They are known by many names: pit crew, paddock crew, techs—to name a few—but no matter what you call them, these are the folks who get race cars ready for war, and allow the drivers to give us a show, come what may.

I recently attended Red Bull Global Rallycross Atlantic City, where I spent a majority of my time watching the crews fix issues and meet seemingly impossible race deadlines. Global Rallycross is a contact sport. If NASCAR goes by “rubbing is racing,” than Global Rallycross goes by “bumping is racing.” Putting the cars to work in Rallycross means constant body damage and broken suspension components—and, this weekend, even breaking wheels clear off the hub. Teams are always tweaking car settings in between heats, like Tanner Foust's Volkswagen crew, below.