Drivers must adapt their driving styles to the behavior of their racecar, which can often change as a race progresses, becoming either "tighter" or "looser." • Tight -- When a car is tight, it's hard to turn. To get the car to steer more easily, the driver has to lift off the accelerator while turning -- slowing down the car. This condition can be overcome during a race by adjusting factors like tire pressure, spring stiffness and chassis weight distribution. • Loose -- When a car is loose, it turns too easily --so the car tends to fishtail. Again, the driver has to slow down to keep control of the car, slowing lap times. Tire, spring and chassis adjustments can be made to overcome a loose condition during a race. Factors like track temperature and tire wear can play a part in how the car responds to the driver during a race -- even the amount of tape over the car's grill can have a profound impact on its handling. Juggling all these factors, the best drivers and crew chiefs are masters at adjusting the car during the course of a race.

For oval track applicable reasons, when a crew chief calls for raising the track bar, the car is tight and he is attempting to loosen the driver’s feel. The opposite is also true. By lowering the track bar, the feel will tighten up. Used in a loose condition.

And as a general rule of thumb the track bar is looked at when tackling problems from the middle of the turn through the exit.

You can drive a car that is too loose but you are done fucked if your car is too tight.

The Crew chief is the leader of the pit crew and assigns a Pit Crew Coach to help coordinate the pit stops and train the pit crew members how to stay in good physical shape. NASCAR regulations dictate that only six individuals can go "over the wall" to service a racecar during a pit stop. The tool limits on the crew are two impact wrenches, one jack, and two cans of gasoline. Other tools may be used if needed, but major work must be performed in the garage area. An important tool used by the crew chief is referred to as the pit box. The pit box is generally equipped with two satellites, along with several flat-screen monitors. These tools are used to help analyze the car up close during any moment of the race.

The Car chief performs a majority of the scheduling and day-to-day preparations at the shop prior to the race weekend. This person is responsible for managing the crew throughout the weekend, ensuring that the car meets all of NASCAR’s inspection requirements, and overseeing changes to the car requested by the crew chief or the team engineer. This role is similar to that of a chief operating officer's in general.

The jackman raises each side of the car so that the tires can be replaced. The jackman can do this quickly with the use of a 20-pound jack. The jackman will, also, usually pull the old right rear tire from the car after the rear tire changer loosens the lug nuts. This is to help get the new right rear tire on faster. The jackman signals for the driver to leave the pits by lowering the car.

The klugman plays the role of the newspaper sports reporter. He is an excessive gambler, who is a bit of a slob. Recently divorced, he enjoys his boozing, carousing lifestyle.

The two tire changers remove the lug nuts and (if not done by the jackman) the old tire, and tighten the new tire's lug nuts. One tire changer is responsible solely for the front tires, while the other is responsible for the rears. NASCAR requires a wheel to have five traditional lug nuts, as opposed to the single locking lug nut seen in Formula One. Many jackmen watch the tire changers to make sure the lug nuts are tight.

The gas man fills the car with gasoline with a special gas can. The gas man may, also, help pull old tires from the race car after lug nuts are loosened if the car does not need fuel or if the car needs little fuel and the gas man finishes his job before anyone else.

The two tire carriers bring new tires over the pit wall and guide them onto the studs. They must stay in contact with the old tires when they are being taken to the wall. The front tire carrier is usually responsible for pulling the front fenders away from the tire if necessary. He may also be responsible for cleaning and adding or removing tape to/from the grille during a pit stop in order to adjust front-end downforce and engine temperatures. The rear tire carrier is usually responsible for making any necessary adjustments to the rear track bar and/or wedge.

The seventh man or utility is only permitted over the wall in the second half of the race (sometimes earlier if conditions and NASCAR dictate otherwise). He may clean the windshield and provide the driver with fresh drinking water and other necessities, but he may not make any other adjustments to the car.