How to Cold Pit Stop? (first time team captain and driver) MSR '18

Get F##ked, Zac!!!

Just didn't want you thinking it's always peaches and cream around here <g>.

BTW, totally loving that you're asking all my questions.  Keep up the good work.

<internal dialogue>
"Jeez, Dave, you're a noob here.  What the hell are you doing?  I sure hope they think that's funny."
</internal dialogue>

I think you just found your team name, if you don't have one.  Good luck with your first race.

Welcome to the madness!

We're not as experienced as some of the folks offering advice but here are two cents from someone who has captained a shitty crapcan followed by a decently well-sorted 'racecar':

1) You don't need to link these in your mind - see 2 and 4 below - hot pit is gas plus possible (and typical) driver change only; cold pit is checks and/or issues plus possible driver change

2) At the start of your very first race you will have a cold-to-hot ratio of probably 3:1. It's tough to say exactly because it will depend on fuel consumption and capacity but if your drivers have no wheel to wheel experience and you have a car that's freshly built limit the first round of stints to six laps - 2 to get familiar with the track, 2 to get familiar with the car, and 2 to get familiar with the traffic - and hopefully everyone will get a fews laps before someone suddenly decides they're a Driving God and destroys the car ...

3) For the first few stints all off the above until you're confident you're not consuming mass quantities of anything going around the track

4) Note MSR is configured in such away that track-off is prior to the hot pit and track-on is after it so you can't do both without a 'filler' lap

5) Make sure everyone stays safe and has fun - in that order!

Enjoy

i think you're overthinking a little. Which is 100% normal for a new team.

If you are paranoid, then come in and check the car every driver change, but you should not need to. wheels should not be coming loose if they're torqued right, you should know about any leaks large enough that you need to add fluids and have fixed them. And you should have gauges and observant drivers that notice if something is going wrong that needs attention. In general don't sweat it too much, but feel free to bring the car in as much as you want to check it over. Just remember that all time in the pits is laps you are losing.

As to what order to do them? 100% track dependent. NJ you can bring a car from the main pits to the hot pits and then back in to the main pits again. So you can do it in any order. NH if yo'ure in the hot pits you're going back for a lap before you come in again, so you would cold pit, then go to the hot pits, then back to racing. CT you can hot pit, then main pits, then back out. each track has a different config and you need to figure out what works. I've never raced MSR.

Also how big of a tank does your car have and what fuel jugs do you have?  The VP jugs are not bad, but google ways to modify them.
Are you in Houston?

There are a lot of modified gas cans on the pit, mostly the air inlet.
Here is an old thread discussing it.
https://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/view … p?id=18232

I see no reason to visit the cold pits (paddock) unless something is broken or you need to add oil or something to keep it from going boom.  Going to the paddock gives you two opportunities for penalties as well...i.e. speeding coming in, and going back out.

As you, your team, and the car get better, you'll want to gain time on the track by reducing time in the pits.  Might as well start practicing this right from the start IMO.  Even before our first race, my team practiced pit stops (in full gear!) in my driveway.  Yeah, my neighbors thought we were all nuts, but it REALLY helped when we were doing it for real during the race.  Not so much the speed of our movements, but knowing who was supposed to do what and when, with no confusion, made our stops pretty decent.  After lots of races and lots of practice, we can now change a driver and add 15 gallons of fuel in 3 minutes.  Not exactly NASCAR fast, but they don't change drivers or use (3) 5 gallon jugs for fueling either.

Another thing to consider, that I don't think has been yet asked, do you an your team have ANY track experience?  If so, what's the longest time you've driven a car at speed?  Most HPDE sessions are 20 MINUTES, most Lemons teams go two HOURS before a driver change.  Have you ever concentrated, without a break, for TWO HOURS?  Add the fact of wearing a helmet and moving blanket (aka fire suit) and it's is very taxing on you mentally and physically.  That said, if you haven't done it, work up to it slowly, and swap drivers at least every hour, if not sooner.

TL;DR...Swapping drivers and fueling in the paddock will only teach you to be slow, but you know this is a race right?

2 drivers have a ton of track time- 2 drives have very little to none - and I have a respectable amount but not a ton.

we have had the car at 2 track days so far - with minor failures experienced at each -- fuel line rupture (that was fun) -- coolant line rupture (also fun-- this is why you need to run water...)  we replaced every inch of coolant line and fuel line and radiator (hopefully we wont have trouble with those systems come november).

we expect to get the car to at least one more track day at grand sport before the Nov race.