All-access: What's the deal with NASCAR's pace car?

By Matt Crossman - SportingNews

Who drives the pace car?

Brett Bodine, a veteran of 480 Nextel Cup starts (the last in 2003). He now works in NASCAR's research and development department. Bodine's racing experience is crucial in the pace car. After rain or a wreck in which debris or fluid covers the track, he determines when conditions are safe.

How fast does it go?

The speed of the pace car during cautions depends on the size of the track and ranges from 35 to 65 mph.

Is Bodine driving solo?

Nope. Another NASCAR official, Wayne Auton, rides shotgun. (Except for the time Auton was, um, checking for deer . . . seeing a man about a horse . . . otherwise occupied.) Celebrities have gotten in on the action, too. Jay Leno drove during parade laps at the Daytona 500 this year. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tagged along at the 2004 fall Richmond race.

"He didn't want to get out," Bodine says. "He wanted to spend the whole day in there. Very nice man. He loves our sport. He knew all the drivers and all the players. He was like a kid at his first race."

What does the pace car do besides drive out front during cautions?

Before the race, the pace car circles the track at the pit road speed limit. Drivers set their tachometers according to Bodine's speed during this time because racecars don't have speedometers.

The pace car also helps clean the track, though that's not an official function. Because the pace car's tires have tread (racecar tires don't), they collect rubber left on the track by the racecars. The grooves in the tread get so clogged, the steering wheel vibrates.

The result is a cleaner track where the pace car runs. Tony Stewart once rubbed doors with the pace car at Martinsville, trying to persuade Bodine to "clean up" a lower line -- the one Stewart was running.

The cars Bodine drives -- are they normal?

"For the most part, the engines are pretty much stock that any customer can buy," says Michael Accavitti, director of Dodge Motorsports and SRT Global Marketing.

The exhaust is tweaked to make the engines louder. Sometimes the cars get a horsepower boost to make them fast enough to catch the field. Some pace cars have normal paint jobs; some are tricked out. Lights are installed on the roof of each car.

The type of pace car is determined by manufacturer relationships with each track.

At Michigan, the car is a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. At Lowe's Motor Speedway, it's a Toyota Camry. At Kansas, it's a Ford Fusion. At Daytona, it's a Chevy Corvette, Bodine's favorite. Some pace cars stay at the track for all of its races, and some pace cars are moved to different tracks using haulers. There's always a backup.

What does Bodine do during the race?

He never leaves the car. It remains parked with easy access to the track. He keeps up with race action on a FanView, a hand-held device that provides access to radio broadcasts and team radio conversations.

Bodine stays in constant contact with race officials; when a caution comes out, he floors the gas to get onto the track. His most important task is to catch the field immediately; sometimes that means opening up whatever car he's driving. It's not unusual for him to go 120 mph to get by the leader. Once Bodine gets out front, the cars bunch up and crews go to work cleaning up the track.

If I had to guess which driver messes with the pace car, I'd guess Stewart. Am I right?

Yes. He hits the pace car every time he has the lead and the caution comes out. "He's going to give you a shot in the back, just to say hello," Bodine says.

I want to buy a pace car. Can I?

Not unless you luck out and find one at a charity auction. Retired pace cars also go to museums and junkyards but not to the open market.