24 hours of Thunder Hill - Your questions?

[rice_classic]

EDIT: Mod's please help. I need the title changed from 24 hours to 25 hours. How embarrassing.


Hola,

So I'm heading down to ThunderHill for the 25 to shoot some film and photos for a small documentary of one of the teams.

A big part of this project is interviewing the drivers and crew and as I was putting together some interview questions I figured I'd ask the forum:

What questions would you like to see asked?

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

Hola,

So I'm heading down to ThunderHill for the 25 to shoot some film and photos for a small documentary of one of the teams.

A big part of this project is interviewing the drivers and crew and as I was putting together some interview questions I figured I'd ask the forum:

What questions would you like to see asked?

Okay, I'll start...

Al Holbert said that long distance races are mechanics' races. Then, depending on whether you interview them before or after the event, ask them how this played out for their team. Perhaps you might interview them about this issue before the race, then follow up with them both during and after the race. How did they prepare, any nasty surprises, how'd they cope, what will they change before the next long distance event? Etc., etc.

I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that the cars are not fully race-prepped machines. I'd question whether the cars can run flat-out for the duration. So, what are the drivers doing to mitigate the stress on the car? Where and how are they "easing up" to try to make the car last, trying to keep the car out of the pits and on the track. Are they driving to a planned schedule for lap times, or just chasing any rabbit that takes off?

When your superb documentary leads you to stardom and riches ... remember your friends who helped you get there!

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by Porsche

Al Holbert said that long distance races are mechanics' races. Then, depending on whether you interview them before or after the event, ask them how this played out for their team. Perhaps you might interview them about this issue before the race, then follow up with them both during and after the race. How did they prepare, any nasty surprises, how'd they cope, what will they change before the next long distance event? Etc., etc.

If I word those questions like this will that be OK?

1: How much of this event comes down to the mechanics/crew?
2: How many guys are part of the operation and are they volunteers/employees etc?
3: What steps do you take to prep and test the car for the changes from sprint racing to endurance race, especially one of this length?
4: What will you do differently for the next event?

Originally Posted by Porsche

I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that the cars are not fully race-prepped machines. I'd question whether the cars can run flat-out for the duration. So, what are the drivers doing to mitigate the stress on the car? Where and how are they "easing up" to try to make the car last, trying to keep the car out of the pits and on the track. Are they driving to a planned schedule for lap times, or just chasing any rabbit that takes off?

Bold: Yup, I'll have to correct you there. These are all fully race-prepped cars. This is a 25 hour w2w race. Several professional and factory teams attend this event and last year we were paddocked next to Randy Pobst, who is indeed every bit as nice in person as you'd expect.
Go here to see some of the cars from 2012: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2105214@N24/

If I word your other questions like this will that be acceptable? Feel free to edit!

1: Since it's an endurance race and don't run on the bleeding edge; what pace are the expected run, how close to 10/10ths?
2: What are some of the unique driver techniques the drivers use to make both the car and the driver(s) go the distance?
3: What are the target lap times each driver is expected to hit consistently in this car?



:disclaimer: I am not a professional photo journalist but apparently someone thinks I am enough to let me pilot the car on the test day for free in exchange for putting together a little documentary.

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

If I word those questions like this will that be OK?

OK? Heavens, yes.

It's YOUR documentary, and I'm just offering suggestions, not necessarily specific questions. If the idea interests you and fits into your film, pose the questions however you think works best.

I see a number of names I recognize on the Entrants List: Memo Gidley, Anthony Lazzaro, Randy Pobst, "Little" Al Unser, and his son Unser III.

I recall "Little Al," in an interview some years ago saying that they were calling his then new son, "Mini Al." When asked if his son names HIS son Al IV, what would they call HIM, and Little Al replied, "MICRO Al!"

Just a language/logic thing... I would avoid the word "unique." It's an absolute and there are not many unique techniques, etc. Others are apt to employ such techniques as well.

And just for a laugh, I'll tell you a couple of things professional race announcers regularly say that make my wife and I laugh:

1) "He's in the pits! They're changing the front nose!"

As opposed to what? The REAR nose? Would that be brown by any chance?

2) "They're in front of each other!"

They are? Umm... so who crossed the finish line first? Unser or Fittipaldi?

If you find yourself wishing to utter such things, please suppress the urge.

[PMok]

I'd be interested in hearing a little about the preparations the drivers and mechanics do/make before the race to prepare themselves for the physicality of a 25 hour race. Do they change their sleep habits beforehand or just take a really long nap the day before. Diet, nutrition, caffeine, energy drinks. What kind of exercise or training to prepare. Any pre-race rituals or superstitions they follow. I think that would provide an interesting angle into the people you are filming, beyond just a "newscast" showing cars on the track.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by PMok

I'd be interested in hearing a little about the preparations the drivers and mechanics do/make before the race to prepare themselves for the physicality of a 25 hour race. Do they change their sleep habits beforehand or just take a really long nap the day before. Diet, nutrition, caffeine, energy drinks. What kind of exercise or training to prepare. Any pre-race rituals or superstitions they follow. I think that would provide an interesting angle into the people you are filming, beyond just a "newscast" showing cars on the track.

You should look up 949 racing

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by PMok

I'd be interested in hearing a little about the preparations the drivers and mechanics do/make before the race to prepare themselves for the physicality of a 25 hour race.

I will ask something like: What steps do you take to prepare yourself physically and mentally for this event?

[PMok]

I just watched the documentary from last year - Survive the 25. Very well done I thought and perhaps you will get some ideas from that.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yt-MtCDbDQ"]NASA 2012 Survive the 25 - YouTube[/ame]

[rice_classic]

Go to 25:45 exactly.

That has to be the best use of a toy light saber I've ever seen!

[rice_classic]

Ok,

All done. I didn't want to narrate it and it's not NBC Sports quality. I don't have the budget nor the time and I'm a noob but nonetheless...

It's just over 30 minutes. Watch in HD fullscreen or maybe on your TV.

Shot with Canon T3i and T5i
18-55mm kit lense
50mm prime
50-250mm
500mm telephoto
GoPro

Edited with Sony Vegas Studio which I have admit is a pretty damn good piece of software for $70.

[ame="http://vimeo.com/83070380"]25 Hours of Thunderhill 2013 on Vimeo[/ame]

[EvilBeaverFace]

Sweet vid man, really enjoyed it. I didn't know AAF did this sort of thing, they are like 30 mins down the road from me.

[icemang17]

it takes a TEAM to do well in an endurance race......the longer the race, the better the team must be to perform at a too level..... Of course the better the team, the more $$$$$ it costs..... A top level team at the 25 hour might spend $20,000 just in TIRES...a GT3 cup (car that has won many times) burns a touch more than 20 gallons of 100 octane per hour (thats $180 per hour or $4500 in fuel not counting practice)...figure at least 4 drivers per car and at least that many crew & you gotta house-feed everyone....it becomes a VERY costly adventure.....

I crewed for a miata team that was winning E3 for about the 1st 6 hours of the 2012 race....there was about 20 of us supporting 3 drivers and one car!!!! We had cam sensor issues that cost us lots of time-headaches but came back and finished strong, even set the fastest lap in our class early sunday morning.....we went through 6 sets of Hoosier SM6 (spec miata tires that year) and barely made it....we literally had to unmount and swap sides to make those 6 sets last.....a very fast tire, but only lasts maybe 3 hours till it corded on the outside front....

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by icemang17

a GT3 cup (car that has won many times) burns a touch more than 20 gallons of 100 octane per hour (thats $180 per hour or $4500 in fuel not counting practice)...

It's worse now, you have buy the fuel at the track @~$13/gallon (100). That's $260/hour x 25 = $6500 just in fuel, just during the race. The 25 hour race weekend in a GT3 cup car (excluding the cost of the car) is in 6 figure territory.

Those big teams, like the Audi teams or Davidson Racing, will hire or pay the expenses of professional drivers to pilot the car like Rob Huff or Randy Pobst or other guys from professional series. Factory groups show up as well: Acura (ILX's) and Mazda (diesel Mazda6's). Mr. Spoon and his team was there too (flown in from Japan) in a CR-Z. A team even flew a SEAT Leon Cupra in from another country to compete. It draws a lot of international attention.

So it's a really neat event where a group of weekend racers can go play in the same sandbox as the guys you watch on TV. It really reminds of where you are and how big of an event it is.

Originally Posted by icemang17

we went through 6 sets of Hoosier SM6 (spec miata tires that year) and barely made it....we literally had to unmount and swap sides to make those 6 sets last.....a very fast tire, but only lasts maybe 3 hours till it corded on the outside front....

And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why I've developed an anti-Hoosier mentality as of late. The Hankook C51/71 and the Toyo RR offer much greater longevity at damn near equal performance and cost less as well, if you can get them (hankook) or get them in your size (RR). The AAF team (on Toyo RR's) did very little tire changing during that race, in fact I think they went 3 back to back stints before ever changing one. Combine this with the fact that the Retro Team had 2 Hoosiers split open on them which was illustrated in the video. Ugh.