Bozi Breakdown #5: Pit Crew Challenge Changes and Penske Penalties
Bozi digs into the NASCAR All-Star Weekend and the Pit Crew Challenge on this episode and discusses how it can be made better in the future. There is also a discussion of Indy 500 qualifying and the penalties that have been issued to Team Penske.
TTAC Creator Bozidar “Bozi” Tatarević is a Bosnian-American racing mechanic, writer, and technical consultant born in Sarajevo in 1986. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1995, he learned English in elementary school and eventually turned his passion for cars — fostered by his father, Slav — into a full-time career.
Laid off from a tech job in 2008, Bozi began wrenching professionally, eventually launching a shop and car export business with his family. His technical message board posts led to a writing career with outlets like TTAC, Motorsport.com, Road & Track, and Racecar Engineering.
In 2018, he made his pro mechanic debut at Watkins Glen and now works as a tire carrier and mechanic for Vasser Sullivan Racing in IMSA, with 10 wins and a 2023 GTD Pro title. Bozi also consults via his agency Podium Prime, with clients ranging from race teams to media production companies.
Ed. Note: this podcast initially ran several months ago and it's been moved so that those who missed it the first time get a chance to see it.
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An AI-generated transcript summary, edited by a staffer, is below.
[Image: Bozi Breakdown #5/YouTube]
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This transcript is a motorsports commentary episode covering the NASCAR All-Star Race, the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge, and the controversy involving Team Penske at the Indianapolis 500.
NASCAR All-Star Race & North Wilkesboro
The speaker praises the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, saying it delivered exciting racing and strategy, especially the battle between Joey Logano and Christopher Bell. They support turning North Wilkesboro into a points-paying race and suggest moving the All-Star Race back to Charlotte Motor Speedway while replacing the Charlotte Roval event with a traditional oval race.
NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge Critique
A major focus is the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge. The speaker, drawing from experience in IMSA and NASCAR pit crews, argues NASCAR Cup pit stops represent the highest level of pit crew athleticism.
They criticize the current timing method because it measures the entire pit road entry and exit process rather than isolating the crew’s actual work. This means drivers heavily influence results through pit entry and exit skill.
Surprise Win by the No. 71 Crew
The No. 71 crew for Michael McDowell won the challenge, which the speaker calls impressive because the crew is made up mostly of young developmental athletes from Hendrick Motorsports. Many were former college football players with backgrounds in nutrition and exercise science.
The speaker highlights innovative pit stop choreography, including advanced jack-handling techniques developed by 23XI Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.
Proposed Improvements to the Pit Crew Challenge
The speaker argues the fastest actual pit crew did not win because of driver influence. Their independent timing showed the No. 19 crew was quickest during the tire-change portion alone.
Suggested improvements include:
- Using sensors or accelerometers to time only the pit stop itself
- Camera-based timing systems
- More detailed timing breakdowns during broadcasts
- Separate TV graphics for qualifying times and pit stop rankings
- Better presentation of pit crew members through photos and profiles
- More fan access and arena-style pit crew competitions
Indy 500 Team Penske Controversy
The second half analyzes penalties against Team Penske drivers Will Power and Josef Newgarden, who were sent to the back of the field after illegal modifications to rear attenuators were discovered before Fast 12 qualifying.
The speaker explains:
- Rear attenuators are crash-absorption safety structures
- IndyCar introduced updated versions in 2023–2024
- Penske modified the appearance of glue seams using black coatings for cosmetic reasons
- The modifications technically violated rules because spec parts cannot be altered without approval
However, the speaker believes:
- The modifications likely provided no aerodynamic advantage
- IndyCar inspection failed to catch the issue for over a year
- The penalties may have exceeded what the rulebook normally allowed
- Penske still deserved punishment for modifying spec parts without approval
Inspection Process Concerns
The speaker compares IndyCar’s inspection process unfavorably to NASCAR and IMSA, which use advanced optical and 3D scanning systems. They suggest IndyCar improve technical inspection with:
- Better scanning technology
- Independent inspectors
- More detailed post-race inspections
- Clearer approval procedures for modified parts
Closing Thoughts
The episode concludes with excitement for the upcoming Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. The speaker especially looks forward to analyzing pit crew performance in endurance-style NASCAR races and sharing more behind-the-scenes content from Indianapolis.
TTAC Creator Bozidar “Bozi” Tatarević is a Bosnian-American racing mechanic, writer, and technical consultant born in Sarajevo in 1986. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1995, he learned English in elementary school and eventually turned his passion for cars—fostered by his father Slav—into a full-time career. Laid off from a tech job in 2008, Bozi began wrenching professionally, eventually launching a shop and car export business with his family. His technical message board posts led to a writing career with outlets like TTAC, Motorsport.com, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. In 2018, he made his pro mechanic debut at Watkins Glen and now works as a tire carrier and mechanic for Vasser Sullivan Racing in IMSA, with 10 wins and a 2023 GTD Pro title. Bozi also consults via his agency Podium Prime, with clients ranging from race teams to media production companies.
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NASCAR should have never left North Wilkesboro. They spit in the face of their most loyal fans and what was essentially the birthplace of the sport to chase casual fans. The fans that went to races there would have remained fans and likely passed the appreciation to their children. The casuals had all moved on to the next shiny object within a decade. College Football is a decade away from a similar meltdown IMHO.
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I wonder if China will develop a motorsports fan base. I think we're pretty much done with that over here.