• From: Darnestown, MD
  • Registered: 2009-05-17
  • Posts: 91

Topic: Most missed in the PIT

I am about to take a car to a "race" and use a pit for the first time. If you can remember, please post something important you forgot to bring to the race that would have been useful in the pits. We have a team going to the New England Lemons race.

'86 E30, '09 Stafford Aug, '10 CMP Feb, VIR Apr, Summit Jun,  CMP Sep
             '11 CMP Feb, Rock Mar, Charlotte Apr, Summit Jun
'68 MGB '11 NJMP Apr (winner IOE)
  • Jer
  • Jer
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  • From: West Chester, PA
  • Registered: 2009-05-04
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Re: Most missed in the PIT

Bring lots of water.

Jer / Schumacher Taxi Service
2010 Spring CMP I.O.E. winner
2010 Sebring overall winner
1996 Miata, 1991 BMW E30, 1987 coROLLa (retired), 1984 Citation (retired), 1993 Miata (retired)

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  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Most missed in the PIT

Bring some kind of pit transportation, like a bicycle or golf cart. Otherwise you'll walk 50 miles during the course of the weekend and your feet will be killing you.

Murilee Martin aka Judge Phil on Facebook
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  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: Most missed in the PIT

Bring one of those Harbour Freight four wheel pull wagons (with the pneumatic tires) to pull gas cans, tires etc. Better than a two wheel hand truck. Wet wipes feel good after a stint. I bring eye drops, sunscreen and a broad brim hat.

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....
  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Most missed in the PIT

If you have any extra radiators lying around, bring 'em- some team will need one during the course of the race, and we tend to have a long, long memory for teams that help out other teams with parts.

Extra folding chairs for visitors who want to hang out with you Friday and Saturday nights are always a hit, too.

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  • WINWAR
  • Ripened Lemon
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  • Registered: 2009-05-04
  • Posts: 136

Re: Most missed in the PIT

Keep the list going. These are all GREAT suggestions!

Team Victors of War (those idiots in the wife-beaters and white pants)
  • Registered: 2009-05-05
  • Posts: 30

Re: Most missed in the PIT

Engine hoist and spare engine.
we had to lift out the engine by hand and buy a parts Rabbit in fernly to get our audi back on the track.  it was fun.

  • Jer
  • Jer
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  • From: West Chester, PA
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Re: Most missed in the PIT

On that note, as many spare parts as you have or can find for your car.  Also, bring extra exhaust cans if you have them (ask me why I know this), and any extra metal chunks/tubes/pieces.  You never know what you will find yourself doing to the car to bandaid it back together and get it on the track. 

Oh, and bring every tool you own/have borrowed/can steal.  If you leave something at home, you will wind up needing it.

Jer / Schumacher Taxi Service
2010 Spring CMP I.O.E. winner
2010 Sebring overall winner
1996 Miata, 1991 BMW E30, 1987 coROLLa (retired), 1984 Citation (retired), 1993 Miata (retired)

Jer's Website

  • WINWAR
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Re: Most missed in the PIT

we have a spare motor form our free parts car but wasnt going to bring it. Figured if the motor goes, so do we. Have just about every other parts you can take off though.

Team Victors of War (those idiots in the wife-beaters and white pants)
  • From: Portland
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 568

Re: Most missed in the PIT

Something REALLY heavy to anchor down your EZ-up (assuming you bring a canopy). We usually use our spare wheels to anchor the corners, but NOTHING would have helped at Reno.

Make sure to bring as many LONG extension cords as possible.. if the track has power (or your distant neighbor), you will need to get it to your pit somehow

Matt
Free Range Racing
  • From: Portland, OR
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 201

Re: Most missed in the PIT

- Extra fire extinguisher for fueling
- Some way of accessing/storing/organizing/labeling your tools, or they'll be a disaster and/or lost
- As was implied above, an ez up or two will shelter you from the sun while you wrench wildly on you heap or, if luck comes your way, while you sit and watch.
- It never hurts to have something wonderful to hand to the judges/Jay if they aimlessly wander in front of your pit.  Being remembered for good things is both hard and important.

Erik
Dirt Cheap Rally
Free Range Racing
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,640

Re: Most missed in the PIT

troubleonwheels wrote:

- Extra fire extinguisher for fueling
- Some way of accessing/storing/organizing/labeling your tools, or they'll be a disaster and/or lost

I brought a plastic tub as a catch all for the tools. When you're done with them, throw em into the tub and then we can sort them out later.

The Homer: Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball.
  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Most missed in the PIT

A parts car.

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  • From: Portland
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 568

Re: Most missed in the PIT

MurileeMartin wrote:

A parts car.

QFT.. its like an american express card.. never leave home without it

Matt
Free Range Racing
  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: Most missed in the PIT

One or two of those magnetic parts trays.....stick it to the underside of the hood and put all removed bolts/screws there.....one of those camping LED head lamps works well under the car....the very high temp silicone (get a tube and a caulking gun) will stand hot exhaust almost up to the manifold...SPARE LUG NUTS! I wire a couple to the roll cage...no scrambling when you lose one.

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....
  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Most missed in the PIT

JB Weld. Lots of JB Weld.

Murilee Martin aka Judge Phil on Facebook
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  • From: Portland
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 568

Re: Most missed in the PIT

jimeditorial wrote:

One or two of those magnetic parts trays.....stick it to the underside of the hood and put all removed bolts/screws there.....one of those camping LED head lamps works well under the car....the very high temp silicone (get a tube and a caulking gun) will stand hot exhaust almost up to the manifold...SPARE LUG NUTS! I wire a couple to the roll cage...no scrambling when you lose one.

You take your wheels off at the race?  Hrm... I don't think we have ever taken our wheels off

Matt
Free Range Racing

18 Reply by Buzz Killington (edited by Buzz Killington 2009-07-06 05:22 PM)

  • From: 5,280 ft.
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 1,298

Re: Most missed in the PIT

MurileeMartin wrote:

Bring some kind of pit transportation, like a bicycle or golf cart. Otherwise you'll walk 50 miles during the course of the weekend and your feet will be killing you.

this is true.  and if you're dumb like me, you'll be doing a lot of that in fireproof driving shoes, which might be worse than going barefoot.  ouch.

mike - Schumacher Taxi Service
12+-time loser
"Winner" - We Got Screwed, NJMP '11

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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,640

Re: Most missed in the PIT

Bring another damn pair of shoes lol

The Homer: Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball.
  • From: 5,280 ft.
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 1,298

Re: Most missed in the PIT

har, har.  i did, but i keep forgetting to/being too lazy to change out of 'em, esp at CMP where you need to be in full gear to hop across the wall.  i also forget things a lot, which means plenty of running back to the garage/paddock.

mike - Schumacher Taxi Service
12+-time loser
"Winner" - We Got Screwed, NJMP '11

Buzz Killington's Website

  • jkfoto
  • jkfoto
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  • From: SLC
  • Registered: 2009-05-30
  • Posts: 303

Re: Most missed in the PIT

FreeRange wrote:

Something REALLY heavy to anchor down your EZ-up (assuming you bring a canopy). We usually use our spare wheels to anchor the corners, but NOTHING would have helped at Reno.

We can certainly vouch for this, as we were the ... recipient (!) of the Flying Canopy. Not any fun for our 2 folks who got hit.

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  • From: Portland
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 568

Re: Most missed in the PIT

jkfoto wrote:
FreeRange wrote:

Something REALLY heavy to anchor down your EZ-up (assuming you bring a canopy). We usually use our spare wheels to anchor the corners, but NOTHING would have helped at Reno.

We can certainly vouch for this, as we were the ... recipient (!) of the Flying Canopy. Not any fun for our 2 folks who got hit.

Way to go Dave... (eyesore)

smile

Matt
Free Range Racing
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Re: Most missed in the PIT

Any more? Stafford is only a few days away and all this info has been great!

Team Victors of War (those idiots in the wife-beaters and white pants)
  • RobL
  • RobL
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  • From: Philly area
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
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Re: Most missed in the PIT

Bring a whining/crying towel.  Something to wrap around your teammates head before he earns you more time in the penalty box for shooting his mouth off.

--Rob Leone Schumacher Taxi Service
We won the IOE at Southern Discomfort.
We got screwed at The Real Hoopties of New Jersey  and we took cars down with us.
We got the curse at Capitol Offense but they wouldn't let us destroy the car.

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25 Reply by Jer

  • Jer
  • Jer
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  • From: West Chester, PA
  • Registered: 2009-05-04
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Re: Most missed in the PIT

+1.  Or a really good gag.  A whining teammate can double your time in the box.  Ask me how I know.

Jer / Schumacher Taxi Service
2010 Spring CMP I.O.E. winner
2010 Sebring overall winner
1996 Miata, 1991 BMW E30, 1987 coROLLa (retired), 1984 Citation (retired), 1993 Miata (retired)

Jer's Website