NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts pit crew of Chase Elliott posted the fastest time among the Hendrick Motorsports crews in the Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear.
The No. 9 crew, which won the Pit Crew Challenge in 2021, had the fourth-fastest time overall of 13.572 seconds. The team is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O'Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).
The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew posted the fifth-fastest time of 13.677 seconds. The five-man crew consists of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Allen Holman (jackman), Scott Riddle (tire carrier) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer). Driver Josh Berry is continuing to fill in for the sidelined Alex Bowman, who is out with a fractured vertebra.
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William Byron’s No. 24 Liberty University pit crew placed eighth with a time of 13.867 seconds. The No. 24 pit crew has been strong on pit road with an average four-tire pit stop time of 11.128 seconds – the second-fastest average in the field. The crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).
The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew of Kyle Larson came in 16th with a time of 14.697 seconds. The team’s five-man pit crew includes Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).
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This year’s format consisted of each pit crew competing in both the All-Star Race and All-Star Open performing a four-tire pit stop with no fuel. The timing lines were set as one box behind and one box ahead of the designated pit box. The results of those stops determined the lineups for both Saturday’s All-Star Heat Races as well as the All-Star Open on Sunday.
The pit crew of the No. 54 team for driver Ty Gibbs took the Pit Crew Challenge and won the $100,000 prize with a time of 13.012 seconds.
Berry will line up next to Gibbs on the front row for Sunday’s All-Star Open (5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The driver of the No. 48 Ally Racing Chevy will start second. The Open is a 100-lap race with a competition break around lap 40 and Berry will look to be one of the top-two finishers to transfer into the main event.
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In Saturday night’s All-Star Heat Races (7:20 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Elliott will line up second in the first heat race. Byron will start third and Larson will take the grid fifth in the second heat race. Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher will be on the pole for each 60-lap heat, respectively. These races will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s All-Star Race. The results of the first heat will set the inside row, while the results of the second heat will set the outside row.
Sunday night’s All-Star Race will take place at 8 p.m. ET (on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and will be 200 laps with a competition break at or around lap 100. Following the competition break, only one additional set of sticker tires can be used. The winner of the event will take home $1 million.
