We hear a lot about stress and pressure on drivers. It's also a demanding stretch for crew chiefs. These guys prepare the Chase teams, then make decisions during the races that often determine who wins.
Bob Osborne has been through six Chases with Carl Edwards, who leads Kevin Harvick by just one point after four playoff races. Edwards' best Chase finish was second, in 2008 when he won a series-leading nine races.
Speaking Tuesday from Roush Fenway headquarters in Concord, N.C., Osborne acknowledged Chase crew chiefs experience the same stress as drivers.
"It's no tougher on me than any of the other guys in the Chase," the Penn State graduate said. "There's a lot on the line. It's a part of the sport we deal with every year.
"We focus on minimizing mistakes, having fast race cars, the best races and the best pit stops. It's doing everything we did to get here."
When Osborne added, "We're trying to alleviate the unnecessary pressure on ourselves by talking about it," I chuckled and replied, "You mean what we're doing now, right?"
Edwards led the standings for 15 of the first 26 races (he was tied for first with Kyle Busch another week). When the Chase began, the Missouri native was seeded fifth.
That Edwards is the Chase leader after four races is remarkable when you remember he overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to finish third at Dover 2 weeks ago. Then, Sunday at Kansas, he finished fifth in the No. 99 Ford after not running in the top 10 until late in the race. ESPN analyst Andy Petree, a former championship crew chief, was astonished at Edwards' finish.
"Our 99 team worked hard, and Carl drove the wheels off the car," Osborne said.
Like most top racers, Edwards is aware of how much crew chiefs have on their minds.
"The question has always been, what's more important, the driver or the car," Edwards said. "Now I think you can make that a three-part [answer]: the driver, car or crew chief. I think all three of them are important. I think without all three of those things, you're not going to win a substantial number of these races.
"A two-tire call or a no-tire call could be the call that wins the race. Those calls are very, very difficult. I sit in the race car and I can't decide what we should do. Now, more than ever, a crew chief who can make those decisions is extremely valuable. I wouldn't choose any other crew chief in the garage over Bob Osborne and his ability to win these races."
With 20 points separating the top eight drivers in the Chase and six races remaining, no one can predict how it will turn out. After winning at Kansas, five-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson is lurking third, only four points behind Edwards. Johnson has 20 career Chase race wins, far ahead of runners-up Edwards and Tony Stewart, with eight Chase wins each.
"You can't really give anything up, because the competition is so great," Osborne said. "There's a fine balance between having the performance necessary and minimizing any mistakes."
Aware that Johnson and his No. 48 Chevrolet team are ready to pounce, Osborne said: "You can never count the 48 out. They're extremely good at what they do."
Johnson has led 354 laps the last two races. He finished second at Dover.
While the Chase presents the ultimate pressure in stock-car racing, there are lighthearted moments. During one race last summer, Edwards lured Osborne into singing briefly.
"We're having a good time," Osborne reluctantly said when he was reminded of that. "At the end of the day, we are racing. There are a lot of things that are important, but we're doing this because we enjoy it."
0 comments:
Post a Comment