NASCAR president weighs in on controversial change expected to make pit row times slower


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When NASCAR announced it would be making changes to pit road by downsizing the number of crew members allowed over the wall, it was not taken well.

But the same could be said for the implementation of stage-racing, and after a year of experience, most drivers seem to be on board with the change that was made to better the sport. NASCAR hopes by shortening the amount of over-the-wall crew members to five, it will put an emphasis on the athletic ability of the crew members.

RELATED: NASCAR's new pit rules don't address more pressing issues the sport faces

NASCAR President Brent Dewar recently sat down with Motor Racing Network for "NASCAR Live" and shared his take on the matter and why they made the move.

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"We've focused very strongly on our star power of the drivers," Dewar said. "We really want to emphasize it's the team."

"What we love about NASCAR is the pit stops and so this effort of five over the wall and the crew and identifying the pit crew with their numbers at the track, you'll start to see and understand the names of the people that make a championship team, a high quality team, that's the method behind it, that's the logic behind what we're trying to achieve," added Dewar.

He also said the focus will be on the athleticism and fans will be able to see these athletes for what they truly are. He also said that while pit stops will be slowed down slightly, they'll still be really fast.

"Pit stops are still going to be very fast, but they're going to be a little bit slower so we can accentuate really what is happening," Dewar said. "We're excited about this and what the athletes are going to be able to demonstrate because it makes a difference."

Dewar also went on to say that while a driver makes a difference, so does a crew chief, and everyone else on the team that helps at the track.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out next month when the season gets underway at Daytona

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