4 Tires & Fuel: Cream Rises to Top as Crews Crank Out Record-Breaking Stops

After leaving the Pit Crew Challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the crews must have picked up some additional motivation, putting down some of the fastest times all year in the Coca-Cola 600.

The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew set a four-tire change record last month of 8.49 seconds, but this weekend at Charlotte, the team set a new record, improving by an entire tenth of a second.

Before Charlotte, the No. 9 squad held that record on their own, but this time around they're going to be sharing with a handful of crews, as the No. 22 Team Penske (Joey Logano), No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports (Alex Bowman), No. 71 Spire Motorsports (Zane Smith) and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing (Daniel Suarez) crews were all able to match that 8.39 four-tire change time.

This weekend, seven different crews were able to smash that previous record, as the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing (Josh Berry) and No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports (William Byron) crews were able to set times of 8.40 seconds.

The pit stops at Charlotte were so fast, that the third fastest pit stop on the previous record-breaking chart wouldn't even make it onto this list. That shows the improvement of the pit crews, as teams like Kaulig Racing, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports now make appearances alongside the powerhouses of Hendrick and Gibbs.

In fact, in the rain-shortened event at Charlotte, 25 of the 40 pit crews were able to complete a stop below the nine-second threshold.

Completing a single pit stop in a fast manner is impressive on its own, but being consistently fast is what puts your driver at the front of the pack. Once again, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew impressed with a median four-tire stop of 8.59 seconds, with the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing crew not far behind at 8.60 seconds.

Those median four-tire change times are impressive, but when it came down to scoring the victory, the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team was able to keep Christopher Bell out front, as demonstrated by an 8.96-second average across their six pit stops.

Other elite pit crews like their teammates on the No. 11, and those working on the No. 9 and No. 24 crews for Hendrick Motorsports were all hovering around the nine-second average.

While the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing crew was on a roll to start the season, as the season progresses, we're seeing veteran crews like the No. 20 and No. 24 once again finding their way back to the top.

Leaving Charlotte, a new mark has been set with the 8.39-second four-tire change. Who will be the next crew to knock hundredths of a second off that record-breaking time?