Shane Beikoff Racing Team
With up to 20 team members assisting in preparation of the Dieseltech Springwood V8Supercar on a race weekend, every member must know exactly what their duty is and complete each duty with precision and accuracy.
On a race weekend, the team has two to three mechanics who work on the technical aspects of the car and also assist in the car set up.
Shane Beikoff Racing also requires an engineer/technician, who determines car setup & all technical aspects of the car. This engineer controls a laptop which, between sessions, is used to analyse the MOTEC data from the car's logging system, and determines where the driver & car is losing time on the track. This data then allows the engineer to consult with the driver, where setup changes are completed and noted for the next session.
Another member is in charge of re-fuelling and calculating fuel consumption for each session, which is a very important task in determining the fuel required to complete each race. If this member miscalculates the fuel consumption & fuel available in the 120 litre fuel tank, the car is susceptible to not completing the session because it could run out of fuel. Therefore, this responsibility is vital.
One team member is in charge of media and administration for the team, very important in order that the team is on time to race. In between these race meetings, this person is kept up to date with the race schedule for the next race meeting, as well as any media & sponsorship commitments Shane Beikoff Racing are invited to attend.
One member is in charge of lap timing and laps completed, which is important to calculate fuel consumption, tyre condition & component life.
During a race weekend, there will be another team member(s) available to complete catering duties for the team. During a busy day, the team will be so busy preparing the car for the race, that they simply do not have the time to prepare their food to keep themselves revitalised. Therefore, caterers are present to assist prepare breakfast, lunch and, in the event of a late-night, even dinner.
Each of these team members are also assigned a job in the pit lane during a practice & qualifying session. One member will be the designated car controller who, as it sounds, controls the car as it enters pit lane, stops in the team's pit bay, and controls it as it leaves pit lane and re-joins the circuit. There will also be 4 mechanics, who control all the mechanical work required on the car in the pit lane. These mechanics are trained to complete setup changes on the car, panel work, and any other emergencies that require quick work in the pit lane. Shane Beikoff Racing also employs two pit wall "spotters" who, when the car is out on the track, observe the car, the track, and any issues that could affect the car's performance in the session.
Whilst these tasks are the basis for each crew member's job, these members may have to multi-task and assist other crew members in the event of an emergency, such as a mechanical failure. Even though some jobs may seem to take priority over others whilst the car is on the track, each team member could not complete their job without the assistance of each other, and each job is completed for the benefit of the Shane Beikoff Racing team during the race weekend.
