Changing lug nuts GIF

[Jon]

I had the same question, and poked around a bit. Looks like they glue the lug nuts onto the wheels before the race.

Also, they're using highly-specialized air tools, running on nitrogen, with different on/off torque settings, and spring systems for ejecting the lug nuts once they're loose. I was wondering what happens to stray flying lug nuts. Mostly they're just swept up, then used as souvenirs. However, there are various incidents of stray lug nuts causing damage to people and even cars.

Turns out that there is a lot of wiggle room for pit crews to alter the lug nut changing procedure, and there are various rules made to govern exactly how many lug nuts have to go on, and exactly how. I believe it's easier to gain a half-second or second on a pit stop than it is when the car is actually racing.