On a pit stop in nascar why.....?

Question

why is there a guy with a box poking into a hole next to the gas tank....what does that do? ALSO, he holds a gas can some times while the other guy is filling up ,and he shakes the empty gas can...why is that?

Answer 1

You are referring to the Catch Can Man. I had a friend who was Catch Can Man for Andretti when he won the Daytona 500. The purpose of the catch can is to catch any extra fuel that comes out of the overflow pipe at the rear of the car. NASCAR fuel cells don't stop when the are full like ours do at the pumps, so some one had to catch the extra fuel.

The Catch Can Man also has to hold the empty gas can so that the Gas Man can use a second can. The Gas Man will the indicate when the second gas can is getting empty to the Catch Can Man. So the the Catch Can man will shake the empty can to indicate to the crew chief and the rest of the team that fueling is about done.

Answer 2

It is gas an overflow can and catches an catches extra fuel that runs out once the tanks is full. He hold the gas can while the regular gas man is getting the second can. The cars use 2 cans during a normal pit stop.

Answer 3

that's the catchcan man. by sticking the nozzle of that can into that hole he improves airflow into the gas tank and allows the fuel to flow more freely, while catching the excess fuel in the can at the same time. he is the busiest member of the pit crew on a pit stop. besides holding the 1st fuel can while the gas man gets the 2nd, he's also responsible for making the chassie adjustments to the car.

Answer 4

that's the catchcan man. by sticking the nozzle of that can into that hole he improves airflow into the gas tank and allows the fuel to flow more freely, while catching the excess fuel in the can at the same time. he is the busiest member of the pit crew on a pit stop. besides holding the 1st fuel can while the gas man gets the 2nd, he's also responsible for making the chassie adjustments to the car. Yea!

Answer 5

The box type thing is the catch can, which catches any overflow. As for the shaking of the empty can, it is often to help indicate to the team that they are done fueling the car, which is sometimes the longest part of the service during a pit stop.

Answer 6

that person is the catch can man. he pit's the "box" into the over flow for the fuel tank, to allow the gas to enter the fuel cell quicker, by giving the trapped air a way to escape as fuel goes in. he hold the first gas can in place as the gas man reaches for the second gas can then holds it out of the way as the second can is being used. when the catch can man starts shaking the gas can he is holding, signaling the fuel cell is full, because fuel is going into the catch can, meaning the system is full. also sometimes you can see a little gas come out the overflow/vent in the rear of the car as they take off from their pit boxes.

Answer 7

they use the catch can to catch the overflow of gas, once the tank is full. after the pit stop, the gas in the catch can is put back into the gas can that, was used to fill the tank. the gas can is weighed to find out how much gas actually went into the tank and, this information is used to determine gas mileage.

Answer 8

I think that poking maybe the catch can being placed. You know the can that catches the gas. As far as the shaking of the empty gas can. That is a cue to let everyone know that gas has been put into the car. In other words, that task is completed.

Answer 9

that it the catchcan, when the gas tank gets filled on a stop, the tank sends the excess to the catchcan, when that gets filled, they stop filling the car up. He shakes the empty can to get any extra fuel out of the can

Answer 10

The person in question is the "catchcan".Theis can has a tubular spout that is pusshed into the "hole" that you see to open a valve that allows the fuel cell to become an open system. This allows the fuel cell to be filled by allowing air to escape.