see also: in October 2008:   Mexican Military Makes Accidental Incursion into the U.S.   CBP Officers Apprehend Illegal Alien Hidden on Rail Car   Border Patrol Agents Make Several Drug Seizures Near Laredo   CBP Officers at the Calexico Downtown Port of Entry Intercept Cocaine Smuggling Attempt   CBP to Open Andrade Port of Entry Earlier During Agriculture Harvest Season   Layered Enforcement Snags U.S. Citizen, Foils 3 Smuggling Attempts   CBP Announces Online Method for Meeting SENTRI Vehicle Requirements ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers   NASCAR Recruiting Initiative

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Monroe, N.C. - In this Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway, there won’t appear to be anything different about Kenny Wallace or his U.S. Border Patrol car fielded by Jay Robinson Racing. Wallace will still be racing his customary green-and-white No. 28 Chevy, with his car owner, crew chief, and other team members present in his pit area.

You will only be able to catch what’s different about Team Border Patrol this weekend if you’ve got your eye on Wallace’s pit stops. The U.S. Border Patrol will be hands on this weekend helping their driver, Kenny Wallace. Seven U.S. Border Patrol agents have volunteered to be members of his pit crew.

Without formal training, agents who have expressed an interest in racing have been awarded the opportunity to participate in the race. These agents will be working in the seven key pit crew positions on the # 28 Border Patrol Chevrolet for all of Kenny’s pit stops this weekend.

Protecting the nation’s borders and serving on a pit crew wouldn’t seem to be two career professions that would go hand-in-hand, but there are more correlations than one might think.

Noreen Moffett, the lone female on Wallace’s crew who will perform catch-can duties, noted that transferring what she believes is important in terms of pit stops is not much different than shifting their training and experience to the field as Border Patrol agents.

“Our goal is to implement the training, skill, and experiences obtained to perform to our peak performance,” Moffett said. “We work together as a group, supported by individuals who have the same goals.”

Michael Olsen, who will perform tire changing duties on the No. 28, agreed with Moffett’s comparison.

“While working in the field, agents rely on each other to perform duties which keep each other safe while protecting the United States,” Olsen said. “Just like a pit crew, if everyone on the team isn’t working in sync, they will lose effectiveness.”

That’s not to say that Wallace’s one-race crew won’t be having fun with each of their roles this weekend. They’re hoping to turn pit stops quicker – much quicker – than the length of time it takes them to perform similar tasks on their road cars.

Wallace’s other tire changer, Don Kramer, joked that it might take him thirty minutes to change a tire on his personal car using a twist jack and tire iron. Luckily for Kramer and each of his fellow agents, they’ll be using more conventional machinery as they pit Wallace on Saturday.

Catch Wallace and Team U.S. Border Patrol in all the action Saturday, November 1 as they compete in the Nationwide Series event at Texas. Live coverage of the race begins at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.

U.S. Border Patrol – Now Hiring!
Protecting America’s borders has long been an important task for agents. That opportunity can be yours. Exciting career opportunities with the U.S. Border Patrol await you. Excellent pay and federal benefits are standard for our agents, who earn 75K in their third year of work. Agents will be present to answer questions at our recruitment unit outside the race track this weekend to enable you to take the first step toward a career with the U.S. Border Patrol. You can also apply over the internet by logging on to BorderPatrol.gov. ( NASCAR Recruiting Initiative )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.