Every second counts for a NASCAR pit crew as they work to get their driver back onto the track as quickly as possible. In the playoffs, it's even more essential for these pit stops to go down without a hitch.

Unfortunately for Alex Bowman, his crew let him down massively at Darlington on Sunday night.

Following a poor qualification, Bowman knew he needed to make up for it on the track, but things went disastrously wrong for the No. 48 car during a crucial stop. The average NASCAR pit stop lasts from around 8-12 seconds. Bowman was in the pit for over 40 seconds, and as a result, he found himself two laps behind the leader when he returned to the track.

Have a look at the pitstop-gone-wrong:

That's a moment that would have any driver fuming inside their vehicle. Bowman had to sit there helplessly as his crew fumbled what should've been a 10-second stop and turned it into a lengthy stay on pit lane.

Bowman will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to catch up to the pack at the Cook Out Southern 500.

More on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as NASCAR Crew Suffers Through Brutal, Comically Long Pit Stop in First Playoff Race.