Speeding by plane is big part of NASCAR
TALLADEGA, Ala. — The parking lots were still full and traffic was barely moving when the teams from last Sunday's race were already on their way home.
By the time the last car left Talladega Superspeedway, most of the race teams had been home long enough in North Carolina to take a shower and have dinner.
It takes a squadron of airplanes to shuttle NASCAR teams to and from races. It's become a necessary expense in a sport that has no time or patience to spare. Every minute saved on race day is another minute that can be spent in the shop during the week.
"If you don't have an airplane, you can't be competitive," said Mike Ford, Denny Hamlin's crew chief.
Car owners either own or charter large regional jets. They can fly the over-the-wall crews in on race morning and get everyone home quickly after the race — sometimes before dark. By moving most of the crews on the morning of the race, teams don't have to rent hotel rooms and rental cars and they don't have any restaurant bills. Equally important, there are no other distractions or traffic jams.
