Team Rahal retain Craftsman title.
The crew of the #8 Shell Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone driven by Jimmy Vasser and led by Bharat Naran had been on top of the heap of the Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge standings all season, and showed why when it came to crunch time Friday at California Speedway.
The Team Rahal squad defended their 2001 title in the five-car CPCC Shootout in Fontana, posting a fastest time of 35.042 seconds to claim the $50,000 first prize and the title of fastest crew in the paddock for a second straight year.
The crew of the #8 Shell Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone driven by Jimmy Vasser and led by Bharat Naran had been on top of the heap of the Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge standings all season, and showed why when it came to crunch time Friday at California Speedway.
The Team Rahal squad defended their 2001 title in the five-car CPCC Shootout in Fontana, posting a fastest time of 35.042 seconds to claim the $50,000 first prize and the title of fastest crew in the paddock for a second straight year.
"The stop was pretty flawless really and we were happy for that," Naran said. "We have a good group of guys that work really hard at it. They really want to be the best and that makes for a good team."
The competition consisted of two rounds of stops with the single best time counting toward the competition. Times were recorded from the pit-in line, through a four-tire change, with the clocks stopping at pit out. The Rahal squad hung their 35.042 on their first stop and watched as the cars of Cristiano da Matta, Christian Fittipaldi, Alex Tagliani and Bruno Junqueira tried to match the effort, then celebrating when the last car came up short.
"All the guys in the paddock are monitoring the points all year long and really pay attention to how the standings are going," Vasser said. "I really have to thank Craftsman for doing this. It makes things even more enjoyable and raises the competitive spirit all year long."
