13 seconds.
That is the average time it takes for a NASCAR pit crew to change all four-tires and fuel the car. One second lost in the pits results in positions lost on the track. That is the pressure that guys like WSC graduates and former football players Drew Molacek and Mark Janssen face each time their car comes in for a pit stop.
Molacek is an over-the-wall tire changer for multiple NASCAR teams. He changes tires for the No. 81 Nationwide Series car driven by Jason Bowles and the No. 49 Sprint Cup car driven by J.J Yeley. Janssen is a member of these same teams, acting as the jackman for the crew. They are both associated with one of NASCAR’s powerhouse organizations, Hendrick Motorsports.
“We are taught to clear our minds and show no emotion at all,” Molacek said. “You aren’t supposed to let your emotions get the best of you, because time is everything on pit road.”
They were recruited to do this job like most people are today. They were picked from a crop of finely tuned athletic machines from other athletic backgrounds. Many of the people you see on pit road today more than likely played some form of college sports.
Molacek and Janssen were given an opportunity to do a tryout put on by Hendrick Motorsports a year ago in Omaha and they both figured they would give it a shot. They were then called to fly down to Charlotte N.C. and participate in another Hendrick tryout. After that test, they were chosen and started training with other crew members.
“Out of the 20 or so guys that they brought in from around the country, they kept 11 of us and currently they are down to just six,” Janssen said. “I was called one day to do a tryout and here I am almost a year later.”
Going to Daytona this year was the first weekend Molacek and Janssen got the chance in a real race to do pit stops. And ever since then, they have both been traveling week to week to all the tracks on the schedule.
“My favorite part about being a Jackman in NASCAR for Hendrick Motorsports is being able to work with such an extremely talented group of guys everyday with similar athletic backgrounds and getting to do something completely outside the box of a normal job,” Janssen said. “We get paid to work out, fly all over the country, and play with races cars every day.”
It’s not all fun and games for Molacek and Janssen. During the week, they train vigorously, no different than any other sport. They hit the gym with a weight program and also train outside with agility and endurance drills.
The feeling inside those 13 seconds for them is unlike anything Molacek and Janssen have ever had before. They feed off of it, and embrace the moment.
“Every time we go over the wall is a rush unlike any other because not only are you jumping out within a foot of getting hit by your own car, but there are another 30 or more cars speeding down pit road that you have to watch out for while you’re doing your job,” Janssen said.
“Standing on the pit wall, anticipating the moment, we were taught to breathe though your stomach, and there’s just a rhythm to doing it,” Molacek said
“I am very happy with where I am and what I am doing,” Janssen said. “Playing football at WSC is a huge part of who I am and what got me to this point in life.”
