Local Residents Enjoying Life on the Road to the NASCAR Sprint Cup

Racing always fascinated local residents Jeff Zarella and Aaron Kuehn. So much in fact that both have landed their dream job working on pit crews as specialists within the NASCAR circuit.

It’s not the chance to stand along the sidelines or the rush that comes with racing to change tires quicker than the next team that has kept Zarella, a Southington native, or Kuehn, a Berlin native, satisfied with their jobs. It’s the thrill of being at the top of the sport that has both men proud of their accomplishments.

“Race day is just a day in the office,” Zarella said, “but watching fans gather prior to the race, I'm reminded that this is at the top of the sport makes me excited again to be doing all this.”

The two area residents have spent years in the business, working their way up the ranks before joining Stewart-Haas Racing, one of the top teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Circuit.

NASCAR had its start in the backwoods of the south with moonshine runners. So what would bring two men from Connecticut rise to the high level of competition?

Zarella, 51, and Kuehn, 32, first met in 1999 when both worked for Cici-Welliver on the Busch circuit. They formed a friendship, but it was short lived as both moved on to other teams rather quickly, the two said.

For Zerella, it all started at the age of 12 when his uncle took him to a race at Plainville Stadium. He never looked back. Zerella went on to learn all about cars while on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with Eddie Flemk Jr. and that experience opened doors for Zarella to get to where he is today.

Kuehn’s start in racing came right at birth. His father was a member for the Manafort Brothers Racing Team at the Waterford Speed Bowl and Kuehn said some of his fondest memories were early in life when he and his father would take the races in.

When he went off to college at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte campus, Kuehn often hung around the local track, which opened the door to a gig with Cici-Welliver.

So what does it mean to be a tire specialist?

First off there is a lot to be learned, the two said. The Goodyear Tire company makes different tires for each race and those change from year to year, so testing of the new tires are very important, both said. Everything is tried and checked – both said at least twice, if not more than that – by the time race day comes around.

Once the cars are on the track, it’s a waiting game till the first pit stop that is when the real work starts. In a flash, four tires are off and the cars are gassed up and away. Both Jeff and Aaron study the worn tires for clues on how to make their cars run more effectively and with fewer stops over the course of a race.

NASCAR Official John Muzzarei, once a tire specialist himself, praised both men for their work.

“They are both very good at what they do,” Muzzarei said. “They work hard and it pays off for their teams.”