Tire-Chasing Gas Man Regrets Decision

Perhaps Jimmy Watts was just doing what he had always done as a firefighter for the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department on Sunday when he dashed across the unprotected frontstretch Atlanta Motor Speedway grass to retrieve an errant tire from his team's recently completed pit stop -- preventing a potentially harmful situation.

Regardless, the NASCAR gas man who helped bring out a caution that changed the complexion of the Kobalt Tools 500 and was suspended by NASCAR for the remainder of the event felt obligated Sunday evening to apologize for his actions.

Watts -- he handles fueling for JTG Daughtery Racing's Aussie driver Marcos Ambrose -- told the NASCAR Scene's Bob Pockrass after the race that he picked the "wrong" action.

"I saw the tire going away and it was a reaction – the wrong one," Watts said.

Watts said he "certainly did not" think that the tire would roll that far across the grass and by the time he was in the middle of it, he realized he was in a bad position.

It did make for interesting television.

"It's not the kind I want to be part of," Watts said.

Certainly, by the tone of the article and Watts' words, he's one of those folks on the receiving end of a dose of 15 minutes of fame he'd rather not have.

Watts' move started innocently when Ambrose's No. 47 Toyota left the pit box to return to the track and the tire changers failed to secure the tire against the pit wall. The tire then rolled across pit lane and into a section of pavement in the AMS infield connecting the pit road and the front stretch used for various quarter-mile races held at the track.

By the time Watts tracked down the tire, he was well within striking distance of a sliding race car had it wrecked off turn four while racing at speeds of over 160 miles per hour. NASCAR wasn't pleased with the move and immediately put out a caution flag to keep both Watts and the tire from being hit.

The caution occured during a round of green flag pit stops that cause jumbles in the running order because teams pit on different laps. When the yellow came out, just 10 of the 43 cars hadn't pitted and were left on the lead lap.

Undoubtedly, the cause of the caution ticked off countless fans after the driver got caught up in the events and went a lap down of the leaders, but it's tough for me to feel their pain. Had Watts not chased the tire, it very easily could have (and should have, in my book) brought out a yellow flag either because it could have entered the racing surface or because another car could have wrecked and hit it while it lay in the infield grass.

Flying wheels and tires have long been one of the biggest dangers to spectators because of how far they can bounce and fly when hit by a speeding race car. Multiple spectators in all forms of racing have been killed and severely injured when an errant tire (weighing upwards of 80 pounds) entered the grandstand seating areas.

Knowing that, I'm pretty sure that NASCAR would have opted to throw a yellow flag to retrieve the loose tire regardless of Watts' actions, however, they might have waited for green flag pit stops to cycle through -- keeping 3/4 of the field from falling a lap back of the leaders.

Did Watts suffer from a lapse in his best judgment when he dashed out to retrieve the tire? I'd say that's a given.

But when a guy has made a living by putting himself in harm's way, it's hard to blame the instinct of fellow who's intentions were in the right place. Put yourself in his shoes -- here's a guy whose full-time job is a civic duty and on the weekends he gets to be at the race track, doing something he's got to love. Now, after trying to help out a little bit, he's been reprimanded by NASCAR and been humiliated by some negative attention.

Can you imagine the pit in his stomach when he got home Sunday night?

Apology accepted, Mr. Watts. Let's hope we see you when NASCAR returns in two weeks at Bristol.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

3-09-2009 @ 3:41AM

Bob said...

I'm with you on this one, Mr. Miller. Who hasn't been in a similar position, just not on so big a stage? An innocent gut reaction gets you started, but the situation keeps escalating--you keep going because you know there's no hiding it after you've already gone so far. I wouldn't hammer on the guy too long. Yes, his actions screwed things up for a lot of drivers, but I'll guarantee you the man's learned his lesson. I'll bet you'd be hard pressed to get him to run down an errant baby stroller right now.

3-09-2009 @ 7:12AM

obamaizadope said...

the reaction is just the "chickification" of the country. back in richard petty's day, this was common practice, and gee, somehow people survived it, and without helmets even! gasp, oh the horror!

3-09-2009 @ 7:13AM

TheOtherSideOfReason said...

What a frickin' moron!

Of course, everyone knows a loose tire can cause an accident and/or a caution if it goes onto the track. However, had the tire stopped on the infield grass, NASCAR could have waited until all the cars completed their stops BEFORE throwing the yellow.

Although I'm sure a tire would fly a lot further than a person would, the person would receive catastrophic injuries. At least the drivers and fans had much better odds at surviving than that idiot.

Yes, Bob, I think he learned his lesson. He should continue "learning" his lesson for the rest of the season sitting on his couch every week!

TOSOR

3-09-2009 @ 7:40AM

Kim said...

This incident is being blown way out of proportion. Did he make a mistake by chasing down the tire? Absolutely! But his gutt reaction was to do so because as we all know, run away tires can be dangerous to the drivers, spectators and other teams not to mention the massive fine NASCAR nails a team with. I felt bad for the guy. He probably took off after it thinking he could get to it right away but sadly, the run away tire had more momentum than he did. Like Bob said, I am sure he realized shortly after the sprint began that he had made a mistake, but at that point, he had no choice but to push on. Imagine what an idiot he would have looked like had he stopped & gone back without the tire?

Give the guy a break. It was an impulse move, one that I am sure he is paying for (literally) today.

Kim

3-09-2009 @ 10:05AM

Don Emerson said...

3-09-2009 @ 10:49AM

illsell4u said...

Imagine had he not gone after the tire and the tire ends up getting punted into the stands and someone dies.
In life you have to make choices. He made the choice to go after the tire knowing there was a certain amount of risk to himself. The guy goes into burning buildings when every one else is running away. I am more than willing to cut the man some slack.

MBL

3-09-2009 @ 2:23PM

chrisp tha ghost said...

I disagree, it was a bonehead call by Nascar to throw the yellow flag. Realistically the dude was in no danger as most of the cars were in the process of pitting or preparing to do so. If it had occurred near the end of the race when things get dicey, ok throw the yellow. Just another example of the idiots who run Nascar today. Works for me.........

Completely idiotic statement.

It doesn't matter what point of the race it was, he was in the infield grass mere yards away from the racing surface. What if someone locked the brakes coming onto the pit lane and slid into him? What if someone got tagged from behind out of turn 4 and ended up in the grass?

You sir, are the idiot for making those statements

3-09-2009 @ 2:41PM

There is simply no "safe" time for a person to be anywhere near the track on foot--a car moving 25 mph can kill you, let alone one moving at close to 200 mph. Remember, this happened under green flag conditions. NASCAR had no choice but to rein in everyone until he was back behind the wall, regardless of the snafu it caused on the track.

3-09-2009 @ 10:50PM

LUCKY said...

NASCAR SHOULD HAVE PENNELIZED AMBROSE AND TEAM AND LEFT EVERYONE ON THE LEAD LAP AND LINE THEM IN THE ORDER BEFORE THE PITTING BEGAIN.O'WELL,WE HAVE ALL SEASON!

3-10-2009 @ 9:03AM

Nascar is dead, they just don't know it yet..

3-10-2009 @ 10:47AM

NASCAR is dead, huh? Well please, share your great wisdom with us on how you came up with that one. I'm guessing there are at least a "couple" people out there that might have a slightly different opinion, but please, don't let a few million fans get in the way of your "logic". Such a well-informed voice should be heard, so speak (or type, as the case may be).

3-10-2009 @ 1:16PM

Ha, that's great Bob! I couldn't have said it or written it any better myself! I too am looking forward to being "enlightened" by Mr. Dope's logic.

Kim

3-10-2009 @ 5:08PM

Yeah Ghost........what if the sky falls, or the sun goes out, or you get a brain. Fat chance of any of these things happening. I stand by my statement. Works for me.......

3-10-2009 @ 5:45PM

whiteley9468 said...

I agree with you 100% Mr. Miller. His reaction was based on his training for his "real" job. It was unfortunate it has turned out the way it did for him and some of the drivers. I remember Sterling Marlin getting out of his car to pull out a fender during a red flag. Sometimes you just react.

3-11-2009 @ 8:52AM

gm and chrysler fans subsidizing nascar is like chickens paying colonel sanders..toyota has brian france in their back pocket.

3-11-2009 @ 12:45PM

Thank God you made it back, dope. I was afraid we might have to go on without your timely solutions to the world's problems. So I'm guessing we should cancel all automobile-related fun activities because the "big three" are having financial troubles, right? Yeah, let's get rid of all that silly advertising racing generates, because we wouldn't want to feed that nasty brand-loyalty it brings on, would we? Any other pearls of wisdom, or should we go back to our coops now?

p.s. Feel free to comment on the article at hand anytime...you know, what everyone else has been doing.

3-11-2009 @ 1:30PM

Bob;
What the Dope really wants is for us to all go out and buy the crappy cars Detroit has been turning out just because the companies that make them have their HQ here in the US. Forget about the fact the cars and their parts may actually be made in other countries. And forget about the fact that the Big 3 have been turning out what they want us to buy instead of what we want. Just go out and buy American, whether it is a piece of crap or not.
MBL