questions about nascar

KYLE BUSCH 8

KYLE BUSCH 8

1ST PLACE!
Joined
Nov 6, 2018
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129
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hello nascar fans!
I became a nascar fan a few years ago. I started watching and became a big fan of kyle busch. My friend steve at work likes nascar alot and told me to check this site out. I have read the site alot and learned alot. but I have more questions I am wondering about?

When the drivers sleep in the RV where does the RV driver sleep? Does the RV driver always stay at the track and go to each race back to back or does he have time to go home ever?

Where does the crew men sleep? A hotel? Do they fly on a team jet or a regular jet at a regular airport like everyone else? Do all drivers have there own personal jet or only the best drivers?

Do any drivers pick the car paint jobs? Are they all vinyl wraps now or do any still use paint? Is vinyl that much cheaper to do?

I am sure I will have more questions
 
Hi, new guy!

I'm not sure where the RV driver sleeps; that's a great question. Whether they go home or on to the next track is usually determined by how far it is to the next track vs. how far it is to go home, and also by how many days there are between races. Rain-delayed races, predicted weather en route, scheduled sponsor appearances, and scheduled tests may also factor into the decision.

The crewmen usually sleep in a hotel unless the track is reasonable close to Charlotte (or Denver in the #78's case). Then they'll fly back and forth from the track to Charlotte each day and sleep at home. When they fly, it's usually on a plane or helicopter owned by the teams; smaller teams may pay to ride on birds owned by larger ones. Most of them fly out of a regional airport near Concord, NC, not Charlotte International.

Those drivers that have their own aircraft are usually the ones interested in having their own bird, can afford it, and have been able to get a pilot's license. Some of those who could afford it and pass the tests just aren't interested.

Paint jobs are usually picked by the sponsors. Almost everyone uses vinyl now except for an occasional special scheme (usually Axalta showing off a new type of paint). Yes, it is that much cheaper in terms of materials, time, environmental considerations, and labor. Hopefully someone else will remember where those videos are that show teams wrapping a car.
 
The answers to your questions depend upon how much money the team has, although today most teams have enough money to put most of their people in hotels near the track. That includes the RV driver. In the old days (or possibly still today for small budget teams) they'd get one or two rooms and stack everybody in them, or even sleep out in the car hauler.

Generally everybody goes to the track and stays around it until the race is over before going home. A race weekend is usually only two or three days. If the race is near home - such as many races in NC or SC for teams based in Charlotte - then yes they go home during race weekend.

Most teams fly their crews to and from the races, although the driver may fly separately and possibly on a private jet. That's not so much because he's special, but because he often has a lot of sponsor appearances to make all over the place. Some drivers even pilot their own planes. Most of the big name drivers own jets, but often the team owner provides the jets / plane fares. In the old days (and still possible with low budget teams) crew members drove to the races, even in their own cars. Some teams would have only a few regular crew members and would hire volunteer help at the track when they got there. Your volunteer payment might only be to get to keep your issued team shirt... and you bought your own hot dogs.

Today most drivers and teams go home between each race. Used to be some teams might stay on the road (go track to track) if the next races were close to each other and far away from home, and possibly some low budget teams might still do this. But generally it's your smaller league racers (such as WoO, dirt late models, etc.) who travel like gypsies.

I think some drivers have some input into their car's paint jobs (actually vinyl wraps for most cars now), but most teams have graphic artists and stylists who work with their sponsors to determine the paint job. It's not unusual for a driver to have not seen the paint job until he arrives at the track. In the old days the driver could have made all of the decisions and even painted the car himself.

Vinyl wraps are most popular due to teams changing sponsors (or primary sponsors) so often now. You can deign and print out and apply a vinyl wrap in a couple of days if you have too - much quicker than paint can fully dry. I don't think that vinyl is cheaper than paint, unless your paint job is pretty elaborate, but it is quicker and more flexible. In the old days a team usually had only a few sponsors, and they were for the whole year, so they could paint the car once and just touch it up as they needed to.
 
gone said:
most teams have enough money to put most of their people in hotels near the track. That includes the RV driver.
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I'm pretty sure the RV drivers are employed by the race car drivers, not by the teams. (I'm positive the RVs are driver property, not team property.) The racer may have to pay the RV driver's bills; then again, it could be in the racer's contract for the team cover his RV driver's expenses.
 
kyle busch 18 said:
hello nascar fans!
I became a nascar fan a few years ago. I started watching and became a big fan of kyle busch. My friend steve at work likes nascar alot and told me to check this site out. I have read the site alot and learned alot. but I have more questions I am wondering about?

When the drivers sleep in the RV where does the RV driver sleep? Does the RV driver always stay at the track and go to each race back to back or does he have time to go home ever?

Where does the crew men sleep? A hotel? Do they fly on a team jet or a regular jet at a regular airport like everyone else? Do all drivers have there own personal jet or only the best drivers?

Do any drivers pick the car paint jobs? Are they all vinyl wraps now or do any still use paint? Is vinyl that much cheaper to do?

I am sure I will have more questions
Click to expand...



You certainly picked the right driver :salute:
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'm pretty sure the RV drivers are employed by the race car drivers, not by the teams. (I'm positive the RVs are driver property, not team property.) The racer may have to pay the RV driver's bills; then again, it could be in the racer's contract for the team cover his RV driver's expenses.
Click to expand...
Interesting
 
early 90's the Bodine parents supported their sons by driving the motor home as well as the souvenir trailer and then spent the weekend working it.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'm pretty sure the RV drivers are employed by the race car drivers, not by the teams. (I'm positive the RVs are driver property, not team property.) The racer may have to pay the RV driver's bills; then again, it could be in the racer's contract for the team cover his RV driver's expenses.
Click to expand...
Also several of the coach drivers are good friends with the driver and family and some work on the race teams. If the family doesnt travel with the driver on certain weekends the coach driver will stay with him.
 
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