Topic: Pit Stops 101

Please list all the things we should try to accomplish in a pit stop.

We are all newbies.  We drive a Crown Vic.

Assume the vehicle is not damaged, and we will be doing a driver change.

Former Captain
1996 Crown Vic. #55
Team Racing Cosmo

Re: Pit Stops 101

There are a lot of variables in play here...

First off...Depending on where you race,you will either pit in your paddock space or on the 'hot pit'
  In the paddock,you can do a lot of things you can't do on the hot pit,like check the oil,air pressures,tire wear,shit like that...
  Hot pitting only allows you put fuel and in some cases,add ice to a cool shirt cooler (and change drivers,of course)
  Hot pits are crowded and dangerous places,and they don't want you spending more time than neccesary out there..

For your first race(s),you would want to go to your paddock space,even if it means a glacially slow pit stop...You want to be able to look over the car and make sure nothing is falling off or leaking,or on the verge of blowing up...you get the picture...

That being said,don't try to rush through the pit stop.Thats when mistakes happen and things get overlooked.
Take your time..you're not going to win your first time out,so relax and think it through.Some teams make a checklist and have duties assigned to specific people,some teams just know what needs to be done.Figure out who is doing what BEFORE the car is in the space...

Fueling mistakes are the biggest cause of penalties.We drove a Crown Vic for years,so I know you will be doing a lot of fuel stops..
Make sure your kill switch is off and the driver is out before you crack the fuel cap.
This is what gets a lot of folks in trouble.Nobody touches the car till that fuel cap is back on.

Then you can check the oil,check the air, fuck with the GoPro,refill drink bottles,strap in the new driver ,clean the windows, do a radio check,adjust the mirrors, take a selfie,reset the timer,and all the other things you need to do..

Hope this helps
Mike

45+x Loser.....You'd think I would learn......
5x I.O.E  Winner   1 Heroic Fix Winner   1 Org Choice Winner
2x  I Got Screwed Winner    2x Class C Winner
(Still a Class B driver in a Class A car)

Re: Pit Stops 101

Thanks BigBird.  Tell Oscar we said Hi.

Bob

Former Captain
1996 Crown Vic. #55
Team Racing Cosmo

Re: Pit Stops 101

"For your first race(s),you would want to go to your paddock space,even if it means a glacially slow pit stop."


At CMP there is no fueling in the paddock allowed.  However at the last race there, an area was set up near the penalty box to fuel in the paddock if you so choose.  No idea if that will continue for upcoming events.

Figure out your fueling requirements and work from there.  CMP only allows driver change, ice in the cool suit cooler and fuel on the Hot Pit.  You can do a quick walk around to look the car over but no adjustments or checking oil etc allowed.

Believe it or not, some teams actually fuel at the gas station outside the track... at that point you could do anything you want to the car.

whatever it was i didn't do it
dorifto dogs E30 - gone but not forgotten

Lee Ho Fook's Racing E36

Re: Pit Stops 101

You are going to hear this from Steve on Friday, but take care of each other. Also double check when you put a new driver in, hans, harness, chin straps, hans straps, wrist band, (yes, I've seen it) don't let you buddy go out in an unsafe manner. Can they reach the kill switch, fire pull, door handle, extra cords and hoses if you're trying that?

Calm down and breathe when you take the track. Use your mirrors, be predictable.

#44 VW Jetta "Le Mondrian"
Arsesweat '17 finished 10th in (B), 3 finishes in 7 races
#96 Silver Subaru Legacy Automatic w Orange Top (formerly)

Re: Pit Stops 101

soldmystang wrote:

At CMP there is no fueling in the paddock allowed.  However at the last race there, an area was set up near the penalty box to fuel in the paddock if you so choose.  No idea if that will continue for upcoming events.


Yeah, this was a big point of confusion for us as well at the Fall CMP.  Is CMP the only track (currently) that doesn't allow fueling in the paddock?  At least, of the east coast races? 

Also, they had that little extra area to fuel because, apparently, lightning struck the fuel pumps 2-3 weeks prior, and they still hadn't been fixed, so that left some teams (us included) scrambling.  I wouldn't count on it being there again, unless they just never bothered to fix the fuel pumps, but, you never know.  It did seem somewhat popular. 

So, if y'all are still trying to do CMP for your first race, you're kind of limited.  If you know you only need to refuel, change driver, add ice, you can tackle the hot pits.  But, if you need to do anything else to the car, you'll have to come into the paddock.  But, frustratingly, if you then need to fuel, you'll have to either visit the pumps ($), gas station on the corner (only if your car is plated), or go do a lap on track and make another stop in the hot pits on a succeeding lap, which will require wasting time getting the driver all belted in and in and out of the car twice. 

Now, any of this is, technically subject to change, but, your best bet is going to pay very, very close attention at both the new drivers meeting and main drivers meeting.  Hell, if it's allowed, I may record them on my phone, because on a few things we couldn't remember what exactly we'd been told.  Pit/fueling worries were high on the list of stressors.

Semi-Sentient Centenarians
1996 Buick Century - we upgraded our crappy GM sedan with parts from a crappy GM minivan.
"It's got a van motor, a 220 cubic inch plant, it's got van tires, van suspension, van shocks. It's a model with the catalytic converters ripped out so
     it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it a racecar or what?" - Blues Brothers, Probably

Re: Pit Stops 101

mthew_m wrote:

Is CMP the only track (currently) that doesn't allow fueling in the paddock?  At least, of the east coast races?

I don't know about the East Coast, but elsewhere at every Lemons race I've ever attended, fueling has always fallen into one of two categories:

(1) Fueling may occur only in the hot pits or, if available, at the track's pumps. No fueling in the paddock while the track is hot.

or

(2) Fueling may occur only in the paddock or, if available, at the track's pumps. There are no hot pits.

In either case you're also free to take your car elsewhere to fuel at a (hopefully nearby) gas station, which admittedly is a lot easier if the car is still street-legal.

So, at a hot-pit-only race, what if the car ends up coming into the paddock mid-race with an empty tank, since you're not allowed to put fuel in it? In this case, go to the judges and ask for special dispensation (so to speak) to fuel in the paddock. If things aren't too busy in the penalty box, one of the judges will most likely agree to come over to observe you while you put in a small amount of fuel, basically enough to assure that you can go out and do a lap in order to reach the entrance to the hot pits for more fuel. If things are busy in the penalty box, you'll have to wait until a judge is free and is feeling charitable.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

8 (edited by Bayley 2020-02-13 02:48 PM)

Re: Pit Stops 101

Regardless of hot pits or paddock, get your fueling down first and foremost. Everything else (unless the car is f'ed up and / or on fire) is secondary.

During fueling, try to have a dedicated person (obviously in full gear) pour the gas into the car. The driver getting out of the car is pretty useless at this point, so give them the fire extinguisher to hold. Additionally, the last thing the incoming driver wants to smell for the next couple hours is gasoline, so it's best to isolate them from the fueling process as much as possible.

As soon as that gas cap is back on the car, have the new driver jump into the car. You will typically have one person on the drivers left and a second person on the driver's right (inside the car) putting the belts on the driver and hooking up the radios / water bottle / cool shirts / etc. Just let the driver sit there with his hands still and the other two guys (gals?) will do the rest. Also, you're going to get REALLY personal with your driving during this process. There's a ~100% chance somebody will reach down into the drivers crotch to fish the submarine belt out from their nether regions. Enjoy, this otherwise costs $20 downtown.

While you're fondling your driver's junk, it's possible at this time to have additional crew members do things like: check oil, torque lug nuts, clean windshield, etc. assuming you are in the paddock and not hot pits. Most hot pits are very strict on what they allow / don't allow during stops and there is no one standard set of rules. It all varies track by track. This will be one of the items discussed in the Saturday drivers meeting.

In closing, pit stops are kind of fun and a big part of the racing experience. There is definitely a difference in the time it takes a top ten finishing team to perform a stop vs. a newer team. Watch how the faster teams do and take notes. A couple tips: their fuel jugs pour fast and they often don't spill a drop.  ;-)

The Pentastar whisperer

Re: Pit Stops 101

mthew_m wrote:

Is CMP the only track (currently) that doesn't allow fueling in the paddock?  At least, of the east coast races?.


I haven't been to PittRace yet, but all the other east coast races (NJ, CT, NH) only allow fueling in the hot pits during a race. You can only fuel your car in the paddock after the track goes cold (but then, still not in the garages). We usually just push the car out of the garage a few feet so the fueling jugs remain outside.

We Audi Be Faster
'85 Audi Coupe G(in &) T(onic)

Re: Pit Stops 101

bobnowoc wrote:

Please list all the things we should try to accomplish in a pit stop.

Here are our team assignments:

Incoming Driver   
Pop belts
Pop hood   
Pop fuel door   
Get out of car   
Face Shield Down   
Call 'Cap Off' make sure people are 10' away   
Fuel car (Pour 2+ Jugs)   
Put gas cap on and call 'Cap On'   
Help New Driver Into Car--driver's side
    NecksGen/Arm Restraints
    Belts
    Radio
    Set Timer
    Mirror Check

Outgoing Driver   
Ready Fuel Cans (prior to stop)   
Place Drip Pan   
Face Shield Down when cap is off   
Hold Fire Extinguisher   
When gas cap goes on get in car   

Crew #1   
Help Incoming Driver Out Of Car--pass. side   
    Un-Do Belts
    Un-Do Radio Cord
    NecksGen/Arm Restraint
Prep cockpit--belts, arm restraints, timer   
Adjust Seat and seat back race for new driver   
Help New Driver into car--pass. side   
Set Timers   
Mirror Check,. Pass. Side   

Crew #2   
Underhood Checks   
    Oil Level
    Fan Operation
    Brake Fluid Level
    Water Resevoir
Clean Windshield   
GoPro   

Crew #3/Chief(KING)   
Record Pit Stop with phone video   
Tire Checks   
    Pressures/Adjust
    Tire Temps
    Wear
Torque wheels
Radio Check   
Record Tire Data

Re: Pit Stops 101

billy bee wrote:

Here are our team assignments:

(Big Long List o' Stuff)

Just to be clear for the new drivers, this would be a paddock stop. In the hot pits, the only activities allowed are fueling, adding ice to the cool suit system, and changing drivers. No fluid checks, no windshield cleaning, no other activities. If a team needs to do more than the three allowed things at a race that uses hot pits, this would require a stop in the hot pits for fuel and a visit to the paddock for the other stuff before returning to the track.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Pit Stops 101

Have your crew do the fueling. Driver out helps driver in with the belts and such. If the exiting driver is up to it they could do other stuff after that, but some times they’re pretty spent.

Re: Pit Stops 101

This is from a different racing league, but all the safety stuff applies to Lemons as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9az_f7rWUk

Once you are done fueling, the captain or someone with experience, should check to make sure the in going driver is belted in properly from both sides.  The captain should also tell the driver when they should return, we use a large wall clock mounted to the dash.

If in doubt, ask another team, we all want to make sure everyone is as safe as we can be out there.  I would also suggest watching a leading team do a pit stop.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

Re: Pit Stops 101

Bayley wrote:

During fueling, try to have a dedicated person (obviously in full gear) pour the gas into the car. The driver getting out of the car is pretty useless at this point, so give them the fire extinguisher to hold. Additionally, the last thing the incoming driver wants to smell for the next couple hours is gasoline, so it's best to isolate them from the fueling process as much as possible.


This. 

If you have enough people to do the stop where the exiting driver doesn't need to do ANYTHING that is best.  After 2+ hours, the driver will be spent, especially during the summer races.

Most guys I know at a minimum have a dedicated set of fueling gloves, meaning their driving gloves are for ONLY driving.  You don't want to smell gasoline for two hours on your gloves while you're driving.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

Re: Pit Stops 101

rb92673 wrote:

This is from a different racing league, but all the safety stuff applies to Lemons as well.

Two differences worth noting: First, Lemons doesn't have a minimum time for a pit stop or a maximum interval between stops, so the five-minute and two-hour limits don't apply. Second, Lemons doesn't allow repairs in the hot pits, so the "repairs over thirty minutes" rule also doesn't apply.

I was surprised by the number of rules violations shown in the supposedly "proper" examples in the video, particularly the number of crew members over the wall who weren't wearing full (or, in some cases, any) protective gear. Don't do that. For Lemons, even the guy spreading kitty litter with no car present still should have been in full gear when going over the wall during a race.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Pit Stops 101

The only race I've ever been to where the pit road marshals were in full fire gear was at Miller Motorsports Park. They also held fire extinguishers...

That place was awesome.

Re: Pit Stops 101

I wasn't referring to the marshals. I meant the teammate helping the driver exit the vehicle in one of the shots and other team members in other shots, all over the wall without full gear, or sometimes without any gear.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Pit Stops 101

mharrell wrote:

I wasn't referring to the marshals. I meant the teammate helping the driver exit the vehicle in one of the shots and other team members in other shots, all over the wall without full gear, or sometimes without any gear.

Is that a rule?  I don't recall needing full gear other than fueling.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

19 (edited by VKZ24 2020-02-14 02:03 PM)

Re: Pit Stops 101

rb92673 wrote:
mharrell wrote:

I wasn't referring to the marshals. I meant the teammate helping the driver exit the vehicle in one of the shots and other team members in other shots, all over the wall without full gear, or sometimes without any gear.

Is that a rule?  I don't recall needing full gear other than fueling.

That is INDEED the rule.  Everyone has to be in full gear (at least when we are in the hot pits) during a stop, no matter if you are fueling or not.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

20

Re: Pit Stops 101

Every Lemons race that I have been to requires you to be in full gear to enter the pit area, regardless of which side of the wall you are on (cold or hot). They don't want you hanging around the pit area (even on the cold side) any longer than necessary to get your car fueled. As soon as your car is re-fueled, you need to take your empty jugs and head back to your paddock space (or at least get out of pit area). They have someone monitoring the entrance and are checking for safety gear, including to make sure that your helmet chinstrap is tight. As others have said, you can't work on your car in the pits (other than add ice to the cool suit system, which they rationalize as a safety item).

We last did a cc race in 2014 (Lime Rock and Watkins Glen), and at that time you could setup some chairs and an ez-up in pit lane, on the cold side. No protective gear required and you could hang there all day. Was nice if you wanted to do a quick spot check on oil consumption or investigate that mystery clunking sound the driver had reported on the radio. You could do whatever you wanted to the car as long as you are not fueling.

What doesn't make sense about the above is that you could find yourself on the hot pit, checking the oil on your car in shorts and flip flops when another team is fueling 2 feet away. Any mishaps on their part could easily spill over to you.

Never done a LD race, but the rules appear to be similar to cc, mandatory 2 hour max stints, 5 minutes minimum for fueling (monitored with kitchen timers).

We Audi Be Faster
'85 Audi Coupe G(in &) T(onic)

Re: Pit Stops 101

rb92673 wrote:
mharrell wrote:

I wasn't referring to the marshals. I meant the teammate helping the driver exit the vehicle in one of the shots and other team members in other shots, all over the wall without full gear, or sometimes without any gear.

Is that a rule?  I don't recall needing full gear other than fueling.

Hot pits, yes.
Paddock, no.

In the paddock, the only safety requirement after the fuel cap is secured back on the vehicle are closed toe shoes.

The Pentastar whisperer

Re: Pit Stops 101

NO WORK ALLOWED IN HOT PITS!!!

That means no hood popping or tire pressure checks.

Windshield cleaning is technically not allowed either.

billy bee wrote:
bobnowoc wrote:

Please list all the things we should try to accomplish in a pit stop.

Here are our team assignments:

Incoming Driver   
Pop belts
Pop hood   
Pop fuel door   
Get out of car   
Face Shield Down   
Call 'Cap Off' make sure people are 10' away   
Fuel car (Pour 2+ Jugs)   
Put gas cap on and call 'Cap On'   
Help New Driver Into Car--driver's side
    NecksGen/Arm Restraints
    Belts
    Radio
    Set Timer
    Mirror Check

Outgoing Driver   
Ready Fuel Cans (prior to stop)   
Place Drip Pan   
Face Shield Down when cap is off   
Hold Fire Extinguisher   
When gas cap goes on get in car   

Crew #1   
Help Incoming Driver Out Of Car--pass. side   
    Un-Do Belts
    Un-Do Radio Cord
    NecksGen/Arm Restraint
Prep cockpit--belts, arm restraints, timer   
Adjust Seat and seat back race for new driver   
Help New Driver into car--pass. side   
Set Timers   
Mirror Check,. Pass. Side   

Crew #2   
Underhood Checks   
    Oil Level
    Fan Operation
    Brake Fluid Level
    Water Resevoir
Clean Windshield   
GoPro   

Crew #3/Chief(KING)   
Record Pit Stop with phone video   
Tire Checks   
    Pressures/Adjust
    Tire Temps
    Wear
Torque wheels
Radio Check   
Record Tire Data

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z