Get the answers straight from the pits

Each week, fans can submit questions to their favorite owner, crew chief or driver -- and our reporters will get the answers. Want to know how an owner got into the business of Winston Cup? Ask him! Ever wonder what a driver does to pass the time while off the track? Ask him! This is your chance to ask the questions you want answered. "Pit Pass" will have fans' questions and the answers -- direct from the track -- each week.

Three for the No. 10 Valvoline Pontiac; usually only two are used during a race. Johnny Benson says his crew won't remove the third tear-off; it protects the windshield. Instead, the crew hand washes it during a pit stop. As for the thickness, think of the plastic laminate that covers driver's licenses.

How do the drivers sign up for the NASCAR series, and how long does it usually take? -- Nate, Columbia Falls, Mont.

"In my case, I was asked," says Benson. Which says it all: There's no form to fill out like a real-life job application. Owners decide who will drive their cars -- or truck -- in each of the three NASCAR series.

Does temperature of the engine affect the amount of laps you can get on a full tank of fuel? -- Ben, Redgranite, Wis.

Benson doesn't think so, although he admits an engine guru could provide more detail. The Valvoline team doesn't monitor fuel temperature for mileage; crew members are much more concerned with how temperature relates to engine life. Benson says the 210-220-degree-range is what he looks for on his gauge during a race.

I would like to know in a car race the cars go around the track counter clockwise not clockwise. -- Harry, Omaha, Neb.

"There is a reason for that," says Benson. "And the reason is because it puts the driver on a point furtherest away from the wall."

There's another reason: In North America, it's a more natural direction because we drive on the right side of the road. Another note from Benson: On road courses, drivers turn clockwise, mimicking the European standard. Pit stops in the two NASCAR road-course events -- Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen, N.Y. -- are also from the opposite direction -- i.e., crews leap over the wall on the right side of the car, not the left.

Name a driver in another racing series that you admire, and why? -- Ed, Arlington, Texas

"I admire all race car drivers," says Benson, adding that he's attended both a Spanish Grand Prix and British Grand Prix on the Formula One circuit. "I watch other series. I like sprint cars -- sprint cars are cool."

Enter your thoughts below and we'll post some of the most interesting responses in the coming days.