24 Hour Endurance Race Reliability

[Crawford]

We did not log anything other than smiles...

Originally Posted by celica73

Any chance you were logging oil temperature?

20 minutes is a far cry from an enduro, but I don't think it's relevant since my gut tells me that the original poster is just dreaming out loud.

SCCA and NASA both run enduros, and even an occasional 12/24 hour race for amateurs. I don't know anything about NASA classing, but the car strikes me as an SSB car for SCCA. Once you modify it, it will be hopelessly outclassed in some faster catch-all. It's not eligible for improved touring for another 6 years.

I suppose you could show up at a Lemons or Chump race just for fun, but you will be given about 1000 penalty laps, so it will be strictly for fun.

If you are thinking Sebring or Daytona (AMLS/Grand Am), those are pro races and I suggest you get ready to write a check for $100,000+ to actually play there.

Scott

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by AVOturboworld

And if you do it, realize that your car is going to feel about 2 years older, literally, due to the amount of concentrated abuse it will endure.

And that's being conservative. After a 24 Enduro some guys are tearing down the engine, rebuilding the tranny, replacing ball joints and bearings etc.

You made a good point on "getting to the end". Some teams up here program an early fuel cut 1000rpm lower than what the engine is built to run to so that drivers can't induce abuse unnecessarily.

In some of the lower HP classes (like where a Honda or Miata would run), during our 8 hour enduros we find some cars run on the same lap all 8 hours which essentially and unintentionally turns the whole affair into an 8 hour sprint race!

Maybe this is or isn't the place to say this but...

Once you've decided to "race" a car, if you're not willing to leave it at the track in a rolled up ball of fire... you're not ready to race. My approach is this: My goal is to get the most from the car every lap of the race while still being able to drive it back on the trailer. However, I accept the fact that any car I'm "racing" with is a wear-item in its entirety and should be approached as such with the same emotional attachment you give to any other wear-item.

With that being said, maybe the best way to pose the question regarding the FRS and a 24 hour enduro wouldn't be: can it do it? the appropriate question would be: What is the cost for the desired result?

This is why I come up with $100k. That's where my math put me and that figure does not not include the purchase of the car.

[celica73]

Originally Posted by #87

You can't run stock brakes at minimum

Why not? i put over 3 hours of track time on the stock brakes* last weekend and they were fine. The car just isn't that fast.

*Stock rotors, race pads up front, street pads in the rear. Plenty of life left in them after 3 hours (maybe half worn). If I get 6 hours out of the brakes they are doing fine, swap pads (in an enduro) and keep going.

Add some cooling ducts, and I wouldn't be surprised to get 12 hours+ of track time out of the right brake pads.