RACE READY GEICO Racing crew chief Robert “Bootie” Barker at the team’s race shop in Mooresville, N.C. A look under the hood at GEICO Racing’s NASCAR pit crew

paul Ferriss John Davis

spring/summer 2015 | 17 cars, each emblazoned with the a lot from where we started.” more and more and now we have GEICO logo and friendly Gecko are “He’s the quarterback and I’m the what we need to have.” lined up on both sides, in various coach,” Barker adds. In 2015, the GEICO Racing team stages of construction and completion. The team is still small by NASCAR entered its third year with full GEICO Team members move around, standards (a staff of four engineers, sponsorship. GEICO began sponsoring greeting visitors as they pass. Classic including Barker, and 40 crew the team in 2008 and gradually rock blares from a radio in the members—14 travel to each race— increased its involvement. This year fabrication shop. Barker remarks fielding a total of 13 cars, two of which also marks the second year of its that occasionally fans will mill about are brought to each race, the primary partnership with the shop entrance, and he or and the backup car). In the early days, Racing (a NASCAR powerhouse, someone else on the team will wave they didn’t always have the money or RCR also fields cars for drivers Ryan them in and give them a quick tour. equipment they needed to fully Newman, and Paul Barker joined compete against the 42 other NASCAR Menard). RCR supplies engines as well (the shop and team that GEICO race cars. If a mechanical problem as chassis, parts, fabrication and more supports with its sponsorship) near came up during a race, for example, to the GEICO team. For GEICO Racing, the end of the 2009 race season, Barker would say to Mears: “‘There’s that means reduced costs along with initially working with veteran sports no way we can fix it, but maybe we access to top-notch equipment. car and open-wheel race driver Max can MacGyver something to make it Papis. Mears joined the team in 2010. happen.’” He adds, “Sometimes it “We’ve been working together can be a waste of time, you don’t “GEICO supported us more for several years, so you build an always know. So, in that scenario Mike “Tiny” Houston and Barker talk strategy understanding of what and how opportunities for success are limited.” and more and now we have you’re trying to communicate,” That has changed with GEICO’s Cris Bristol-Johnson sprints of attention as the face of the team. Mears says. “The team has grown involvement. “GEICO supported us what we need to have.” around the front of the #13 But it’s pit crew members like race car, drops to his knees and slides Houston, Bristol-Johnson, Josh Leslie, beside the driver’s side front tire, Ryan Dextraze, Justin Fiedler, Seth slamming his gun onto the first of Saunders and Darrell Bechy who five lug nuts holding the tire onto the jump over the wall multiple times a wheel. Bristol-Johnson is the front tire race to keep Mears moving. changer on the GEICO Racing pit crew, Robert “Bootie” Barker, GEICO and he’s ready to fire the gun into its Racing’s crew chief, likens the high-pitched squeal and send the lug race-team environment to that of nuts flying. a football team, with its emphasis Mike “Tiny” Houston sits on the pit on strategy combined with physical wall, keeping a watchful eye on Bristol- 13 ability. Barker, 43, played football Johnson. Houston, the crew’s front tire that single movement could mean the and baseball in high school until a carrier, has worked in motorsports for 18 difference between an 11-second pit car accident at the age of 17 left him years. Bristol-Johnson is a part-timer stop and a much-too-long 15-second pit in a wheelchair. with the team, learning his trade from stop—between victory or finishing at the At the team’s race shop in the ground up. “Make sure you keep your back of the pack. Mooresville, , Barker knees apart and stay centered when you It’s a high-intensity game. And greets visitors with an amiable, drop,” Houston says. Otherwise, Bristol- that’s just practice. Virginia-accented “What’s goin’ Johnson will hit the lugs at an awkward But it’s practice that builds a team. on?” and a firm handshake. Trophy angle, which will force him to remove It’s practice that enhances precision, cases and large photos of drivers the gun and try again. A DIY mechanic encourages communication, instills and race cars in the reception or even a professional wrench wouldn’t physical and mental agility and mixes it area lead to glass doors that open notice the few seconds that motion all with a healthy dose of locker-room onto a white-walled shop with would take. But, in the highly camaraderie. drives the #13 a checkered stripe running the competitive world of NASCAR racing, car and justifiably gets the lion’s share length of the floor. NASCAR race Driver Casey Mears checks in with Barker 18 | GEICO Now spring/summer 2015 | 19 Barker will conduct team meetings two laps, they’ll replace all four tires, and strategy sessions and oversee adjust the suspension on the left side Over the Wall practice and race qualifying. Sunday, of the car and drop the jack from of course, is race day. beneath the car as the tire changer is Here’s a typical workweek for the With 43 cars on the track often tightening the lug nuts. GEICO Racing NASCAR team: reaching close to 200 mph, the race During the race, as the car Monday to Wednesday is spent requires stamina–both physical and approaches the pit lane, Mears and at the Germain Racing/GEICO mental–from the driver, as well as the Barker will communicate via radio and With the RCR Racing shop in Mooresville, N.C. ability to focus intently and multitask. decide what the crew will do to the Thursday evening the team and cars “It’s highly intense,” says Mears. car—whether it needs fuel, a full set of partnership, Barker arrive at the racetrack to prepare for “Think of all the things you do on your four new tires, some bodywork feels it’s time for the race on Sunday. daily drive to work and then multiply repairs, or all three. As Mears hits the At the track, every crew member it by 100.” Each member of the pit lane and slows his car, Barker will the GEICO team has an assigned task and crew chief over-the-wall pit crew also needs to communicate his directions to the Robert “Bootie” Barker meets with be physically strong and mentally able crew so they know exactly what’s to “attack the each of his managers as the race to cope with pressure, which is why expected of them. Sometimes, approaches. Barker will seek input the crew trains before and during each though—through communication competition” Barker likens the race team environment to that of a football team from the team’s two other engineers race season, practicing pit stops with with his driver or by watching other and driver Casey Mears on how to set precision and preparing mentally for teams or by sheer gut instinct—Barker Despite its two championships in on a NASCAR broad- up the car and prepare for the race. the curves that can be thrown their will take a different tack and change NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Core Strength cast talking about a shock engineer The race strategy itself takes into way during a race. his call as the car is rolling toward Series, the GEICO team remains an jumping from one team to another. account hard information like track During practice at the race shop, them. The crew is expected to underdog in the cutthroat Sprint While he admires the work of football “I thought, hmm, I have the condition and weather, as well as Jeff Knight, the pit crew coach, takes instantly switch gears, prepare for a Cup series. But both Barker and coaches and business leaders, such engineering degree. I could do intangibles such as what the other the team through its paces, barking different maneuver and still nail the pit Mears have their sights set on as NASCAR’s and Ray something like that.” teams and drivers are doing. The out plays like a football coach. A stop in no more than 11 or 12 seconds, checkered flags this year. With the Evernham, Robert “Bootie” Barker So, he started at the bottom, specific ingredients of a race strategy typical play is: “Two laps, four tires, or about as long as it takes an average RCR partnership, Barker feels it’s says he has no distinct management literally. After knocking on many are a closely held secret. one down on left, drop on lugs”— reader to finish this sentence. “We call time for the GEICO team to “attack philosophy other than to “be who I am.” doors and seeking out as many racing Friday until Sunday morning, meaning the car will enter the pits in that the Bootie play,” Knight says. G the competition,” especially on “He’s a good judge of character and people as he could find, Barker finally long, high- ovals such as the that’s due to the good people he grew got a helping hand. Harold Holly, Daytona International Speedway up with,” says driver Casey Mears. a veteran NASCAR crew chief, made “Think of all the and the “Everyone’s a product of the people a phone call to Mike Beam (racer Bill (home of the GEICO 500 in May), they were raised around. (He has) Elliott’s crew chief) that ended with things you do on on which Mears is particularly a good mix of grassroots judgment, Beam giving Barker a try in his adept. They also plan to once common sense and character.” team’s race shop—cleaning toilets your daily drive again tap into Mears’s road racing Growing up in Virginia, Barker for no pay. Barker said he was happy to work and then experience on tracks at Sonoma was immersed in the world of to do it. “It meant I could put working Raceway and Watkins Glen NASCAR racing (“We would go to for on my resume,” he says. multiply it by 100.” International. With his back- church, come home and have lunch “I had nothing to lose.” ground in open-wheeled Indy cars and watch the race”) but he wasn’t Now a crew chief himself, Barker Check out our interview and sports cars as well as NASCAR, “a car guy.” He did have an interest in expects the same work ethic and with and Mears has a unique mix of skills how machines work and a love of attitude in the people he hires. He Casey Mears and get auto that can shine during the often- competition honed from his years looks for the “reed and the staff”— maintenance advice from the grueling 38-race schedule. playing football. He earned a people who are flexible but strong, NASCAR pit crew members at .com/more While both men know the mechanical engineering degree from who will bend but won’t break. hard truth of motorsports—effort Old Dominion University in Norfolk, “The main thing I want them to To learn more about the doesn’t always equal results— Virginia, and became interested in know is that I’m the point man who can GEICO Racing NASCAR team visit GERMAINRACING.COM they’re confident that practice motorsports while listening to late take the lead and take the heat when will make perfect. racing-legend-turned-broadcaster necessary. Those are the core values.” Houston, Bristol-Johnson and Darrel 20 | GEICO Now Bechy practicing a pit stop spring/summer 2015 | 21