CONCORD, N.C. - The eighth episode of "On the Road," presented by Valvoline, follows No. 5 lead race engineer Adam Wall. In this installment, fans see his weekend at Watkins Glen International with the team of driver Kyle Larson. The full episode will be available on Hendrick Motorsports’ YouTube channel and digital platforms on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. ET.
Crew chief Cliff Daniels describes Wall’s role in football terms as the team’s offensive coordinator since he handles everything needed to make the car go fast and handle well.
"Adam (Wall) is a wealth of knowledge," Daniels said. "What I think sets him apart and what I think makes him so great at what he does is there are just so many things to take in at an engineering level. He can process so quickly and communicate back and forth with me. It’s very valuable for me because I know I can lean on that from him. I can lean on his ability to see many different things in the moment, to take in a lot of information and still deliver a good suggestion or good perspective on what we have going on."
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That multi-pronged and multi-layered approach aligns with how Wall sees his part on the team.
"A race engineer is a multi-faceted role," Wall explains. "You have to have the ability to think on your feet and you have to dive into any problem. With this car, a lot of people think that there is no engineering left in it. 90 to 95 percent of the parts we can’t control but the race engineer is a different layer of that. We work within a box and we are trying to optimize ourselves within that box."
Wall has many responsibilities on a typical race weekend like this one at Watkins Glen. Ahead of practice, he and Daniels go over the tire pressures and adjustments to the car. Wall has to set up all the screens around for the pit road generator from timing and scoring to SMT to Larson’s tablet with data on it. In practice, he listens to what is going on with Hendrick Motorsports teammates to gauge their practice feedback, listens to Larson’s feedback and makes adjustments to the car based on what is being experienced.
ON THE ROAD: Inside a race weekend with No. 5 spotter Tyler Monn
Following practice and qualifying, Wall makes his recommendations to Daniels for a pit selection and then goes back to the hotel to work on things for the next day’s race or begins preparing for the following week. With all that complete, race day is the highlight for Wall.
"My favorite part of the job is getting into the race and seeing the fruits of your labors," Wall said. "The strategy side of it is something I really enjoy too. Getting into that with Cliff (Daniels) on Sundays is fun. We work together well. We’ve been together a few years now. We are a good balance of things. He’s very direct, a very in-your-face personality and I kind of tone him back at times. I level things out."
On race day, Wall helps look through the final adjustments and pushes the car to the grid. After a team meeting, he goes out to the pit box to set up all the monitors needed for the race.
"During the race, I am primarily responsible for fuel mileage," Wall said. "Then, we are listening to our driver, listening to other drivers and our teammates to try and figure out which way the track is going to plan out what adjustments to make. On the pit stops, I am in charge of the sign. (I) Hold the sign for him to stop, get rid of the sign, go catch the right-rear tire and get that tire out of the way.
"Throughout a green-flag run, Cliff (Daniels) and I are talking about if the caution comes out now what would we do? The strategy side is probably the most high-pressure situation I get into. Whether that’s short pitting somebody at Darlington (Raceway) or fuel mileage at a road course, it has taken some work to figure out how to manage that."
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While the Watkins Glen race did not work out as Larson and the No. 5 team would have liked, the group doesn’t lose focus of the big picture.
"We focus more on the fact that we are going to the racetrack every week knowing that we have a pretty good shot at it," Wall said.
The 10-episode series offers an up-close look and follows a variety of team employees as they go about their jobs over a race weekend. The series will highlight the importance of those positions within the success of the team.
"When people look at Hendrick Motorsports, they see drivers and teams bringing home race wins, trophies and championships," team vice chairman Jeff Gordon says in the teaser for the series that you can watch here.
"Behind all that, the unsung heroes. The people back at the shop. The army of people on the road 38 weeks a year. Those people are what make us successful."
Catch up on past episodes below.
Episode 7: Tyler Jones, No. 24 car chief
Episode 6: Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Episode 5: Ashly Ennis, at-track public relations manager/No. 24 team PR rep
Episode 4: Rudy Fugle, No. 24 crew chief
Episode 3: Tyler Monn, No. 5 spotter
Episode 2: Lisa Smokstad, lead tire specialist
Episode 1: Brian Walsh, trackside network engineer
UPCOMING EPISODES (DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Episode 9: Oct. 26
Episode 10: Nov. 16