew Experience I and II workshops. A visit to the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame will show how the race teams have applied the principles of continuous improvement over the years to out-pace the competition.

Company teams are encouraged to bring examples of equipment performance problems (opportunities), equipment performance data, and examples of chronic failures for discussion and improvement action planning.

Today, many equipment-intensive companies are experiencing shortages of skilled maintenance and operations personnel. Others are on the verge of an aging and retiring workforce. Regardless, equipment must become more and more reliable at lower operating and maintenance costs for companies to compete. Our NASCAR Racing and Lean Equipment Management Camp blends the best practices of top race teams with proven principles of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), Lean Manufacturing, Theory of Constraints, Teamwork & Leadership, and successful Culture Change to help participants avoid the “program-of-the-month” syndrome of continuous improvement.

See Workshop & Travel Information below.

NR&LEM: Contact us for available dates and costs: [email protected]

Workshop and Travel Information
Payment Options: Company check, authorized purchase orders, Visa, MasterCard, American Express

What Should I Wear and Bring?
Dress for outside and the time of year. Bring or wear comfortable clothes, jeans or sweat pants, t-shirt, tennis, basketball, or walking sneakers (NO open-toe shoes). Also for outside 1) baseball cap and 2) video or still camera (No one will believe you did it without pictures!) You will be provided pit crew safety gloves, safety glasses, ear protection, and knee pads.

Lodging: Mooresville area hotels are listed on the registration forms

Air Transportation: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is approximately 20 minutes south of Mooresville.

Workshop Location: Race City USA in Mooresville, North Carolina