Former Packers OL pivots from NFL to Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS - There comes a time when our daily routines may need a little fine-tuning.
"I knew nothing about INDYCAR before I got into it, said Benjamin Braden, pit crew member.
Braden switched gears three years ago. He went from the NFL to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Change in gears for Benjamin Braden
What they're saying:
"A lot of the hardware is a lot smaller than I thought it would be," said Braden. "I'm like, this car is going how fast and that bolt's that small, but it's all engineered too, like it's insane, but no, that was the biggest surprise when I first got into it."
Fans may have recognized Braden as number 64 in Titletown. He spent a few seasons with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive lineman.
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He's now on a different team, where Christian Rasmussen calls the plays. Braden's a fueler on his pit crew, but admits he misses the gridiron.
"The contact, as an offensive lineman, you're in the trenches every day, you don't realize how much you miss that until you're out of it," said Braden. "I think that's, you know, one of the things I missed most about the NFL was the locker room, and this kind of, you know, reminds me a lot of that, so, you know, having a good group of guys."
Teamwork at the track
Dig deeper:
Braden joins a group of guys who work with speed and intensity to make their driver look good.
It's clock work for Nick Cooper. He's the crew chief for INDYCAR SERIES driver, David Malukas, of Chicago.
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"We could generally change the tires in less than six seconds, and then we could deliver fuel in less than like seven," said Cooper. "Every day we practice when we're in the shop; we like big guys for fueling, we like tall guys for air jack, and then us tire changers, we can just be old men like me, so it's all good."
As a fueler, Braden is built to handle the pressure. But he's also built to handle a sport that's no longer out of his league.
"Try something new," said Braden. "You know, don't be afraid to try stuff, and if it doesn't work out, move on to the next thing."
The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News with assistance from INDYCAR and FOX Sports.
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