In the early days of her pit crew training in August 2012, and with no hose connected to her air gun, Christmas Abbott practices her technique and speed moving around the front end of a stock car. Her coach, Shaun Peet, not seen, says the position of a front tire changer is the most difficult job on a pit crew. Above all other goals, she hopes that she can educate and inspire others with her life. "I see what I’m doing is bigger than me," she says. "I’m literally making history. I mean, who has the opportunity to do that?" COREY LOWENSTEIN — clowenst@newsobserver.com