CONCORD, N.C. – In Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, three of the pit crews for Hendrick Motorsports were in the top five in positions gained on pit road, based on data from Racing Insights. The team's crews gained 17 spots on pit road for their four drivers.
The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew for driver Alex Bowman and the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book pit crew for driver Chase Elliott each gained six spots off of pit road, tied for the third-best in the race. The No. 24 RAPTOR pit crew for driver William Byron gained the 2024 DAYTONA 500 champion five spots off of pit road, tied for fifth in the field.
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Byron's pit crew had a strong day overall. They were one of two crews to post two four-tire stops of under 10 seconds – the other being the No. 7 pit crew for driver Corey LaJoie, whose pit crew is fielded by Hendrick Motorsports. Their best pit stop of 9.909 seconds came under caution on lap 217. Overall, the No. 24 pit crew of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler) posted the best average four-tire pit stop time for the race at 10.126 seconds.
Elliott's crew enjoyed a solid day in the pits. Their best stop of the day of 10.176 seconds came on lap 190, where they gained three spots ahead of the restart for the final stage. The pit crew of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O'Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman) have been with the 2020 Cup Series champion for a long time. With an average four-tire stop of 10.318 seconds, the No. 9 crew ranked third in that statistical category on pit road.
Bowman's pit crew had two stops under yellow, which allowed the No. 48 team to gain three spots each. Their best stop of the day and the fastest stop among all four Hendrick Motorsports teams came on lap 190, with a four-tire service of 9.777 seconds. The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew consists of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Brandon Grier (tire carrier), Allen Holman (jackman) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).
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Pit road performance can be a crucial element on the road to victory. Two weekends ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the pit stops of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team of driver Kyle Larson were instrumental in his win. The pit crew of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer) consistently kept their driver in the lead thanks to three stops of 9.810 seconds or less.