If you are an avid NASCAR devotee, you're probably familiar with Austin Dillon's tire carrier, Paul Swan. Being one of the stars of a reality TV show, and having a large social media presence under his belt, Paul Swan has been someone to watch in one of NASCAR's most prominent team lineups.
With a name like “tire carrier”, you may be thinking, “how hard could that be?” But there is a lot that goes in to preparing to be a NASCAR crew member. To be an integral part of a NASCAR racing team, one must be physically fit, and have a good work/life balance to keep any potential stress at bay.
Austin Dillon's Life in the Fast Lane star Paul Swan lets the masses know just what it takes to be a part of Richard Childress Racing. Maybe this article will inspire you to submit your resume to NASCAR.
A Day In The Life Of Tire Carrier, Paul Swan
Paul Swan has had a whirlwind career since starting in the pit. When an interviewer asks if he started off as a tire carrier or if he had ever dabbled in any other fields at NASCAR, he quips, “ALWAYS slangin' rubber. Always slangin' rubber. No other job needed!”
Working on the track as a tire carrier requires a lot of finesse and careful choreography. Time is of the essence when you work in the pit because one wrong move could cost your team a win. That can be a lot of pressure on one's shoulders, but Paul Swan is clearly the man for the job.
“There's three of us that jump out in front of the car – front changer, me as the tire carrier, and the jack man. The rear changer comes from behind the car, and we all do the right side. I hand the tire off to the jack man, run around him to the right rear and hang that tire. I take the tire that came off the right rear from the rear changer, run back to the wall and drop that one off, grab the front left tire from my tire roller, put the left tire on…and boom, that's a stop. We have to do that in about nine seconds,” Paul Swan told former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler in a recent interview.
When Swan isn't slinging rubber out on the racetrack, you can find him kickin' it with his family. Paul Swan and his wife Mariel welcomed their daughter Bella into the world in May 2022 – you may recognize Mariel from Austin Dillon's Life in the Fast Lane and Racing Wives. Fun fact: Mariel used to be a NASCAR victory lane model. Guess stock car racing runs in the family, huh? Maybe Bella will be a part of a NASCAR pit crew in a couple of decades.
Paul Swan's Workout Routine
It's no secret that being a NASCAR crew team member means strength and agility. After all, NASCAR tires weigh between 24 and 27 lbs. Changing tires out in less than 10 seconds means one has to be physically fit.
Swan often talks about how passionate he is when it comes to working out and training. As a Bowling Green State University alum (go Falcons!), he majored in exercise science. Let's not forget that Paul Swan has been an athlete most of his life, which also helps provide a baseline of physical fitness that can translate both on and off the racetrack!
To stay in shape for his career, Swan has mentioned various workouts and exercise programs in his back pocket. Crossfit, agility-based workouts, and high intensity training are ways that Paul Swan likes to keep fit, just to name a few. Lately, it appears that Swan is dabbling in lifting heavy – which makes sense when dealing with heavy tires and equipment. Austin Dillon certainly has an asset on his team.
The Diet That Keeps Paul Swan In Tip Top Shape
You may have heard the adage as old as time: “you can't outrun a bad diet!” For Paul Swan and other NASCAR pit crew members to be able to stay on the ball, staying in physical shape is 50% exercise and 50% diet.
When Swan was playing college football, he was fortunate enough to be able to eat whatever he wanted! This is because he has to put on weight as a linebacker. Once football was over, Swan found himself sticking with what he knew and was comfortable with — eating without much of a schedule, and not paying too much attention to the types of foods he was consuming.
During the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Paul Swan stopped eating out as often as he used to, and discovered a program called Clean Eatz. Clean Eatz provides meal plans, meal prep, grab and go foods, and even a café. In conjunction with his workout regimen, Swan immediately started seeing results both on the scales, and how he felt physically. Taking care of himself is one of the biggest ways to help him be a successful NASCAR tire carrier!
With everything going on in Paul Swan's busy life, from being a new father and a reality TV star (of course, all the while still being one of NASCAR's top talents behind Austin Dillon and team), Swan has sure found a balance in taking care of himself and to being the best NASCAR crew member he can be.