Detroit — Former Michigan offensive lineman Ben Braden spent six seasons in the NFL before a spine injury forced him into retirement. But like many athletes whose careers end too soon, he was still competitive and enjoyed being part of a team.
Braden, a Rockford-native who played for the Wolverines from 2012-2016, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors his final season, has found a second athletic career in IndyCar racing as the fueler for the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda driven by Marcus Armstrong. The 6-foot-7, 345-pound lineman-turned-crewman is here this weekend for the Detroit Grand Prix where efficient pit stops, always a high priority, play an important role.
“There’s definitely a lot more carryover from football than you think, especially a fueler, because it’s all footwork, hand-eye coordination, body control,” Braden said Saturday in the paddock of the 1.7-mile, nine-turn downtown race circuit. “For offensive linemen, 98% of what you have to master is your body and how you move and technique, and the littlest things make a huge difference. Same thing in racing.
“So it was really nice when I got into racing to just feel that, OK, I’m not really starting from completely ground zero. There was a little bit of carryover physically, and then I always had a love and interest for working on cars, so there was a little bit of the mechanical aspect of it. It was nice to have a little bit of a foundation to build on. When I got into racing, I think that helped a lot.”
Braden lives in Indianapolis and while still playing football, during the offseason, he worked out at the same gyms as several of the IndyCar drivers. He befriended driver Ed Carpenter.
“When I retired, I reached out to him, and I was like, ‘Hey, is there anything in racing I could just try and see if it worked?” Braden said. “He said, ‘Absolutely,’ so I went to their shop, and it all started.”
Braden certainly stands out in the IndyCar series crowd, but it’s not just brawn that is a requirement for being a fueler. When it’s full, the fuel tank and nozzle weigh about 80 pounds. He has to fit the nozzle into the opening on the side of the car during a pit stop, and all of this happens in seconds.
“For fueling, height definitely helps, but people think you gotta be really strong, and I would say strength is actually the least of what you need to be focused on when you’re plugging in as a fueler,” Braden said. “Everything is so tight so if you try to force it, more often than not, it will not go the way you want it to. It’s more about when you get it lined up just right, the fuel hose will find it and it’ll just fall right in. It will find its way. When people talk about, ‘Oh, you really gotta try and throw it in there as hard as you can, it’s actually the opposite. I just thought that was really interesting when I was learning how to fuel and plug in that it’s more about feel, and it’s like the slow is smooth and smooth is fast kind of aspect of it.”
Height is helpful in his new profession. Braden was listed as 6-foot-6 on football rosters, but he’s 6-7 now.
“I grew after I retired,” Braden said, laughing. “Now that I’ve been retired three years, I’ve actually grown three quarters of an inch. It’s just the compression on my body is not there anymore. My doctor was like, I’ve never had anybody, as they get older, get taller.”
He said he misses the physicality of football but is enjoying the reliance on finesse.
“It is kind of nice not to be destroying my body like I was, but it’s nice to still be competitive as well,” Braden said. “The drivers are the ones that are really out there competing at the highest tip of the spear, if you will, whereas now it’s more of my competitions are a little bit more the back end of the spear. But it’s still nice to still be competitive even though I’m not playing football. A lot of guys get out of football, and they don’t do anything competitively, and they don’t know how to cope.”
Braden is focused on helping Armstrong and the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing race for a victory Sunday in the Detroit Grand Prix. This is the fourth year since leaving Belle Isle the race is being held downtown.
“Detroit’s always an interesting track, because it’s so tight,” Braden said. “You want to be at the front, because it’s hard to pass, and then it all comes down to pit stops — can you be efficient? It always seems like it comes down to the technical things at really tight tracks. It’s a unique course, and the split pit lane is really unique, which is always fun. I think everyone kind of settles down after the whole month of May, just because you’re constantly working, so it’s a fun track to come to after the 500.”
Braden last played for the Wolverines in 2016 but keeps up with and follows the team. He hopes to meet new head coach Kyle Whittingham while he’s at the race on Sunday.
“I’m excited for that,” Braden said. “I’m hopeful for the program’s future. Every program has its ups and downs. It’s just part of life, and it’s all about how you rebound, so, I’m really praying for them, and hoping it’s a huge turnaround for Michigan.”
angelique.chengelis@detroitnews.com
@chengelis
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Former Michigan lineman Ben Braden enjoying role as an IndyCar fueler
Reporting by Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
