NASCAR Cup Sequence groups have been anticipating this week for nearly 300 days.
On Oct. 4, 2023, NASCAR introduced its 2024 schedule. In doing so, it grew to become recognized that Cup Sequence groups wouldn’t cease racing till hitting the two-week Olympic break after competing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s the solely non-travel weekend of the yr earlier than the collection picks again up at Richmond Raceway Aug. 9 and goes by way of the Nov. 10 finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Cup Sequence have gone 21 straight weeks in competitors. The time to breathe and reset is lastly right here.
“It’s positively time for our touring individuals to get just a little time (off),” Group Penske competitors director Travis Geisler mentioned. “We’re attempting to determine how you can rely up the times and ensure all people has sort of a two-week interval the place they’re off. They knew that prematurely so they may plan their holidays with households and truly make use of the time.
“Plenty of instances when individuals get day off on this {industry}, it’s like, ‘Properly, right here is your [one] day.’ You may’t actually put it to use. We felt it was actually vital all people will get a possibility to make the most of the time and I feel all people has good plans and is able to use it.”
The strategy to the break is being taken in a different way by every Cup Sequence group. Hendrick Motorsports, Spire Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Rick Ware Racing, Legacy Motor Membership, and Trackhouse Racing will make their outlets quiet for a delegated interval.
Hendrick Motorsports will shut Wednesday by way of Sunday, giving staff an prolonged weekend. However there may additionally be some who tack on further days by way of their private time, and the corporate will help those that do. Hendrick Motorsports vp of competitors Chad Knaus mentioned the group will even shut down its communication avenues in the course of the three quiet days.
“If we encourage all people to take off, it cuts again on the emails and the textual content messages and every little thing that you just inevitably find yourself checking,” mentioned Knaus. “So, we needed to get it to the purpose the place the entire firm was attempting to take a look at and get some breath, as a result of even if you happen to’re on trip, persons are sending you emails or asking questions. It doesn’t cease.”
Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt believes the group will probably be quiet this week following Indianapolis, notably for the parents who journey. Richard Childress Racing is giving the store day off starting Wednesday and going by way of Tuesday. Torrey Galida, the crew president, spoke of the group searching for a approach to maximize each weekends.
“We made that announcement in all probability about two months in the past and all people was actually comfortable,” Galida mentioned. “It gave them time to plan one thing in the event that they hadn’t already. The highway guys will probably be completely different, they’re already on their very own schedule, however for all of the store individuals – high to backside – it’ll be every week off.”
The final day of standard week for Stewart-Haas staff will probably be Thursday and the group will probably be closed by way of August 4. It goes again to enterprise as standard Aug. 5.
Rick Ware Racing can be doing a break up week of day off. Legacy Motor Membership is giving staff day off by closing throughout this primary week of the break, and Trackhouse Racing will probably be doing a break up week of closing down beginning Thursday by way of Monday. JTG Daugherty can be seeking to shut down for just a few days, per crew chief Mike Kelley throughout a current SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview.
A full {industry} shutdown, much like the summer time break in System 1, by no means got here to fruition, though some have been in favor of doing so. Brad Keselowski was one among them. Keselowski, the co-owner of RFK Racing, informed Kevin Harvick final month he argued closely for crew house owners to search out frequent floor in the course of the Olympic break.
Keselowski has been advocating for a series-wide summer time shutdown much like F1’s obligatory summer time break, however not all groups are on board. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Photographs
An prevalence that solely comes round each 4 years, Keselowski finds it to be the right time to permit the Olympics to shine whereas NASCAR groups refresh. And there was no higher time to implement such a coverage, given there was no different off weekend in the course of the first half of the yr.
“Sadly that sort of fell on some deaf ears,” Keselowski mentioned. “It’s a type of issues the place all of the crew house owners must do it; it may well’t be half of them or it doesn’t work. And it’s actually laborious to get all of the crew house owners into that frame of mind.”
NASCAR has no insurance policies about groups taking breaks (just like the F1 laws) or how groups have to handle their staff. So, with out a consensus on approaching the Olympic break, every crew does as they see match. And for some, which means marching ahead per standard.
Joe Gibbs Racing, as an example, is staying open however is encouraging staff to take day off. Dave Alpern, the crew president, joked that he may assure that Joe Gibbs could be working. Kaulig Racing can be not shutting down however will work its schedules to stagger the stream so everybody will get a few week off.
There are just a few completely different variables for Cup Sequence groups to contemplate. The workers who work every single day within the race store, those that work within the store after which journey, after which the pit crews who arrive on race day. Often, the latter are on their very own schedules with coaching in the course of the week and some other tasks both throughout the group or outdoors of racing.
It’ll seemingly be extra of the identical for the pit crew guys in the course of the Olympic break. Nevertheless, the give attention to getting journey crews and store staff a relaxation was a central theme for Cup Sequence groups when taking a look at this a part of the calendar.
“I don’t know that any of the highway crew guys are going to be round that first week,” Entrance Row Motorsports common supervisor Jerry Freeze mentioned. “I feel the plan is for the journey individuals to be out the primary week and it’s like non-charged PTO days. Then, the second week, come again in and begin getting ready for (Richmond).”
Denny Hamlin trusts his administration crew to do what’s greatest for 23XI Racing. Hamlin, the co-owner of 23XI Racing, praised the group for figuring out how you can maintain everybody contemporary all through a season by rotating highway crew guys. He believes that would be the identical in the course of the break with figuring out time for a break.
And for Keselowski, it’s the identical strategy. Since his thought for an industry-wide shutdown didn’t materialize, Keselowski has determined to defer to the group’s division managers for one of the best strategy to using the following two weeks.
“The very last thing you wish to do as a pacesetter is supersede your administration crew,” Keselowski mentioned. “So, I defer to them and definitely strongly encourage them to benefit from the chance to get some relaxation and take the time to sharpen their ax and are available again even stronger.”
Richmond would be the first race in a 14-race stretch to complete the season.
