The Brew Crew

Every now and then on Crist Racing, you'll see mention of a group of people we call The Brew Crew. Who is this group of people, you ask? Well, The Brew Crew is comprised of family members who essentially make up the Crist Racing pit crew—they're Dustin's biggest fans, extra hands in the garage, unwavering supporters, never miss a race, and know to always maintain a constant level of beer flow while working in the garage on hot summer nights (hence the name The Brew Crew).

The Brew Crew helping Dustin in the pits.

Let's take a moment to meet each one.

Roy Crist
Roy is Dustin's dad and also probably his biggest fan. Roy instilled in Dustin a love of racing from an early age because his father had done the same for him. Roy raced Vintage cars for several years, at times competing against Dustin and his own older brother, Joe. He is also known to giggle like a little boy when Dustin wins a race. It's true...we have it on video. He's also the Offical Pit Crew Photographer and is often seen with his camera in hand, sneaking pictures of everyone. The girls have also voted him as Official Head of Security, as his imposing size pretty much guarantees we won't have any issues. 

Eric Crist
Eric is Dustin's cousin and also a sponsors the car under the name EZ Financing. A constant in the pits in his requisite racing t-shirt with no sleeves and basketball shorts, Eric is a calming presence. In fact, when the car is having problems and everyone is rushing to fix the car, the girls know they can count on Eric to keep them updated on the situation. No matter how busy he is or how hectic things are, he will always stop to answer our questions. During those times it is not uncommon to see Dustin's wife, Heather, perched in her chair on the trailer overseeing everything, motion to Eric and say, "Psst! Eric! Hey, come here! So, what's wrong with the car? Is it bad?" Ever the patient man, he then always explains it to her in as simple racing terms as possible so that she'll understand (such as "Radiator. Overheating. Fixing. Looks good." or "Might have blown something. Looking bad. Might be done."). Eric is also known for his love of Wendy's fast food—he almost never arrives to the garage without it—and ample use of Coppertone SPF 80 sunscreen.

Jesse Rivera
Jesse is Dustin's older brother and one of the elder members of the pit crew. He doesn't make it out to the garage to help as much anymore because he's old and crotchety and his Hoveround motorized cart can't get down the stairs into the garage. His old age has resulted in a long list of health problems, and he's becoming senile.

Okay, not really. Other than the fact he's Dustin's older brother, that's all a lie. He's really only turning 30 this year, but he likes to give Dustin's wife, Heather, crap about her age even though she's only a year and a half older than him. She writes this blog, so it's like they say, payback is sort of hell.

Jesse is an electrician by trade and his mechanical brain insists that he understands how the car works, how it is affected by different set-up changes, and he's always suggesting ways to improve the car. He is also father of two of Dustin's biggest little fans, Alyssa and Keaton.

Roy, Eric, Dustin, and Jesse.

Kyle Crist
Kyle is Dustin's younger brother and Roy's Assistant Head of Security. Kyle attends college in Iowa, where he also plays football, which means that he's not around in the spring or late summer to attend races or help in the garage. Yeah, that pretty much drives him crazy because he's one of Dustin's biggest supporters and is always willing to help. Kyle also has the ability to quote any line from any racing movie ever made. Seriously.

Kyle getting ready to put up Dustin's window net.