On an evening when the spotlight was on pit road, it was an underdog team that rose to the occasion. The No. 71 pit crew delivered the win in the Pit Crew Challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The No. 71 crew -- jackman Dax Hollifield, fueler Brandon Chapman, rear changer Ty Boeck, front changer Max Marsh, and tire carrier Luke Bussel -- turned in a 12.587-second stop during Open qualifying.
They then sat on pit road and watched as all of the All-Star crews tried to beat their time. Michael McDowell joined them and celebrated every time that a bigger-name crew failed to post a faster time.
THE BOYS ARE HYPE!!! 🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/dkOPqYyAVV
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None were successful. Daniel Suarez's No. 99 pit crew came the closest with a 12.6-second stop. Noah Gragson's No. 4 team, which completed their stop early in Open qualifying, posted the third-fastest time at 12.669 seconds.
Chase Briscoe's No. 19 crew was fourth-fastest with a 12.695-second stop while Christopher Bell's No. 20 crew posted the fifth-fastest time at 12.709 seconds.
MORE: Full Pit Crew Challenge results
Ultimately, this young developmental pit crew captured the big trophy and the $100,000 prize.
"This is definitely beyond my wildest dreams," Hollifield told Fox Sports' Jamie Little after winning the Pit Crew Challenge. "I was up at like 1 or 2 (a.m.) on Monday night trying to figure out what I wanted for a setup.
"My man, Travis (Peterson), and the 71 team got it for us. We've been working hard this year, we're probably the youngest team on pit road, and it's just hard work and determination. That's what set us apart today."
The No. 71 team entered the weekend ranked 33rd overall, but they rose to the occasion while other groups faltered. Numerous drivers and pit crews alike had miscues that kept them from contending for the $100,000 prize.
The No. 43 and No. 22 pit crews each had a rear tire changer slip and fall while navigating around their respective cars. Many other teams were unable to smoothly pull the right front tire off the car.
The No. 34 crew had a left rear lug nut fall off. This forced Todd Gilliland to stop outside of his pit box so they could tighten the wheel.
The No. 23 crew, which has been the best in the Cup Series this season, simply had an air hose snag on the front right fender. This significantly slowed their stop.
The No. 20 team, which won the last two Pit Crew Challenges, didn't have a major issue. The left front tire just hung on the fender for a brief moment. This was enough to ensure that the crew would finish slightly after the No. 71 crew.