Foster and Friends
Foster and Friends
Foster and Friends Vol 131 "The Jackman" with Dax Holifield
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Bud and Mac visit with former Virginia Tech linebacker Dax Holifield who's post football journey led him to be one of the leading members of the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew(s).
Welcome to Foster and Friends. Send us a text message. Bud and I would love to hear from you.
This is Foster and Friends with former coach Bud Foster and his co-host Mac McDonald.
SPEAKER_04It's cool being back in this area. There's five guys that go out. There's one fueler, two changes, one carrier, one jack man. So I'm the Jackman.
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SPEAKER_07Welcome in. It is Foster and Friends on a Final Four weekend, which we'll discuss a little later, but we have a special treat for you today because we're going to dive into NASCAR. And uh Bud had let me know last week that uh Dax Hollifield, one of the great uh football players of Virginia Tech, now involved in Hendrick Motorsports, he is the Jack Man. That's the name of our show and uh for this week. And uh, but this is one special guy, Dax Hollifield now.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, he is. I mean, and you know, and congrats to him and and his success with Hendrick, and uh and it's it's cool. We're gonna dive into a lot that uh you know what he's involved with, just not what he does on race day, but helping recruiting uh, you know, Pick Crew team and whatnot. But in his own right, Dax is one of my favorite people. I recruited Dax, spent a lot of time with him and his family. Um just was a great college football player, great player for us. Uh, like I said, one of my favorite people, one of my favorite players, uh, but just a uh a dynamic young man. And uh when our listeners hear his story today, they're gonna they're gonna understand why.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, it turns out to be a great story. He gets drafted, uh, ends up with the Jacksonville Jaguars, gets cut, but uh they were waiting for him at Hendrik Motor Sports, and he ends up at a combine, and now he's the the lead jack man for for Hendrik Motor Sports, so it's good. All right, we'll go to break, we'll come back. This is Foster and Friends.
SPEAKER_08Hi, this is Bud Foster for Envision. For over 30 years, my good friends, Dr. Scott and Becky Mann, have built a practice that truly cares about their patients.
SPEAKER_00I can just remember being pregnant with my first son over 30 years ago, and we bought the practice from Dr. Henry Stewart, who'd had it for 50 years. Which is scary, but we moved forward and we're actually in the same location, and now we're up to seven doctors and over 25 staff in the two locations.
SPEAKER_01The technology is amazing. Uh we used to take pictures on literally Polaroids, and now we went to digital, and now we have widescreens, and um we can do things today. 10 years ago, were only images you could only generate maybe at a teaching hospital. And now we can do those chair side when our patients come in.
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SPEAKER_04I tested my my my vertical, all the whole shebang of the little pro day stuff and things like that. The first time I stepped into the building and noticed things, I noticed that just everybody, it looked like everybody played football, you know, and when I went to go watch practice, the movements are very, very explosive.
SPEAKER_02Foster and Friends is presented by Brick House Pizza in Radford, serving traditional wood-fired favorites.
SPEAKER_07Welcome in, it is Foster and Friends in a Final Four weekend. But before we, you know, end on a high note talking about basketball, and Bud makes his picks for a national championship. Bud gets to introduce a guy that does all the work, gets very little headlines. So, Bud, I'm just gonna let you do the uh the introduction.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, and well, like you said, we've talked about this guy leading into this uh segment, but uh, you know, one of my favorite people, a highly recruited guy for us at Virginia Tech, and you know, one of the last guys that I recruited before uh you know I stepped away. But uh, you know, welcome all and welcome Dax Hollifield to the show. Dax uh played for me and and for us at Virginia Tech. Uh was a five-year letterman. Might have been one, maybe you might have been the first five-year letterman, Dax, because you were the first one to go through COVID. Uh, but I just want to get, you know, all ACC, um fourth-time, all-time leading tackler at Virginia Tech, and then was the 2022 National Defender of the Year, which was represent is given by the uh Charlotte uh touchdown club, along with the Nagersky Award, is the top defensive player that represents a military institution, which is a tremendous honor. But, you know, all those things that he's done on the field, this guy's even a better person off the field. I love him like a son, and uh we continue to stay in touch. But welcome, Dax Holyfield. Dax, good to have you on the show, man.
SPEAKER_04Appreciate it. Thank you. It's an honor to be here.
SPEAKER_08I had to brag on you a little bit. I appreciate that, that's just the tip of the iceberg because I've spent so much time with you and we still have such a great relationship. I do want to compliment you, and that the fans can't see this, our listeners can't see this, but you've got a hell of a mustache right now, man. I appreciate it, yeah. Are you are you working on like maybe a handlebar? You gotta have a unique look and stuff.
SPEAKER_04I do. I I had the I my grandfather has the best mustache I've ever seen in my life, and I definitely got that jean, so I gotta honor him with that. Um, but yeah, I'm I can twirl it up, I can curl it up a little bit. I gotta get a little more. But I did it, I had it last year curled for a good amount of the season, then uh I cut it off. But I'm growing it back out. It's going well though, you know. It's it's I gotta honor my my grandfather with it.
SPEAKER_07Well, Dax would be great in a movie if we just the movie just is the Jack Man. And I mean, you know, because uh when I was watching all the video and he introduced me, he says, I'm the Jack Man. I mean, you know, that's a it's like a rite of passage and something that you hold dear. Uh your story. Yeah, your story is great, Dax. Real quick, how'd you get there, huh?
SPEAKER_04You know, I thought I was gonna go play in the NFL for a decade, if not longer, you know, but then that didn't happen. Um, I was down in Jacksonville, I was in a rookie minicamp tryout, and um prior to that, during the the pre-combine training and stuff like that, Coach Flynn, who is now my my pick coach at Hendrick Motorsports, he reached out and said, Hey, I want you to go play in the league, I want you to go live your dream, but you know, if this doesn't that doesn't work out, there's this is a great plan B for you. And I didn't really think too much about it. Like I said, I knew I was gonna go play in the NFL forever, you know. But um I got I got told to head home in Jacksonville, and I was like, hey, Coach Flynn, I'd love to come check Andrew Motorsports out. You know, I'd been there when I was in middle school. I went on a field trip, it was like a STEM field trip, and I thought it was really cool then. Uh I swear to have a background in in welding and machining and stuff like that. So that stuff's always been cool for me. But seeing the the athletic side of things, what the pit crew does, you know, my first visit there really blew me away. And so I went and visited, and uh I told him I was like, if I don't get a call back by end of summer, you're all mine. Um or I'm all yours, and so it's that's how it happened.
SPEAKER_07Wow.
SPEAKER_08Well, this one thing that is you know, I've done my research, and you and I have talked about, I mean, uh there is actually a a pit crew combine, right, for uh for NASCAR. And uh you were you didn't have to participate in that because of your uh time with the Jaguars. But I I looked at that, and it's very similar to that of an NFL combine. You know, they're doing uh weightlifting, their shuttles, their vertical jumps, explosive movements, you know, lateral change of direction. Uh, but you had to go do a tryout with Henry Motorsports, and whether it was Evan Kreska, who's the manager of the of the pit crew, or if it was uh Keith that you did, but you had to go and have a little like like a pro day almost, right?
SPEAKER_04That's exactly what it is. It's it's uh we start every year we'll bring about a hundred to 150 guys to the to the combine, and we'll narrow that down. Um and what we do there is just like the same stuff, minus a 40 at the combine. We're doing vertical, we're doing broad jump, 5105, L. I miss your just see how athletic you are, you know, and honestly, we want to see how good you are as a person, you know. If you're if you're if you're a good guy to be around, um, because that's really most important for us. Culture is everything. Mr. Hendrick, every time you hear him talk, he's talking about it's the people, it's the people, it's the people, and just how you gotta just similar to you, coach, you gotta play for your brother, you know, you gotta have each other's back. And that's uh that's really what we're looking for. But we do do the athletic, the athletic uh drills are very important to us, too. You can't be a dud out there. You gotta have you gotta have some kind of athleticism. So um we do that, we do the combine, and then we'll invite about 30 guys from that 100 to uh 150 back to a uh rookie mini camp, we call it mini camp. It's like a three-day show. Um, and then that's actually where you'll like learn how to pit. And we'll teach you from the ground up the fundamentals of each position. We'll see what you're best at, and uh by the end of the those three days, you'll actually do a four-tire stop. And usually it gets pretty competitive. It's not our times, but it's it can get around 11 or 12 seconds, which is honestly pretty cool to see how far they come in a three-day span. So it sounds like you might yeah, it sounds like you might be a uh part.
SPEAKER_08Are you part of the evaluation process now?
SPEAKER_04Yes, they uh they like the guys because we're stuck, we're gonna be stuck in the van with them for 36 weeks out of the year. So like we gotta like the dude. So we're heavily involved with the selection process. Like we I coach the Jack Man uh the past two years at the at the the minicamp, and I give them my feedback and who I like, and I rank them one through however many we have. And and usually we they pick the guy I I like the best, uh at least the last two years. And most of the guys, uh most of the players or the the athletes that we we choose, we we I don't know, it's it's it's really usually uh it's not even it's pretty easy to figure out who you want. We have there's some really good guys that we've gotten. We've done a really good job of selecting dudes and uh and really good adding good guys to our culture. So it's it's at the end of the week, you're like, yeah, it's a no-brainer.
SPEAKER_07So Dax, a couple of questions I have. First of all, did you fall into the Jack Man position right away, or did they try you out in every position? And the second part, is there a lot of turnover now? Because if you're bringing in 150 guys, is there a lot of turnover in in racing as far as the crew?
SPEAKER_04There is. Um, so going to Jack Man, they like like linebackers and running backs and a little bit tight ends to play be Jack Man. It's very twitchy, it's a very explosive movement. Um, like I it's non-stop for me. As soon as I do one task, I do to go to the next. And really, it's all about athleticism more than a skill thing uh right now when it comes to my position specifically. So I like guys with that background. Um, they like linebackers because we're able to react really well and like see things in an instant, have all these, like you see, you know it's you know it's uh power, but you gotta have your eyes on the periphery on that tackle coming down to you. You gotta see these little keys, and that's really the Jack Man position. So they like me at that. Um, when I first came in, I learned how to carry as well, which is the guys that carry both tires out because I'm strong and I'm and it just it's another position. You throw the the more you know, the better you are. Um, but yeah, that's that's what that's what I do. Um what was the second part of that question?
SPEAKER_07Well, the it with the turnover as far as NASCAR teams or cup teams, yeah.
SPEAKER_04It definitely is competitive. Um, there's definitely been some turnovers since I've been at Hendrick. Um it's we have eight crews at Hendrick Motorsports with our pit department. We we have our four cars at Hendrick Motorsports, which is the five, the nine, twenty-four, and the forty-eight. Then we but then we provide pit crews for all of Spire Motorsports, which is a seven, seventy-one, and seventy-seven, and then also Hayek Motorsports, which is a 47. So they actually lease our backups out and allows us to have uh a lot of depth and and you know, more of a plug-and-play type system, you know. And so if some guy goes down, there's a guy in behind him, you know. So crazy.
SPEAKER_08These guys had a great you had a great weekend this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports. I mean, they sure did. You know, we got our first win. Yeah, Chase Elliott winning it went in the cup, and then you were on the pick crew again uh with the number seven car. What is this your third third win? Or was it one of the year? Yeah, how about that, man? That's right.
SPEAKER_04We're hot right now. We got best cars. We're doing pretty good, and we have some really good pit stops. We've been grinding. Um, that's a point of emphasis right now to be really good on Saturdays. It's getting pretty competitive. Um, we have a really good driver. He also drives drives for us right now on the 48 with since uh Alex Bumman's been injured. But he Justin August is a great dude. He's a really talented driver, and he's really he's a pleasure to work for, honestly. So yeah.
SPEAKER_08Let me I want to throw this in. Matt kind of brought it up. You talked about your skill set, and you know, I I liked your thought process of, you know, and your evaluation of that jack man at linebacker. Sounds like you remember some of the things that I taught you. Um, you know, and uh but uh uh the um no, but I that was one of my you know, how do you now that you're involved also in the evaluation? Because I've seen and heard where you know the tire, the the the guys that work the tires, I mean the tire changers, they want to be a little longer armed. What you what can they do, you know, just can you talk about the skill sets of each guy? The the the the gas the gas man's gotta be critical and all the timing, but each each there's a skill set for each uh position, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we Jack Man, like I said, we like linebackers and running backs, really twitchy, explosive guys that um have good reactionary instincts, and that's what we like. We like carriers um to be stronger guys. I'd say fullbacks, tight ends, a little bit longer. Um they're not as twitchy, and I don't believe they have those as uh reactionary instincts, you know, because I like I I don't like tight ends or fullbacks, you know. I'm a linebacker, so I think we're a little ahead of them. But changers though, we like them, we like to have long longer guys, um especially in the rear, because you gotta like chase the car coming into the pits. It's almost like the R1 on kickoff where he's trimming the fat member coach to make that play. So you gotta decrease that distance, and it's honestly easier if you're longer, and it gives you more space to pull the tire and index the tires a little bit easier. Front changer, we like guys that are like really like really stronger, smaller guys, I would say. Used to be a lot of wrestlers, but now um I'd say like a slot receiver is what we're what we're going with right now, uh uh for front changer. Gas man, we like honestly former almost alignmen that are like six, six, six to six eight. Like we like them, we like them tall, we like them be. I mean, those gas cans are 110 pounds, and yeah, those things are especially it's all sloshing around, so you gotta be super strong, you gotta have really good feet. Um and the craziest thing with that stuff is like actually having to ride the can out. Like you're plugged in while the car's moving, you gotta shuffle your feet and then and disengage, which is an incredible uh skill to have. There's a lot of guys, I mean it's incredible to watch it, but and also the rear changer, there's a play, it has to go under the uh the gas can in the fueler, so we can't have small people back there because he's gotta fit under there.
SPEAKER_07You know, during game day and race day, there's probably some stuff going on that we don't know. So Bud and I will dive into that. Dax Hollifield is our guest. We'll continue it after this. Fostering friends, NSB Radio Network. When you walk into a restaurant, say your favorite pizza place, what's the first thing you notice? The way it smells, the vibe, maybe the party atmosphere. If you're traveling in Southwest Virginia or lucky enough to live in the Radford area, hopefully you have visited Brickhouse Pizza, a staple since 1972. Brickhouse Pizza has become a legendary stop. Jeff and Diane's Main Street attraction features artisanal wood-fired pizza with fresh ingredients prepped every day. Brickhouse's pizzas are made with flour imported from Italy. Throw in the recipe for their homemade brew, and you have the recipe for fun. Brickhouse Pizza is open Tuesday through Friday at 3 30, Saturdays at 11:30, and the Sunday brunch begins at 10. Fresh food, cold beer, great times. That's Brickhouse Pizza, 311 West Main Street in Radford.
SPEAKER_04You know, when the car is approaching, your heart's racing, you're not you're gonna be holding your breath. It's door died that moment, you know. Sub nine, um, definitely below ten. Money stop!
SPEAKER_02Foster and friends is presented by the River City Distillery in Radford, makers of Win Vodka in Gentleman's Journey Bourbon.
SPEAKER_07Once again, here's Bud and Mac Welcome back, Foster and Friends, NSB Radio Network. Dax Hollifield is our guest, and um just so much to cover in this, uh, Bud when we talk, you know, racing and the thought I had was Dax, have you driven a car? And does that help you with what you're doing? Like, have you driven, pitted, and and then watched or felt the team around you, so you got a feel of what you should be doing?
SPEAKER_04I've driven the practice car. That's not as easy as it looks. They make it look. I'm not gonna lie, it's it's pretty, it's hard. I'm not gonna lie. Uh, just to get the car stopped going that speed that fast and sliding the tires, and they're very, they're very good. It doesn't do what they I don't think TV does justice what how hard it is to drive these vehicles and the amount of down force you you don't have, and uh, it's absolutely nuts watching these guys coming out of turn four and how fast they're going into it. And honestly, you don't know if it's gonna stick, and you gotta react the way the the car is gonna go, and it's honestly very impressive. And I wish I could understand I wish I could explain better how how much skill you have to have to be able to drive these race cars and at the speed they're going. But I have a greater appreciation for what those guys do after driving the pit car and stuff like that. I mean, I can I can drive stick, I have no problem with that, but the the level of that they do it and how much skill they have is I mean, it's pretty impressive. And the the smallest error, you're going into the wall at like 150 miles an hour plus. I mean, you're not gonna be that you're talking about getting your head hitting football and getting a concussion there. You're talking about 50 G impact into the wall. There's nothing that's that's a that's a hard lick you're gonna take. So I mean, just I don't know, those those guys put their body on the line each and every week. And I got a lot, I have a lot of respect for those dudes. I really do.
SPEAKER_08I will say this. I had an opportunity, I've done a couple ride-alongs, but then I also did the petty experience. I drove 12 laps, which was was quite the experience. But what the experience was first ride-along, we were inches from the wall, and the guy remember I he knew I was coaching. He he and you know, when you do the driving experience, they have cones, they want you to decelerate and then get around the turn, and then you accelerate. And we did this at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But uh, the guy that I was riding with, I can't remember, but he said, Coach, I just want to tell you, and he's like holding like he was smoking a cigarette, kind of flicking against me. It was like how a casual it was for him. But he said, I just want you to know, hey, screw those cones, these tires will stick. You can run this thing through the corner. So when I first went out, I was, you know, that's the fastest I've ever gone. I had to think, you know, we're going 135, 140 miles an hour, and I get to those that cone the first time, boy, and I bogged it down. And the next thing you know, the guy you they started hand signaling, you know. So hey, you can speed up, you know. So finally I I went through hit trusted him, and I went through the turn and I didn't let up on the gas. But I remember I was screaming like a kid, man. Just how but you know, then what you really appreciate, you know, we're riding, I'm following a guy, and that's what you said, Dex. You know, these guys are driving, you know, I'm going 145 miles an hour, but these guys are going 180 plus in most of those super speedways. But they're inches apart. They're, I mean, they're bumping, they're you know, they're hitting each other, and and the air, and you can just feel the airflow in those. It's just a whole I could only imagine what it would be like for those guys in in when there's 38 to 40, you know, two or three cars running side by side. And then when they come into the pits, that's a whole nother deal because you gotta be avoiding when a car is if it's a mass pit stop and then cars coming in front of you behind you, you're trying to avoid you know, pick your feet up. Up and all that stuff. I mean, it's just chaos, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you gotta be, you gotta know where everybody's at on pit road. Like, you gotta know who's pitting behind you, if they're where they're at on track, if you're coming around them, if they're coming around you. You cannot take that for granted. Given like drivers give you enough space to be able to jump in between cars. Um, there was a situation yesterday that the driver behind us did not give his pit crew enough space, and one guy got taken out. And so just just really knowing how to do your job is critical um because you can easily get hurt and and not be doing too well um in that aspect. But yeah, those these drivers, man, they they they're not, especially Charlotte. You drove at Charlotte, that's a hard track, coach. You you can you dude, it's coming off turn four, you drop so much and out of the corner. It's just I mean, it's it's pretty it's pretty cool. Track I did the uh the petty experience uh with uh the belt bowl 2019. We did that that year. That was awesome. Uh, I think we were going about that that we rode with a with a driver then, but we were going about 150, were we not?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, we were going every bit. I know I had uh who we've had on the show, Jeb Burton. Jeb, that was my last bowl game. He wanted to come and and be the driver and was one of the drivers. And and Jeb, I don't know if you you know, he drove me around. I think he coached drove Coach Fuente around. Uh, but uh yeah, that was pretty cool because he he he cranked it up a little bit more than I think what they they want you know I got to do a couple extra laps, a little couple bonus laps. But yeah, uh yeah, it's just uh yeah, it's incredible. But you're right. I mean, that's the thing. You've got to be on your toes because every year, um, I mean, there's somebody, or you know, it happens a couple times. I mean, luckily it doesn't happen a lot because you guys have gotten so skill set and you know, so skilled in what you do, but uh but there is a that risk of uh a serious injury of not death, you know, every time there's a pit stop.
SPEAKER_04I mean, yesterday if you watched the race, there was a a loose tire that got hunted down pit road. I mean, if you get hit by one of those going that speed, I mean, it's you're gonna have some serious injuries. Um I don't take it for like I don't take it lightly, like you can easily get hurt out there, but you just gotta that's why you gotta have smart guys and it's about how athletic you are, don't get me wrong, but like you gotta know when to jump and when not to. I've been in situations to where like it's it's a split-second decision, and that's why like I think football players really react well and are are trained for this because you can you spatial awareness is is critical, and like if you don't feel like you can get through that hole, I probably wouldn't do it, you know. Or I mean and then and that's and that happens in milliseconds, you know, and you do making those decisions is is a matter between life and death, and it's just inches away from you, you know.
SPEAKER_07That you know what intrigues the heck out of me. That that's so well said, you you you said it so well, but your setup guys, and let's say you have to change setup during the race. Can you explain the science of that? And I mean, like the driver will say, I'm loose, you know, I don't like where I am or whatever, and they change. How quickly can a setup guy, if that's even the right term, how quickly can they change a setup during a pit stop?
SPEAKER_04Oh, we can do it all the time. We change it with air pressure, we we change it with stagger, um, we change it with with uh wedge adjustments. Um, you're obviously you're just changing the the weight on each tire, you know, and like if it's looser, you're going into the corner, you're the rear of the car is gonna go up the wall. If it's if it's if you're tight, the front of your car is gonna go travel up the wall. Um, and so that's really what they're saying. Tight means it's tight. So you can't turn well. And so you the driver's feedback is critical. You he's got to be able to tell a crew chief what he needs, where he's lacking, and um the best the better guys are able to really, really express what they need and know what they need. Um and so that's really all a crew chief job is like take what the driver gives them and try to make adjustment based off that. And like I said, you can do it with air pressure, um, you can do it with stagger, um, you can do it with uh wedge adjustments, and that's where I come into like the we have a right rear wedge and a left rear wedge, and I'm rounds into each of those shocks to where I'm either taking putting weight on that that tire or taking weight off those tires. So that's part of your job, not just the jackman.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, so that's part of your job, not just the jackman. Then you've got to be able to do that.
SPEAKER_04He's doing the calculations of like how many rounds you he needs, but like it's my job to go out there and execute it, you know. Um, because I'll I'll have the way I'll have the wrench inserted and the jack will drop, and I have to be able to get that round in it and then pull the the the wrench out. And so, yeah, it's it's that it happens fast, but I mean it's critical to get those. It's very it's very, very uh finicky. Like these you if you get like a quarter much, too much, I mean it'll it'll drastically change how your car's gonna drive. So that's part of your job too, huh?
SPEAKER_08Because once you get the jack in, and if you guys are gonna do a quarter turn in like your right rear, you you're gonna do that and crank that, drop the drop the jack, and then turn it around to the other side.
SPEAKER_04So the right on the right side the carrier will make the wedge adjustment, on the left side, uh, I'll make the adjustment. Oh, yeah. I mean, it's like he'll like I'll still be inserted in the in the where the wedge is and the jack will drop and I have to get it. And you know, and it's there's some there's been situations where it hasn't happened to me, but a wrench will get caught in the in the car, and you gotta come back down pit road and grab it, and that's not a good deal.
SPEAKER_08You want to be involved in everything. I've been in uh Henrik Motors uh sports garage uh several times over the years, and it's really changed from how many cars at one time I remember going in there, it looked like a it looked like a car dealership. I mean, there must have been, you know, you've got two teams, right, in each uh in each building. At least it was at that time. I think I can't remember. It was like the 24 and the and the five might have been, and the 48 and the nine were in a in a shop together. But in the old days, there'd be 70 cars in there. They'd have, you know, the each track they'd have four or five cars, but they'd build the cars in advance. Now you guys only get what five cars for a year? Is that I mean yeah, I think it's like 13 engines.
SPEAKER_04It's you're allotted you're allotted a certain amount of bodies, engines, and stuff like that. I don't know the exact numbers, right? But yeah, back in the day, those cars were so cool. Those those cars were pieces of art. I mean, literally, those I mean they were fabricated right there in the city. Those body hangers, man, they're so cool. Now, I mean, cars are super cool now, but back in the day, like I said, those things were hand built from the ground up. Like every piece of every part was hand built and like made specific for that car. And that was so cool. It was also it cost a lot of money to do that. Um, but it's uh now, I mean, we have we have it's there's still a lot of cars around, but it's not as many as it used to be, it seemed like. I mean, we used to we built uh we used to build all the chassis, and when we went to this next car, all those chassis builders were gonna be out of a job. And we as a company uh have built, we've actually got a military contract. Um we're building armored vehicles now for GM. And we've been GM Defense supplier of the year for like three or four years straight. And that's where all those guys, we it's a massive, massive operation we have going on at Hendrick Motorsports. Um, just building armored vehicles and uh and stuff like that. It's it's really cool, really, really cool. I mean, we've we've produced over like a thousand of those for GM. And uh F1 is also building their powertrain facility right behind our facility. So Mr. Hendrick has it going on and uh at the shop right now. He's doing a really good job.
SPEAKER_07From the math department to the contract terms, we'll continue with Dax Holofield when we come back. This is Foster and Friends and the NSB Radio Network. Stay with us.
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SPEAKER_04The track temperature can change all these variables can uh can stuff can flip on you. If the car's not set up that way at the beginning of the race, it can you can have a completely different car from the first from the beginning of the race to the uh to the end of the race. And a great crew chief expects that, is able to plan for that, and if if he doesn't, he's able to fix it, you know.
SPEAKER_02The River City Distillery in Radford is proud to present Foster and Friends. Visit the tasting room at 305 Main Street.
SPEAKER_07Welcome back, it's Foster and Friends, and you just heard the the bump coming in and more of uh Dax Holyfield, one of the greats to ever play at Virginia Tech, and now with Hendrik Motor Sports. You don't have to uh Dax, I don't want you to release your contract details, but is there poaching going on? I mean, do other teams call like, hey Dax, we have a position for you, or does your contract say non-compete? I'm with Hendrik.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. My my contract says non-compete because there was some of that back in the day. I've heard a lot of people. Uh there, because I mean, we spent a to have your own pit department is a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of resources are being thrown into that. And my team does not want any of our guys to be let go, you know, or or have anybody else poaching from them because that's a lot of money they're gonna be losing out on. And so there is non-compete, but I mean, I'm not going anywhere, you know. I'm I'm I'm gonna be like it's like a tech. I'm not leaving. I was never gonna leave Virginia Tech. I was uh I'm all I'm all hindered through and through, you know. So it's not really a problem with me, but there are non-compete in our contracts, they're not letting us leave anyway.
SPEAKER_07I love it. So I love it.
SPEAKER_08You know, well, uh we let's switch gears here a little bit, you know. How is you know, but it's all still the same. But how would you compare the adrenaline of uh you know playing a football game in front of uh you know 65,000, 70,000 people uh as and you know, in the moment, you know, of a uh of a pit stop in front of 65,000, 70,000 people? What's is there a lot of similarities? Is one more of a rush than another, or you know, can you explain kind of that feeling that you got running out of the tunnel and making a big play on uh on defense on on Saturdays, but now you you get to do the same thing, but in a different environment uh as far as a skill set on Sundays?
SPEAKER_04Different skill set, but it's the same thing, same feeling, man. I feel like a pit stop for me, the way I've tried to tell people how it feels is like a third down. You know, it's it's time to get off the field. It's it's nut cutting time. You gotta lay it all out there and you gotta do your job, you know. And um, you know, you know it's coming, and it's just you go out there and you once the play starts, you don't really the the the nerves are all gone. You just go out there and do what you've done over and over again. You know, you you trust your training and you get it done. But after a stop, man, if it goes great, there's nothing, there's nothing better, dude. You look up at the pylon, you see you've gained two or three spots, everybody's high-five. And it's it's freaking awesome. I'm going, it's like me, I'm I'm running off the sideline, making a people, I'm dapping up Code Foster. It's like it's the same thing. Um, I don't know. We won the other day and we went out on the front stretch, and uh our car our our driver's doing a burnout, and I'm over there on the start-finish line, and I'm I'm hyping up the crowd, and it felt like it was I was back in Lane Stadium, man. It's just so good. So many similarities, and it's the same feeling, um, just in a different realm, you know, and it's and that's why I love it. It's such and it's such an easy transition for guys like me because of that stuff. It's the same things we were, we were, we cut our teeth on in football, or are what I do now in NASCAR, you know, and it's it's such an easy, uh, seamless transition for us.
SPEAKER_07I know chemistry is a sports word. What is your chemistry like with your drivers and how important is the chemistry with your drivers?
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. I mean, it's it's very important. I'm I'm I'm we have a great facility at Hendrick Motorsports, and we have a a great sauna, and our drivers in there all the time. We just get to chat it up. And so I usually have a weekly, uh, weekly sauna sesh with with Bowman a lot of times. Um but he's he's a great dude, Justin Algeyer, great guys. It makes you want to work harder for guys um and and do your very best for for your drivers. I'm sure it's like alms a line and their quarterback, you know. You can't you take pride in not letting anybody get to him, you know, and like doing your utmost best for for that guy. You know, he's the he's the leader and he's the guy who's gonna make all the plays, but he's not gonna be able to do it all on him on by himself, you know. We're a very uh foundational part of of and it's a big team, you know. It's just it's a team sport just like football. And uh that's I mean, that's I it makes you want to play. When there's a good guy you're you're racing for, it makes everything a lot easier, I would say.
SPEAKER_08Well, what's a what's a day like with you saying that? What's a day like? What's it start out? I mean, obviously, I mean you come in and I'm sure there's weightlifting, but you have to have a lot of pit time still. I mean, as you know, uh experience is the best rep. I mean, that's that that's the more you do it live, but you know, also you know, how you practice is how you're gonna play. You've got to try to create that live scenario as much as possible. So, what's a day like for you uh as a pit crew? And I know you want to you do some other things outside of the pit, but what's it what's that like for you and your teammates?
SPEAKER_04It's Mondays. We've we've been gone all weekend, so usually I'll go in still, I'll go work out and I'll go, we have open pad during the morning. But Tuesday is when we get back at it. So Tuesday morning, we have uh I go in early, get my lift in first thing. Um, we have an incredible facility. I mean, we spent like$15 million on this place. I mean, it's top of the line, looks like a college athletic facility. It's actually nuts. But go in there super early, get my lift in. Um, then after that, we have our crew chief meeting. We'll we'll sit down with our crew chief. We'll go over the film from this past week, um, uh highlights, uh, things we need to get better on, go over the whole thing. We're gonna then we're gonna have a preview of next week. We're gonna talk about all that stuff, hash things out. After that, we'll go into practice. And practice, man, it's like you said, you need to make it's like it's honestly you need to make practice harder than the game so the game becomes easy, you know. I mean, there's times where hell coaches just those lug nuts at your feet when you're running around the car, so you'll you'll slip and bust your ass, you know. So, like that's stuff like that. And then up tempo, like we have a the the car drives around the parking lot and it comes back in, like we'll get done with stop, and the coach will go, uh, all right, we gotta keep going on another one. It's a loose wheel or something like that. You gotta come in again, so we gotta get super, we gotta get ready in like 15 seconds and do that, just make it hard. So that's that's practice. We'll do probably between uh seven, seven to ten reps each practice, and uh it's very twitchy, it's very it's it's it's all out. So you're definitely your heart's beating after that. And then after that, there's uh we just go recover. Uh there's a we have a hydrotherapy area, we got steam room, sauna, uh hot cold tub, great training room. We're partnering with HRM or right here, HRIM. Um and then we have two physical therapists that are in there every day and they get us right. Um, and after that, I'll go up to the shop, work on some stuff. Um, usually work on some jacks and things like that. Um, but that's that's Tuesday, same thing on Wednesday, and then Thursday, it's more of a a rest day. But if you want to come in and get get uh a little bit more practice, same thing. And then Friday's travel day. And then we'll do Friday, Saturday, Sunday is we'll be in a whatever we're racing at, and then do the same thing over again next week, and that's for 36 weeks out of the year from February, the week after the Super Bowl to early November. So yeah, it's a grind.
SPEAKER_08But that's probably where the turnover comes in, Mac. You were talking about the turnover, you know. I mean, it is a grind. I mean, it's it's 36 weeks, and that's where that that's not for everybody. You know, I'm sure there's a window, even Dax, and you know, you love it right now, but you're getting ready to get married. All of a sudden you start having some kids and things like that. That can be that can uh yeah, be pretty challenging, you know, and you're probably experiencing that with some of your teammates right now.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. I mean, especially body too, man. This is this will beat your body up. Like people don't think about, but your your lower back carrying all these heavy objects is is it'll beat you up. You gotta take care of it. And also just to travel, like you said, missing, missing out on things uh with your kids. A lot of guys are Sunday only. They'll just do, they'll fly in the morning of the of the cup race and fly out that night. Um, and eventually I'll probably get to that, but I like doing the the the lower series right now just because and it's extra pay, and also you get to learn, you know. Um, there's so much knowledge and and being there and and being in the garage and and seeing how things play out and just being around this being in and around the sport is is so valuable for who you are as a I don't know, as a picker guy. So yeah.
SPEAKER_07I love the film session thing that you mentioned. That has got to be where uh Dax, you're a little out of position here. We need you here, yeah, you know, or you didn't, you know, didn't do this, did it didn't carry the jack properly. I mean, it's that the film session must be film is a lifeblood of our game.
SPEAKER_04Has to be, right? Yeah, it's the same thing as football. I mean, that's you how are you gonna know what you did wrong if you can't watch it again, you know? Like it's the same thing. We got we got we got a view from every angle. We got a over overhead view, a side view on both sides, a front and back view. We got cameras on our helmets. We will we wear the meta glasses now, um, so we can record it. And we have it's films everything, you know. There's split second decisions and things that you cannot see with like the but with the regular eye that you gotta slow it down frame by frame to see if the lugna got tight or what what did this it's little things here and there that like what actually happened, and you gotta slow down. So film is critical in our sport to be able to see it and and um and and perform well. So yeah, the family we also we watch it a lot too. I mean we time it out, and the you're we're very competitive with our times too. I'm very competitive. Um, I want to be P1 every each week when it comes to who the best jack man was, and I want to be P1 as a team as well. So it's it's a very, very competitive department right now.
SPEAKER_08So it's just one last question for me before I know we're getting ready to kind of wind down here. How much is that Jack weigh?
SPEAKER_0425 pounds. We've got they've become extremely light, extremely light. And honestly, back in the day, when I first got there, we've made a lot of progress in our jack department. Um, but dude, they were they were pretty, they were brutes, man. It was hard to get up. You had to be you had to be at least 270, 280 to get the car up off the ground. Now, man, hell, anybody can do it. I can I can get Allie out there and she can get the car up. Um pretty pretty cool. Uh and then also just we built we build them in-house, and so we take a lot of pride, and we think we have the best jacks on pit road. Um, we've done, I don't know if anybody watches NASCAR uh in the past two years, we've done some different things about how you carry the jack around the car. We start we started to sling it around the car because it helps you get around it faster with you build momentum, and uh then the next transition was grabbing it behind the back and slinging it around. And so we do some pretty cool things, and it's very acrobatic, but uh I think we have the best jacks, and that's yeah, it's that's who I am. That's that's my position. So I'm I'm a little biased.
SPEAKER_08Now I was gonna say with your background and welding and and some of those things, fabricating and stuff, do you get to do that yourself now with the jacks? Yeah. Kind of helping.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I sort of I sort of created this for me, um, or just I went out and pursued it myself. Uh I have uh we have a a pit engineer that I work with each and every week. I try to maintain the jacks and do all that stuff. But yeah, I have a background in welding and machining and fabricating a little bit. And so it was sort of an easy transition. Um, I'm honestly up in the shop more I am down at in the in the facility working out. I love that's my passion, man. It's just is working with my hands and and and doing those type of things and sort of working, it's working with my mind, you know, and trying to squeeze every ounce of of time there is out of it and making making the making what we do the best we can. So that's I love that part of stuff of the of racing.
SPEAKER_07Uh it's it's great. I got somebody to watch now on uh on Sundays, you know, looking looking for the uh the Hendrix team and uh and trying to find Dax. Dax, all the best. Wish you the best and uh congratulations on everything, the awards and and and the fun that you're having. I tell you what, if you've got a job that you love and it sounds like you're loving every second of this, oh yeah, um, you're living life, and that's the best part.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. I don't I don't there's not a day that I don't go into work really off. Gotta pinch myself. This is the best job ever. Um, and I can do it for a long time, you know. I mean, the turnover is is good.
SPEAKER_07Bud, he is the jack man. Hopefully that's coming to a theater near you very soon. So Dax Hollifield, our guest, Foster and Friends, NSB Radio Network. Bud and I come back right after this.
SPEAKER_08Hi, this is Bud Foster for Envision. For over 30 years, my good friends, Dr. Scott and Becky Mann, have built a practice that truly cares about their patients.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we just try to do everything with the patients in mind. Everything we do is from the patient's point of view, and we try to put them first and really have state-of-the-art equipment and technology and then old-fashioned personal care and attention.
SPEAKER_00We've been in that office now for over 30 years. So it's it's more like a family environment and that we do care about providing the best vision care available.
SPEAKER_01Over 30 years ago, we started with one office, one staff member, one doctor, and we've just kind of grown from there. The community's been great in supporting us, and now we have two locations. We're getting ready to add our sixth and seventh doctors and about 25 staff.
SPEAKER_08Go see your award-winning Envision team. They have two locations: Salem and Christiansburg. They will meet all your eye care needs.
SPEAKER_07Fostering friends, NSB Radio Network, and uh, as I said, a final four-weekend. And uh wow, it was good to talk rubbing and racing with the guy and get the insights that Dak Hollif Dax Hollifield gave us. Uh, but that was just a terrific 30 minutes.
SPEAKER_08It's incredible. It's incredible. You can see I've said this to you. I it wouldn't surprise me one day that he's not the team manager for you know for Henry Hulk's or for one of the teams, if not a couple of them. Uh he's just that in tune just with the whole process of of the NASCAR uh concept and racing and the weekend and what it takes to go into the cars and the relationships that it takes from driver to you know crew chief to to the pit crew. So really, really um great to hear all that from him, but it doesn't surprise me one bit about what Dax is all about.
SPEAKER_07Yep, he's about family, he's about Bud Foster too. He he loves him some Bud Foster. So we can just add that to the list, and now we've built the the Bud Foster uh phone book very easy. Okay, as we get ready for the weekend, since Duke busted my bracket last week. Mine too, mine too. I had Duke and Houston, I had Duke and Houston from the left side of the bracket. I had Duke and Houston in the final four. Now I only got two correct. So who you got? Michigan, Arizona? Huh?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, that's who I'm picking. Michigan, Arizona in the championship game, and I'm picking Arizona. That's who I had uh uh Duke playing. And uh so uh but I think it's gonna be a great Final Four. I really do. Uh, you know, but Arizona and Michigan to me are look like two really good basketball teams.
SPEAKER_07Ooh, awfully good. And uh I got yeah, I got I got Arizona to to win it all. So, well look, have a good weekend. Uh it's starting to get a little warmer, and uh we'll uh keep in touch, and I'll talk to you next week.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, look forward to it. Have a great weekend, my friend.
SPEAKER_07All right, for Bud Foster, I'm Mac McDonald, and that is Foster and Friends and the NSB Radio Network.
SPEAKER_02Foster and Friends is presented by Envision. Locations are in Christiansburg in Salem, Virginia. For the best in eye care and fashion, it's Envision. By the River City Distillery in Radford, makers of Win Vodka. It's a good day to enjoy a win. And by Brick House Pizza. Brickhouse Pizza means good times.
SPEAKER_04And it's a big team, you know, it's just it's a team sport just like football. And uh that's I mean, that's I it makes you want to play. When there's a good guy you're you're racing for, it makes everything a lot easier, I would say.
SPEAKER_02Foster and friends is a presentation of the NSB Radio Network and Mac McDonald Media.
