By COURTNEY D. SMITH

If the pit crew can save just one second in the pit during car racing, that can save 100 yards on the race track.

BYU’s accounting students starting the junior core this semester learned this as they participated in PricewaterhouseCoopers fifth Pit Crew Challenge for BYU.  This teambuilding and recruiting event took place at BYU’s stadium parking lot.

The students were divided into pit crew teams of seven.  Their objective was to change four tires on an actual racecar driven by racecar driver Ron Sheridan, while on the clock.

 “The large focus is how to function effectively in teambuilding,” said Bob Parker, training consultant and facilitator of The Pit Crew Challenge. “We’ll actually be putting our 10,000th participant through the program today.”

The students enjoyed the unique challenge of acting as a pit crew.

“It’s actually kind of nerve-racking,” said Erika Webb, 21, of Glendale, Ariz. “There are lots of things going on at once and if you mess up your whole team suffers.”

The students received instruction on their responsibilities and safety and learned about the five to 20-second time penalties given based on the severity of not following proper procedure before being put to the challenge. 

“Making sure you follow all the steps was difficult,” said Matt Artinger, 25, of Santa Rosa, Calif. “It’s all about communication and if you can communicate under pressure.”

PricewaterhouseCoopers works with the BYU accounting faculty to put on the event.

“We’d rather have students graduate with this kind of knowledge,” said Douglas Reed Maughn, tax partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers. “The impact this [Pit Crew Challenge] leaves on you is more powerful and the principles more long-lasting,”

Having the students able to work effectively in a team is important because group work is an essential part of the accounting program.

“This is a lot better than going to class,” said Anthony Wadsworth, 22, of Panaca, Nev. “It’s kind of like Survivor.  Everyone’s thrown into a new environment and team roles and leaders emerge.”