Peek Inside the Miller Lite Hauler

NASCAR is a funny sport. While it is one of the most fan friendly sports - how many NFL or NBA players can you get an autograph from just hours before the game?- there are still many secret areas where few fans get to take a glimpse.

One such area is the home away from home for all NASCAR teams: The team hauler.

We have all seen these massive haulers lined up only feet apart on the infield of each track. Outside their shiny reflective doors,we have seen many driver interviews, but rarely do we ever get a glimpse inside.

On race weekends, the haulers are lined up according to the current points standings and as you can see, they are parked within 5 feet of each other. Cindy and 'Stump' drive the hauler for No. 2 Miller Lite team of Kurt Busch. They tend to arrive to the track on Thursday and leave as soon as they are able on Sunday evening. Usually most races are within a two-day drive, so they will get home by Tuesday and leave again on Wednesday. However, some times during the season (like following the Texas fall race this year), they wait on a second hauler to bring them another car and on Monday they switch out the cars and equipment and travel directly to the next event without heading home. Along with their driving responsibilities, Cindy and 'Stump' (as well as the majority of other hauler drivers) are also responsible for getting all the food and drinks for the crew (hello Costco!) and keeping the uniforms clean...talk about multitasking!

A few facts to take note of: Your typical NASCAR team hauler measures 72 feet in length, with the trailer itself being 53 feet. They hold a 150 gallon fuel tank on each side. Which comes in handy as they get a horrific 5.3 miles per gallon! As noted above, most teams have two haulers and two sets of drivers. Taking into account the sheer size of the haulers, the most impressive fact is that 'Stump' is able to BACK out of that parking spot and not hit anything! Not surprisingly, he and Cindy teamed up to win the 2007 Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge, a contest that pits hauler drivers against one another in a test of skill and control. Congrats to them!

Each team usually has tires and equipment lined up outside their hauler, as well as some chairs, sometimes a barbecue and the all important drink cooler. The tailgate flips up and becomes a "lift" literally that lowers the primary car from the top of the hauler down to the ground. You can also see the ladders that go from the ground to the tailgate and from the tailgate to the roof of the hauler. There are usually several computers up there for the crew to monitor the cars during practice, qualifying, and the race.

Above is Pat Tryson (crew chief), Roger Penske (in white), and Brian (team engineer) watching practice at Homestead. I was lucky enough to sit up there for a short while watching the Busch race in Texas. I was 5 feet away from Richard Childress on the next hauler over and had quite a view!

Cindy was kind enough to lead us on a hauler tour.p>

Entering the sliding mirrored doors, you have a long hallway flanked on either side with cabinets. Immediately upon entering is the "kitchen" where Cindy usually has snacks and lunch set up for the guys.

On the left are the cabinets for the crew. Each team member has a "locker" where they store their uniforms, helmets for pit road, radios etc. The counter on the left behind Cindy is a work area:

Across the aisle from this area is the shock dyno and spring rate machines. In this picture, the crew had put a shock in the dyno to demonstrate how it works for me. The machine that does the spring rates is the yellow one in the back. These machines are both hooked up to computers to the right that analyze the data. The shock dyno moves the shock up and down incredibly fast, mimicking race conditions.

Of course, the shocks:

and springs:

are kept nearby in a cabinet, neatly organized and individually labeled. Luke, the shock specialist for the No. 2 team, said organization is the biggest key to being able to quickly and correctly set up the car at the track. The cabinets all along the aisle hold every conceivable piece and part for the car from tiniest screws to a complete engine, organized in a mannar so that each piece can be found quickly if needed on race weekends.

At the end of the long hallway in the hauler, there is a ladder and roof hatch that leads up to where the cars are kept. Of course, I had to crawl up there to get a peek at the back up car.

My nose and the car's nose were practically touching!

As you might remember from one of my articles, the team is not allowed to touch the back up car without a NASCAR official present and it is NASCAR, not the teams who decide if the back up car is to be used.

Back down the ladder and around the corner is the the entrance to the front room. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of this room so let me describe it. Two sides of the room are made up by a huge leather wrap around couch (this is where I first met Kurt and Pat). The other side has a desk with several computers set up. Across from the couch are the TVs mostly tuned (no sound) to the race coverage and football. This is the room where Kurt and the crew hang out and eat lunch if they are not outside. It is also where they hold team meetings, catch a nap, and work (PR releases, analzying data etc.) The entire hauler has speakers that are tuned to the team radio's so you can hear what is going on anytime Kurt is in the car.

Looking back down the aisle, you can see Luke heading to the shock dyno (and the food) and Bill cleaning Kurt's helmet.

It is a pretty tight squeeze down the aisle, especially when you get 10 or more crew guys in there! Also, notice how easy it is to see out the mirrored doors...keep that in mind if you ever get to the garages, they can see you fixing your hair and doing anything else silly! (as I learned from personal experience...) Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek!