Catchfence

No. 16 team extends lead on way to $100,000 Tissot bonus

Greg Biffle’s crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s (Oct. 4) NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway.

It was the sixth win of the season for Biffle’s No. 16 crew, which leads in the Tissot standings. The crews for Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied for second with three wins each.

The No. 16 crew earned $5,000 for the Kansas Tissot pit road win, lifting its season total to $30,000 in prize money. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will receive a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.

Biffle’s 3M Ford Fusion spent the least amount of time on pit road in Kansas (215.890 seconds). The quick pit stops helped Biffle to a third-place finish in the Price Chopper 400 at the 1.5-mile oval.

“The 3M pit crew has performed at a very high level this year,” said No. 16 crew chief Greg Erwin. “The on-track competition is as close as it’s ever been and having a group of guys who can gain you spots every time we come down pit road is a tremendous advantage in the stretch run for a championship. We are a very competitive group and those guys are a big part of our success. I hope we are fortunate enough to stay working together for a long time.”

The No. 16 over-the-wall crew consists of: Todd Zeigler (front-tire changer), Colin Pasi (front-tire carrier), Kyle Power (rear-tire changer), Kevin McDowell (rear-tire carrier), Rodney Fetters (jackman), Billy Manchester (gasman), Ryan Dextraze (catch can) and Chris Elliott (windshield). The team’s pit crew coach is Andy Ward.

Tissot has been the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR since 2006. The company is also the official timekeeper for a number of other sports, including the MotoGP World Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship and the Cycling World Championship.

2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Standings

Pos Team No. Pit Crew For Wins Prize Money

1 16 Greg Biffle 6 30,000

T2 24 Jeff Gordon 3 15,000

T2 48 Jimmie Johnson 3 15,000

T4 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000

T4 39 Ryan Newman 2 10,000

T4 33 Clint Bowyer 2 10,000

T7 43 Reed Sorenson 1 5,000

T7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000

T7 1 Martin Truex Jr. 1 5,000

T7 00 David Reutimann 1 5,000

T7 99 Carl Edwards 1 5,000

T7 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000

T7 11 Denny Hamlin 1 5,000

T7 9 Kasey Kahne 1 5,000

T7 20 Joey Logano 1 5,000

T7 44 AJ Allmendinger 1 5,000

T7 26 Jamie McMurray 1 5,000

2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Winners

Daytona, 2/15 Reed Sorenson Team

Fontana, 2/22 Tony Stewart Team

Las Vegas, 3/1 Greg Biffle Team

Atlanta 3/8 Clint Bowyer Team

Bristol, 3/22 Jimmie Johnson Team

Martinsville, 3/29 Jeff Gordon Team

Fort Worth, 4/5 Jeff Gordon Team

Phoenix, 4/18 Ryan Newman Team

Talladega, 4/26 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team

Richmond, 5/2 Jeff Gordon Team

Darlington, 5/9 Martin Truex Jr. Team

Charlotte, 5/25 David Reutimann Team

Dover, 5/31 Greg Biffle Team

Pocono, 6/7 Carl Edwards Team

Michigan, 6/14 Greg Biffle Team

Sonoma, 6/21 Juan Pablo Montoya Team

New Hampshire, 6/28 Jimmie Johnson Team

Daytona, 7/4 Tony Stewart Team

Chicagoland, 7/11 Denny Hamlin Team

Indianapolis, 7/26 Greg Biffle Team

Pocono, 8/3 Kasey Kahne Team

Watkins Glen, 8/10 Jimmie Johnson Team

Michigan, 8/16 Joe Logano Team

Bristol, 8/22 Greg Biffle Team

Atlanta, 9/6 AJ Allmendinger Team

Richmond, 9/12 Jamie McMurray Team

New Hampshire, 9/20 Ryan Newman Team

Dover, 9/27 Clint Bowyer Team

Kansas, 10/4 Greg Biffle Team

- DMF Communications for Tissot Pit Road Precision Award, Press Release