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NASCAR’s Efficiency Consultants

Written by Josh Katinger · April 30, 2004

I saw this on the news this morning and had to share. What do a NASCAR Busch Series car and a Sikorsky H-53 Series helicopter have in common? The need to get in and out of refueling stops as quickly as possible. However, the stakes are a little higher for the Marines if they don’t get it right in the battlefield…


KESQ.com: NASCAR crew helping Twentynine Palms marines

To help refueling/rearming crews of the Twentynine Palms Marine Combat Helicopter Unit be more efficient in their “pit stops” the Team Rensi Racing pit crew are acting as…well…consultants to the Marine Corps unit (Team Rensi runs the #25 Busch car driven by Bobby Hamilton Jr whose main sponsor is the US Marine Corps). The Idea is to help the unit improve the speed of their battlefield helicopter refueling stops.

Most Marine Corps helicopters have a range of 100 to 300 miles, making pit stops a necessity when in enemy territory. Every second wasted could bring helicopter crews closer to disaster, as helicopters refueling on the battlefield are literally sitting targets.

Who would have ever thought that a NASCAR team would serve as consultants to ANY other industry, let alone one that is partly responsible for national security. I think it’s pretty cool.

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Comments

2 Responses to “NASCAR’s Efficiency Consultants”

  1. Marc on April 30th, 2004 6:24 pm

    Cool story Josh.

    One other thing may be considered alike. A helicopter by all aerodynamic standards isn’t supposed to fly.

    A NASCAR “shoebox/taxicab”
    isn’t supposed to have the ability to travel at 200 mph.
    But they do sometimes fly.

  2. Josh on May 1st, 2004 6:35 am

    Good point! :)

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