Shop Report
Learn about members of the #24 team!
JGN members meet our very own 24 Team Shock Specialist, Jason Seitzinger; better known as "Penske" around the shop! When Penske is not at the track you can find him riding mountain bikes, hunting, or cheering for his favorite NFL team the Washington Redskins.
First off, how did you get your nickname Penske?
(Laughing) Well, I worked at Penske Racing Shocks in Pennsylvania. They manufacture shocks for the Cup teams. Once I moved here to North Carolina the guys started calling me Penske-I guess it just stuck.
Where are you are originally from?
I am from Shartlesville, PA. (Laughing) A small town-real small town.
How and why did you get involved get racing?
When I younger I raced go-karts-so that gave me the interest in racing. But when I was in high school I was in the Automotive Program that specialized in mechanics. Once I was done with high school and the Automotive Program I went to work for Penske Racing Shocks. I worked there for two and a half years. I was planning on moving down here to get a job in racing. When HMS was creating the 48 Lowe's team, Ken Howes (Hendrick Motorsport, Director of Competition) mentioned to my boss at Penske that they were looking for a young team and someone to build shocks. I came here to interview with Robbie (Loomis) and then it was not two weeks later that I was offered the job and moved down here to work on the 24 DuPont team. Once I was down here, they (HMS) had me train Todd Bosserman, the Shock Specialist for the 48. It all happened so fast. I was at the right place at the right time!
How long have you been here at HMS?
This is be my fifth year this coming December. I moved to North Carolina a year after I graduated from high school.
Tell us about your day to day job here and at the track?
During the week we typically build five or six sets of shocks per weekend. Building involves collecting data from tests, the Seven Post, running data on the Dyno. We get data from the particular track that we are going to; the whole process takes a great deal of paperwork and time. We were at the Seven Post earlier today; we were running for the Kansas race which is four weeks out. The tracks at California and Kansas are similar so we are able to get data for each track in one run.
When I am at the track, I am part of the early crew (which means they leave on Thursday). Friday I make sure that the shocks are ready for practice. We start practice with the shocks that we will use on Sunday, and I work with Steve (Letarte) throughout practice to see if we are on target for the race. If anything needs to be adjusted, I do that before Sunday. During the race, I catch the rear tire during pit stops, check the tire temperatures, and tire wear after every run.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to stay here at HMS for as long as possible. The more that I learn about shocks, the more I learn about the chassis and the setup.
What is your most memorable moment in racing?
For sure it is still my first win. It was the Bristol night race back in 2002. That was really cool. The car was great, and plus there was a little bump and run with Rusty-that was exciting!