NASCAR Racing: tire clearance, tire clearance, gas man

Question
Howdy, I'm wondering what the minimum tire clearance needs to be to prevent rubbing on the fenders, and what that equates to when the car is on the jack with the suspension at full droop?  Seems like you wouldn't want to be sticking your arm in there like I see some of the mechanics do in the pits.  Thanks.

Answer
There is no set minimum tire clearance, the teams set it to keep tire rub to a minimum. When the car is up on the jack there is no a lot of drop on the suspension due to a limiting chain placed from the frame to the lower A frame. This assists in the lifting the tire from the ground faster when jacking. As for sticking an arm in there...well during a pit stop you do what you have to do as fast as possible and don't think about the rest. If they did do you think that "overflow" gas man would stand there with cars coming at 50-60 MPH behind him?