Gloves Are Tools? Yes!

   When I say Mechanix Wear, most of you know what I’m talking
about. For those that don’t, think gloves. No, not dish washing
gloves, I’m talking about Shop Gloves! Rarely can you go into a
parts store or hardware store without seeing the Mechanix brand on
the shelves, and I am a sucker for quality gloves. I use them for all
sorts of projects, from protecting my hands when fabricating or
welding, to getting a better grip on parts when I’m wrenching on
my rig, to keeping my hands warm while working in the cold.
   We all know that you can buy cheap no-name gloves, but you
really do get what you pay for. When I spend money on a tool
(which is what gloves really are), I expect it to perform, to last, and
to help me do my work. Every pair of Mechanix gloves represents
a total commitment to its intended use. There is a lot of dedication
and pride in each pair they manufacture, and it all adds up to superior
performing products. Currently I own the following pairs:
Mpact Gloves: used when there is a good chance of getting a
hand or finger pinched
Fabricator Gloves: need I say more?
Original Plus Gloves: general shop use / used when doing basic
maintenance
Glove Light: I keep in my glove box, for when I have those unexpected
repairs in the dark
Original Gloves: general shop use / used when doing basic maintenance
Grip Gloves: used to get a better grip, especially helpful when
holding heavier items where you are prone to losing grip
Apron: now this is something that no shop should be without. Not
only does it keep you from getting dirty, it also has several smaller
pockets to hold various tools and parts. If you’re like me, you like
being in the shop and getting your work done, but don’t like spending
20 minutes having to clean your hands, arms and ruin your
clothes doing so. This apron will keep your shirts nice and clean
while you work, which might keep a few more bucks in your wallet
rather than on buying new, non-grease-stained shirts!
   I know, I know, some of you are saying ‘why in the world
have so many gloves’? Well, over the years I’ve completely
thrashed several pairs of Mechanix gloves using one pair for everything.
They worked great until I got them into a pool of transmission
fluid or Antifreeze. They still worked well afterwards, but that
makes the one pair a little hard to use for tasks where you need
clean gloves. So, I learned that it’s better to have a specific pair for
specific tasks. Oh, and I still have the old trans-fluid and
antifreeze-soaked gloves, and keep them around to use on other
transmission fluid or antifreeze related projects. I try to budget one
pair every other month, unless they are on sale and then I’ll pick up
a few at a time.
   So which pair is my favorite? Hands down, the Fabricator
Gloves are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES! I use them when I am
cutting metal on the chop saw; I use them when welding; I use
them when cutting on body parts; I use them when test fitting metal
fabrication projects; heck, I use these things almost all the time.
There is something very comforting about wearing a pair of gloves
and knowing that your hands are protected from sharp objects,
heat, sparks, cuts, etc. I was lying under a rig a few weeks ago
using a cut-off wheel to slice through some DOM tubing. The cutoff
wheel kicked back and the blade slid down quickly and hit my
fingers, and the gloves completely protected them. There were only a few slight scuffs on the gloves, and my hands were completely
untouched. Had I not been wearing those gloves, I’d have been at
the hospital getting more than a few stitches. It’s times like that
when I feel very comfortable buying quality gloves, not cheap junk
that won’t really protect my hands.
   I like the fact that Mechanix Wear® gloves are for more than
just professionals, they are for everyone. I even use mine around
the house for honey-do projects. And I’m willing to bet that many
of you don’t know that they even make gloves for your wife to use
while gardening! Ask me how I know……
   When it comes down to it, I feel that Mechanix gloves are a
shop tool that every needs, whether it is one pair or 10 pairs. They
are a great addition to your shop, and they’ll keep your hands clean
and safe. For more info, visit their website at
www.mechanix.com/us.

Jeep Junkie Magazine • www.JeepJunkie.com

VALENCIA, Calif., (August 1, 2008) - The No. 9 Budweiser Dodge team from Gillett Evernham Motorsports put together one of the most remarkable streaks of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season during a five-week span in late May and early June.  During the period, Kasey Kahne won the Sprint Cup All-Star event, two regular-season point races and finished second in another race to move from 14th to seventh in the driver standings.  Kahne's performance on the track was matched by the flawless effort of the Bud Crew on pit road.  That performance has earned the No. 9 over-the-wall team second-quarter accolades and a berth as the second of four finalists for the 2008 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award. 

The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.  At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team's crew chief.  The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000.  The presentation will be made at the 2008 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City in December.

Following the win in the Sprint All-Star race, Kahne started second and led 66 laps en route to victory in longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule, the 600-mile Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.  Kahne was a victim in an 11-car mishap on the 18th lap at Dover seven days later, but the disappointment didn't last long as he bounced back the next week at Pocono, taking the win after starting from the pole.  He followed up with a runner-up finish one week later at Michigan.

“The pit stops were awesome during those races,” Kahne said.  “Kenny (Francis, team director) and our Budweiser team gave us great racecars and the pit crew made it a total package.  It was a complete team effort.”

Today, races are won by the thinnest of margins.  A fast pit stop can alter a race's outcome.  A team can have a strong car and a skillful driver, but without consistent pit stops, victory can be elusive.

Pit Road Warriors 
Leonard Wood and the Wood Brothers are credited with revolutionizing pit road.  Ray Evernham turned it into a precise art, replacing the traditional crew that worked on the race cars at the shop during the week and on the pit crew during the race.  Evernham brought in quick, agile athletes seeking fraction-of-a-second gains on the competition on pit road.
"There are no real big gains in the equipment anymore," said Evernham, co-owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports who built one of the sport's best pit crews for Jeff Gordon in the 1990s before launching Dodge's return to NASCAR in 2001.  “It's in the choreography and in the physical ability of the pit crew members."

This Bud's for Crew
Brett Cumming is the pit crew coach for the No. 9 Budweiser team as well as the crews for Kahne's stable mates, Elliott Sadler and Patrick Carpentier.
“The team's performance is a reflection of our operations and what they do here at Gillett Evernham Motorsports during the week,” said Cumming.  “This team works hard and prepares all week to go out on Sunday's and execute our strategy.  Our objective is to get all three teams performing at that level so each can challenge for such awards and accolades.  We appreciate our peers recognizing the No. 9 crew for this award, our sponsors and Mechanix Wear for developing a program that rewards the efforts of the pit crews.”
Cumming's weekly routine includes strength and conditioning program as well as pit stop practices.
"Half of our victory is gained from executing strategy, performing good pit stops, and giving the driver a real chance at winning; the other half is through synergizing the front and the rear team together as one kinetic force," explains Cumming.

NO. 9 BUDWEISER DODGE TEAM
Name                Position
Brett Cumming- Pit Crew Coach
Eric Wilson - Jackman
John Royer Front-Tire Changer
Jason Gay Front-Tire Carrier
Jim Carbon Rear-Tire Changer
Kevin Duncan Rear-Tire Carrier
Mark “Tank” Probus Gas man
Rick Pennington Catch Can
Kenny Francis Team Director

This is a video from Circle Track Magazines website that shows a rebuild of a dirt late model race car.  As you will see they are great supporters of Mechanix Wear and proud to wear our gloves throughout the video.

http://www.circletrack.com/car_racing_videos/6202741/radiator_replacement_project_dirt_late_model/index.html