Performance Industry & Training (PIT) in Mooresville is a three-tier operation, starting with pit crew training. Eleven years ago the company started training young men and women on all six pit crew positions in an eight-week program. After they are finished with that, students are invited to participate in a graduate program, which General Manager Bob Plott says is very intense. PIT boasts 19 NASCAR Cup level placements in 2011 and 10 PIT alumni are Cup coaches.
The second tier of the business is contract work for existing race teams in ARCA; NASCAR Cup, Trucks and Nationwide. The PIT folks may be sent to the team facilities, or teams can come to PIT. Practicing pit stops is done outside on a quarter-mile track surrounding the PIT facility, and everything is up-to-date and real – except for the fuel. The PIT training vehicles have an auxiliary water tank and the gasman position uses water instead of fuel. Not only does this reduce risk, water is heavier than fuel so the workout is a little more difficult than under at-track conditions. The pit stalls can be sized to duplicate any track to represent actual at-track conditions. And (yes, there is more), each pit stall has a bullet camera over it to record all stops for further training. And (honestly, this is the last), there is network-approved lighting so the facility can be used for commercials and training videos. Nothing is left to chance.
Corporate training / team building is the third tier of PIT, what the company calls “Lean Performance University.” In 2006 the company won the Best Training Company in America award from Elliott Masie. Corporate clients from all over the country come to PIT, and PIT goes to corporate clients all over the country. It’s a big part of the PIT business, and Plott says clients come back and back again. If you are interested for your business, visit here.
PIT has 12 “race” cars and two trucks as well as a 15-bay garage. There is a full gym and an agility room. PIT also has an in-house catering kitchen and dining area used for corporate meetings and/or functions. So far, students have come from 48 different states and four foreign countries, average student ages are 22, and three ladies a year sign up for the program.