BLOG: Dream Not Over, Just Postponed

Christmas Abbott's assault on the traditional male-dominated realm of tire changer in NASCAR is over, for the moment.

It's not that she's given up on it, just that she has to do some other stuff first.

First, she's an elite-level CrossFit athlete, and that takes a lot of times. She has her own gym in Raleigh, works with the national sanctioning body and trains other athletes. Plus, she competes in those CrossFit competitions you see on ESPN every now and again (personal note: God love 'em, but that looks just crazy). She stands to set herself up for a good life, business-wise, and at the same time potentially serve as the beacon for other like-minded ladies who wish to be part of the sport on pit road.

CrossFit athletes are scary good at things like endurance, brute strength, strength in non-traditional ways and coordination. Think of a football player, an offensive lineman for example. He's really strong in-line, which means driving forward through something (a defensive tackle, for instance), can move backwards and laterally as well, and is an expert in using leverage. They don't run all that well, in general, but they don't have to. CrossFit folks have all of that without the bulk, and can move in three dimensions with hardly any lack of efficiency.

NASCAR teams have been plundering the ranks of football players for pit-crew slots for a few years now, tweaking their training and making them into finely-tuned athletes without most of the bulk they have to have to play football. CrossFit folks are already there, in many cases.

In other words, Abbott just might make a mint training the next generation of pit prodigies.

She'll be back, according to her Facebook page, and I would keep an eye out for her return. I think you might notice it before it really becomes common knowledge.