Nascar Racing Teams

NASCAR is the most popular type of stock car racing in the United States. One of the most popular NASCAR drivers is Jeff Gordon. He races in car number 24 and has won numerous times with his crew. Having a successful track record in NASCAR doesn’t solely rely on the car, but has much to do with the crew. Jeff Gordon has been cup racing since 1993 and became the youngest driver ever to win the NASCAR Nextel Cup. He has over 68 wins in only a nine year span. Gordon doesn’t take all of the credit for his victories. He relies a lot on his pit crew and others that help him succeed time after time. His pit crew is named the Rainbow Warriors and they wear coordinated colors to Jeff Gordon’s multi-colored top performance vehicle. It takes more than just the driver to win races and Jeff Gordon truly understands the meaning of teamwork.

Review Questions:

1. Team members play an essential role in NASCAR. While the individual driver’s skills are put to the test each race, the crew helps speed up the process during the pit stops and when the car is put together. The Rainbow Warriors have a strong belief that they are stronger as a team than they are as one. The Rainbow Warriors operate as a cross-functional team. Each member is responsible for a different part of the car during a pit stop. When each member completes their role, the finish product is ready to take off on the track again. (Page 231)

2. The crew leader for Jeff Gordon’s team understands that team cohesiveness is important. He makes sure that all of his men stay motivated and he keeps them involved in all group discussions and decisions. Just to show how he values each and every person the whole crew splits the money when a race is won. When Ray Evernham, the crew chief, earned money through personal activities such as speaking tours and autograph signings he also split the money with the crew. This is a prime example to show how much respect the team members have for each other. Money played as a strong positive reinforcement to motivate Gordon’s crew. (Pg. 229)

3. Gordon’s team relies on the outdoor experience approach. All of the members of the team rely on each other for their goal to be achieved. This is made possible because everybody works together and trusts each other to do the right job and to get better while doing it. They also show a commitment to their work