Photography Credit: Bill Strong
Story by Will Nonnamaker
You’re getting ready to attend your first endurance race, and you think you have everything you need to run the event. The reality is that you probably have everything you need to run the event–as long as it goes perfectly.
But what did you forget that will solve an emergency or just make the weekend smoother? Here are 10 things to add to the packing list.
Photography Credit: J.G. Pasterjak
We constantly see teams trying to mount and dismount wheels using a standard socket. At first, yes, a regular, short socket might work, but eventually you’re going to start stripping the lug nuts. And after several torquings, that regular socket is going to crack. Invest in a heavy-duty, deep-well impact socket set for the weekend. Oh, and grab some extra lug nuts, too, because you’re going to lose some along the way.
There’s only so much space in the pits, so having a place to store all of your stuff is crucial. We use a shelving unit that features a locking door and wheels. This allows you to pre-inventory your pit items into the shelving, then simply roll it out of the trailer and to the pits. If you don’t have the space in your trailer for this type of shelf, then may we suggest a collapsible, origami-type shelving unit.
Photography Credit: Chris Tropea
It’s expensive to invest in big-ticket spares, but an extra radiator is a must. This is the one item that is more than likely to get damaged, even in a minor altercation–and finding a spare at the track is never easy. Our suggestion is to install a brand-new radiator (with new hoses) and then keep the used setup as a spare.
Every team carries duct tape to the track, but this old standby doesn’t always work for major repairs. Invest in several sheets of Bear Bond vinyl, the same material you’ve seen NASCAR teams use. It’s perfect for securing broken latches, filling major holes in bodywork, and dealing with triage repairs.
Photography Credit: J.G. Pasterjak
You’re guaranteed to lose many, many hood pins over time, so it’s amazing how often teams show up to the track without extras. Having spare pins will save you lost time in the pits.
Photography Credit: Chris Tropea
Having an extra radio in the pits can be a very expensive investment for a team, but nothing spells doom for your race weekend like losing communication. You don’t have to invest in a spare headset; just get one additional radio and make sure it’s tuned to your frequency. Before the green flag flies, ensure that it’s charged up, too.
Photography Credit: Chris Tropea
Get a small cart, but big enough to hold at least four 5-gallon jugs. This will be the perfect size to also tote around tires, tools and the like. The kind with collapsible sides for easy storage seems to work best. Not only will having a cart save everyone’s backs, but your team won’t waste time making multiple trips, especially to the gas pumps.
Most endurance weekends are dual events, and after day one–even if your brake pads or rotors don’t need to be changed–you’re going to have to bleed your brakes. Purchase a proper brake bleeder bottle and hose. You don’t want to be the team bleeding brakes at midnight with an empty Coke bottle and surgical tubing from a CVS pharmacy. (Also, before you leave for the track, make sure your caliper bleeder valves aren’t frozen shut.)
Take the time before a race to make a simple pit board. This will help your driver find your pit stall, and if radio communication fails, it will become your sole way to reach the driver from the pits.
Go slightly big with your sign surface; a 2x2-foot piece of cardboard will work. Spray paint it in a very distinctive, bright color, and perhaps add a big logo that will catch your driver’s eye. Finally, attach the sign to a wooden broomstick with two–not just one–wire ties.
Yes, cash, because you never know when you’re going to need it–maybe to buy something from a vendor, from a fellow competitor or from the local salvage yard. Cash always works no matter what emergency you get into.
Photograph Courtesy Motorsport Media
There’s a lot of fuel at the race track, and it’s rather flammable. What’s your plan should something go wrong? Once there’s a fire, you’re going to have seconds to react–if that long.
“We are required to have two 10-pound ABC bottles,” James Clay, president of both BimmerWorld and fire-suppression company Lifeline USA, says of the refueling requirements for his crew’s IMSA effort. “But in Daytona, a GTLM team covered five garages and all their equipment with powder when they fired one off. And at Petit a few years back, there was a pit lane fire on a car that was possibly salvageable, but the AFFF liquid shorted out the electronics and the car got parked.
“So while we are required to have the 10-pound bottles present, some teams have done research and learned that Novec won’t destroy the electrical system and is easy to clean up–it evaporates–and actually use those bottles as their primary.”
Novec is a 3M product designed as an environmentally sound replacement for Halon, a very efficient, once-popular firefighting agent that is no longer produced since it also depletes the ozone layer. Like Halon, Novec stores as a liquid, discharges as a gas, and then cleanly evaporates without leaving any residue or harming the atmosphere. As Clay notes, some other firefighting agents use liquid or powder, which can leave a mess.
“But ultimately, the biggest factor of putting out a fire with an extinguisher is learning how to use one,” Clay continues. “If you start at the front edge and sweep the fire, you can be pretty effective. But if you just blast into the center, which is what an untrained person would do in a panic situation, it just makes a big mess.”
Clay and his team regularly discuss safety and also walkthrough proper firefighting techniques. “Why wouldn't someone practice and put some thought into how they would put out a fire before it becomes game time?”
Wasnt this one of the boxsters that caused a bit of a kerfuffle in champar? I guess you can add rulebook and protest forms to your list...
Here's a better list:
1) Tools
2) Coolers
3) Spare parts critical to your car
4) Spare wheels/tires
5) Food and Beer
I'd love to see GRM take on the new 4 hour TREC enduros that NASA just introduced. I think it would be fun to see a full breakdown of how sprint racers could transition to enduros. What lasts for 30 minutes may not last for four hours...
In reply to TR7 (Forum Supporter) :
No, it wasn't.
350z247 said:I'd love to see GRM take on the new 4 hour TREC enduros that NASA just introduced. I think it would be fun to see a full breakdown of how sprint racers could transition to enduros. What lasts for 30 minutes may not last for four hours...
That's a good idea. ChampCar has had a large number of SCCA and NASA sprint racers come over to ChampCar over the past 12 years with good success. Of course, their first races were eye-opening due to many things like speed differential, not using up the tires in the first stint, and not being so aggressive in their passing in corners. But once they settle down, they have done quite well. Nothing beats the seat time though. That's what makes ChampCar so much fun.
Agree with Bill. That's one of the things that makes the guy that can run consistent & clean lap times sometimes more valuable than the guy that can turn super fast laps...but uses up the car. Champcar was a great place for me to learn endurance racing and make a lot of friends and contacts. Their series has evolved over the last few years into a very competitive place to race. I split my time personally between Champcar and WRL, and can only say positive things about both. They each have their strong points, but at the end of the day, it's the camaraderie and competition that make both of these great events.
I'd love to try some enduros, but I like the idea of starting with 4 hours. Plus, the even lower cost loss is nice if the car can't go the distance. ChampCar, WRL, and AER all look super enticing.
WRL is big with enforcing the "no contact" aspect of their series. The whole rubbing is racing mantra won't get you far with them so it's a lot more appealing to people looking to get into enduros since there is less likelihood of being taken out. In their last races at COTA, I think it was three drivers that were banned for a year for making contact with other cars. Fender bender type stuff is met with lap penalties but things escalate quickly for repeat offenders.
The Staff of Motorsport Marketing said:
Story by Will Nonnamaker
You’re getting ready to attend your first endurance race, and you think you have everything you need to run the event. The reality is that you probably have everything you need to run the event–as long as it goes perfectly.
But what did you forget that w…
Hydration is key to endurance racing for both the drivers and crew. Electrolytes are a must and high protein snacks. If your body is not properly fueled the brain does not make good decisions. Good decisions are key in endurance racing. Especially big picture thinking.
I'm going to echo the Fireside Chat above...
I've raced cars, karts and motorcycles in several organizations over the decades and only ONE of those organizations required a fire extinguisher in the pit of every team, rider or driver.
However, I've seen the important items in pit areas...like tiki torches, blow-up palm trees and battery operated swamp coolers. Pretty silly when you think about it...
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