Lance Munksgard went to college for sports medicine and athletic training but his love for racing landed him in NASCAR.

That proved fortuitous for Brian Vickers. As pit-crew coach of the No. 83 Red Bull Racing Team, Munksgard is the man responsible for retooling the over-the-wall efforts which helped the group earn its first Chase berth.

With little time to celebrate, this week is business as usual for Munksgard and the guys at the shop -- yoga, breaking down films and pit practice.

Here are five additional pieces of information to help you learn more about Munksgard and his outlook heading into the Chase.

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Our goal for the Chase is just to have the crew do their individual tasks well and let Brian do the rest.

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LANCE MUNKSGARD

1. Back to basics ...

The emerging trend that began in 2005 had teams filling pit crews that were full of former college and pro athletes who spent their 40-hour workweek pumping iron and pitting the car. More often than not, they knew little about the mechanics of the car.

"We changed a couple of things when I came on board in April. Financially, we had to use our guys better, more effectively on pit road and in the shop, especially in this economy. And when you have guys whose only job is to work out and pit the car, the expectations are a lot higher.

"You should be able to keep up with the guys on pit road doing it the traditional way or better. But they were making mistakes. They were in a sense over-trained. Sometimes the more practice you do the worse you get. Now we are trying to get back to the traditional ways and meet somewhere in the middle."

2. Real men do yoga ...

Part of finding balance, Munksgard believes, is mental focus. Therefore, every Monday morning the crew performs yoga.

"I started doing it when I was at Ganassi Racing. Now I spend my time Monday mornings breaking down [pit-stop] film instead of yoga. But for them, after the weekend, it is especially important to get refocused. Plus, yoga helps them prevent injuries."

3. His start ...

A 36-year-old Pennsylvania native, Munksgard began working as an orthopedic surgical assistant in Salisbury.

"But I also carried tires and I chose to do that full time and eventually became a coach in 2004. I grew up around dirt-track racing and my twin brother was moving down here [to North Carolina] to be a shock specialist. He got hired on the No. 77 and that became my in."

4. Family business ...

Munksgard knew racing was the direction to take, not the family business.

"I grew up with a towing and limo business Wrenching on cars was very frustrating for me. My brother was more the type, like my dad, who was an engineer. My mom was a nurse, so that's where I get my medical interests. It all worked out, now my brother and I both work on the No. 83 team. He's the shock specialist and I'm the pit-crew coach."

5. One size does not fit all ...

As a coach directing a slew of different personalities and talents, Munksgard treats each team member uniquely.

"It's hard to find a group that meshes really well, these guys are from all over and have different backgrounds, athletic and mechanic. Some grew up playing football and are OK with me yelling and slapping them on the butt, but others don't respond well to that. They are more mechanic-minded and respond better to techniques and are more detail-oriented.

"But we all come together to meet one goal and our goal for the Chase is just to have the crew do their individual tasks well and let Brian do the rest. We need to get better but the biggest thing we did was put him in a position to challenge himself to get in the Chase and he did. We are sort of the underdogs going into this thing, so I'm sure people aren't expecting a lot from us."