So how exactly do you run an enduro?
11-18-2010, 09:09 AM
#17
Rennlist Member
If you take care of your tires, there is a good chance you can make R-compounds last the entire race. At sprint pace, best case scenario is that the car is a handful at the end of the race or worst case you have a time consuming tire change to deal with. Back it off a bit and you'll have a better chance to win.
11-18-2010, 11:34 AM
#18
Race Director
65 minutes is long sprint race. Just race hard the entire race, but mentally realize you don't need to make risky pass early on. Drive smart, but don't let the competition drive away either. 1 hour is too short to be a real enduro.
If you must stop pratice it with your crew. I many times sloppy pit stops cost you alot of time on track. Most enduros I run don't have timed stops so being doing the stop effectivly is key.
I have 3 hr endro coming up next sunday. My plan for that is to run it solo. Barring yellows, I plan to stop for fuel at around 2 hrs. Then add 7 to 10 gallons and run to the finish. Since I will be doing it solo my goal is really just to finish and given my normal pace I think I can get a good result. With luck I can finish pretty highly. 3hrs is long enough to have other guys drop out and my pace is not quite fast enough to run with top guys for that time. So I will run hard early and then settle into a pace to not wear myself or the car out. I fgure I will back off maybe 5%.
I will need to figure out a good pit stop window just incase there is a FCY that I might be able to use to my advantage.
The other tip is to mount cheap stopwatch in the car that has race time on it. That way you know instantly how much time you have left in the race. That helps plan your workload.
Oh... the other thing is that for my car it drives differently on full tank vs the noramal level for sprint races so I need to take that into account.
02-21-2014, 01:50 AM
#19
Race Car
Just a few thoughts for the longer races:
1) Get yourself in shape. Strive to feel fresh the entire time you are driving, don't just survive your shift(s). Better physical fitness will allow for better concentration, letting you hit your marks lap after lap. Hydration begins about 3-4 days before the race, pump yourself full of fluids early, not just on race day.
2) Make sure the ergonomics work for all drivers, and test this over some extended driving sessions. This cost my team an overall win in a 6 hr race this season when I had back spasms and could not take one of my shifts. We traced the problem back to a seat adjustment we made to accomodate my co-driver that seemed OK to me during a brief test but over an extended drive messed up my back. Emergency fill in driver never drove the car before and had an off, blowing a 3 lap lead. Had to settle for a class win. Won't make this mistake again.
3) Know your fuel mileage and plan your pit schedule accordingly. Then have a contingency in case things change (full course caution, driver fatigue, etc.).
4) Plan each pit stop ahead of time. Know when tires will be changed. Know the role of each crew member. Practice ahead of time, including the diver change. Refueling is the botteneck in most pit stops (assuming stock fuel systems), do whatever the rules permit to speed this up.
5) Use a radio to communicate with your pit.
6) It's not a sprint race, find and enduro pace that may be 1-2 seconds slower. Mechanical sympothy matters in a long race and will have a big effect on your tires. Knowing you can revert back to sprint pace if you need it is a good thing, not so good if the car or tires are used up when you need to call on them. Short shifting will not only help the engine but help fuel mileage. If you can avoid a pit stop that is far more important than the 1-2 seconds you gave up on pace. Was it Alain Prost who said the obective of a race is to win at the slowest pace possible?
1) Get yourself in shape. Strive to feel fresh the entire time you are driving, don't just survive your shift(s). Better physical fitness will allow for better concentration, letting you hit your marks lap after lap. Hydration begins about 3-4 days before the race, pump yourself full of fluids early, not just on race day.
2) Make sure the ergonomics work for all drivers, and test this over some extended driving sessions. This cost my team an overall win in a 6 hr race this season when I had back spasms and could not take one of my shifts. We traced the problem back to a seat adjustment we made to accomodate my co-driver that seemed OK to me during a brief test but over an extended drive messed up my back. Emergency fill in driver never drove the car before and had an off, blowing a 3 lap lead. Had to settle for a class win. Won't make this mistake again.
3) Know your fuel mileage and plan your pit schedule accordingly. Then have a contingency in case things change (full course caution, driver fatigue, etc.).
4) Plan each pit stop ahead of time. Know when tires will be changed. Know the role of each crew member. Practice ahead of time, including the diver change. Refueling is the botteneck in most pit stops (assuming stock fuel systems), do whatever the rules permit to speed this up.
5) Use a radio to communicate with your pit.
6) It's not a sprint race, find and enduro pace that may be 1-2 seconds slower. Mechanical sympothy matters in a long race and will have a big effect on your tires. Knowing you can revert back to sprint pace if you need it is a good thing, not so good if the car or tires are used up when you need to call on them. Short shifting will not only help the engine but help fuel mileage. If you can avoid a pit stop that is far more important than the 1-2 seconds you gave up on pace. Was it Alain Prost who said the obective of a race is to win at the slowest pace possible?
As team manager / back up driver to the 2 drivers.
From practice I've noticed a problem that I hadn't seen before in longer sprints ....related to cold rims onto hot hubs
Seems after a while the hubs are hot enough to expand a bit making fitting a new set of rims with fresh/wet tires a problem.
I have tire warmers - 1 set only! - that I know must be on the next set of rims for 2hrs before to ensure they're hot enough to fit easily onto the hubs which are super hot after an hour ....
But if it starts raining - forecast calling for gentle rain just before the nighttime stint - I'll need to switch to another set of rims that won't be warmed ..
So in that case are there any other tricks or ways to get the rim on??
I'm asking in case i choose to warm the 'wrong' set of rims and weather forecast changes/is wrong .... Thanks!
02-21-2014, 08:35 AM
#20
Addict
Rennlist Member
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Familiarize yourself with the Enduro Protocol from your sanctioning body. The rules will show you the minimum number of pit stops required and whether refueling is allowed. It will also show you the minimum time required for the pit stops and how they are measured (usually 5 min). As someone said, know your fuel mileage and plan your pit stop strategy and practice it. It is always amazing to me by how much time folks will exceed that 5 minutes and then try to make it up racing.
Here is a link to the PCA Club Racing Enduro Rules:
Enduro Rules - PCA
Here is a link to the PCA Club Racing Enduro Rules:
Enduro Rules - PCA
02-21-2014, 01:59 PM
#24
I'm in....
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
The OP ran his 65 min endure three years ago. The bump was from someone in South Africa asking about tire warming. C'mon people, try to keep up. 
02-21-2014, 02:58 PM
#25
Race Car
pit stops are usually timed.
make sure you don't stay too long, or too little. 2 stopwatchs one just for the pit and start it as soon as you come to a full stop. (10 seconds too long, is what 50 car lengths ?)
Tires and brakes may go away. push, then rest the car,then push some more. Push hard on the start and any restart. pick your spot to pass. No low percentage moves. finish the race.
if you have a radio, have crew listen to race control. You can win your race by getting into the pits before a full course yellow. -if you're lucky.
fluids, and more mirrors. don't race anyone not in class.
new bedded brake pads, and new tires.
if it rains, do you have a defroster? (does it really work?) I would put a long handled windshield wiper (truckstop style in the car on a rope around the shifter. takes ***** to run hard when you can't see. -rainx defogger on the inside glass.
and of course qualifying... easiest place to gain position.
my .02
make sure you don't stay too long, or too little. 2 stopwatchs one just for the pit and start it as soon as you come to a full stop. (10 seconds too long, is what 50 car lengths ?)
Tires and brakes may go away. push, then rest the car,then push some more. Push hard on the start and any restart. pick your spot to pass. No low percentage moves. finish the race.
if you have a radio, have crew listen to race control. You can win your race by getting into the pits before a full course yellow. -if you're lucky.
fluids, and more mirrors. don't race anyone not in class.
new bedded brake pads, and new tires.
if it rains, do you have a defroster? (does it really work?) I would put a long handled windshield wiper (truckstop style in the car on a rope around the shifter. takes ***** to run hard when you can't see. -rainx defogger on the inside glass.
and of course qualifying... easiest place to gain position.
my .02
02-21-2014, 06:18 PM
#26
Race Car
Thanks Frank ... No limit to pits in this race ... Got 90l fuel and tire change - max 3 people - down to 3m40 today ... Will have to do but the national OPC car does a sub 3 min with their super pro fueler ala lemans.
6 cars fell out today inc the 2 Pillbeams headed for Le Mans 2015 so our odds are better
And cheers for the clarity belles and the tips bill! Matt here.
But still a bit worried re hot hubs cold rims .... Any one know this prob?
Might be a phanto m tho ... Bought a mega heat gun with incase
6 cars fell out today inc the 2 Pillbeams headed for Le Mans 2015 so our odds are better
And cheers for the clarity belles and the tips bill! Matt here.
But still a bit worried re hot hubs cold rims .... Any one know this prob?
Might be a phanto m tho ... Bought a mega heat gun with incase
02-21-2014, 07:08 PM
#27
Addict
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Thread Starter
LOL. This as from over 3 years ago. Happy to say I've run some enduros, but short and long ones since then and have done well thanks to some of the advise on this board. Thank you all.
02-21-2014, 09:24 PM
#28
Rennlist Member
Funny how that works, that happened to me too at daytona and road america in my enduros. It was the 2nd and 3rd to the last laps. Dunno why.
02-21-2014, 10:05 PM
#29
Rennlist Member
Funny how a double yellow near the end of an enduro changes your attitude from "yawn I'm doing a DE' to' Damn I've got 15 minutes to live'...
