Once again, the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge delivered fireworks as an unexpected crew took home the trophy and the $100,000 prize.
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The No. 38 pit crew from Front Row Motorsports posted the fastest time on the four-tire stop (no fuel). They completed this stop in 12.612 seconds and beat the second-place No. 97 team of Trackhouse Racing by .221 seconds.
The No. 38 team consists of fueler Ray Hernandez, rear tire changer Adam Riley II, jackman Nathan Mcbride, front changer Michael Louria, and tire carrier Jarren Davis. Zane Smith is the team's driver.
This pit stop is worth $100,000. 🤑 pic.twitter.com/yqObpQsHyy
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 16, 2026
Smith ultimately qualified 25th for the All-Star Race. He didn't have the same rolling speed and lap times as pole-winner Denny Hamlin or some other drivers in the field.
The interesting thing about this group is that it's a leased crew from Joe Gibbs Racing. The other two pit crews at Front Row Motorsports come from Team Penske.
The No. 38 crew delivered the cleanest and fastest stop of the day when other crews made mistakes. For example, the No. 9 team of Hendrick Motorsports had to jack up the car twice to tighten Chase Elliott's left front wheel. The No. 7 team of Spire Motorsports had the right front wheel come off the car after Daniel Suarez crossed the finish line.
The No. 20 crew of Joe Gibbs Racing entered the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge rated as the top group in the Cup Series. However, they had some issues with the left front tire exchange, which cost precious seconds.
The No. 20 team slotted in 11th overall at 13.153 seconds. It followed the No. 54 team of Joe Gibbs Racing at 13.143 seconds. This crew entered the weeknd as the second-best in the Cup Series.
This marks the second consecutive season that an "underdog" team won the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge.
Last season, the No. 71 team of Spire Motorsports won with a time of a 12.587 seconds at North Wilkesboro Speedway. This developmental crew from Hendrick Motorsports, which remains together in 2026, captured the big trophy and the $100,000 prize.
