Congrats!!! So impressive and that last stint was so consistent in the #25...WOWOW!!
What suspension mods were on the FL5s?
rdcyclist said:Congrats on keeping it on the track! That's pretty much the key to doing well there and it's harder than it sounds. I imagine the full race report will clue us into the amount of effort those placings took.
Indeed...keeping the lap count up is key. Any sort of off or contact can put you back in the pits for lengthy repairs, or possible penalties (which are now done by subtracting completed laps).
Our splitter issue was the result of minor contact with a lower class car that did not see us. It's a Type R TCR pro-level part so it's robust, but the parts it was connected to/with were not. By the end of the race, both splitters sported Bear Bond tape to seal up the air dam.
Another performance key is avoiding pit stop penalties. Spilling fuel will cost you five laps, for example. Most teams have gravitated to redhead-style drybreaks, but even those are not foolproof if you don't understand how to use them properly. Last year, we had a big spill when the "bubble" inside the container was not properly positioned prior to use.
And our guys are amateurs who only do this once a year. But they are all smart folks, who work together well and learn quickly.
scrapin240 said:Congrats!!! So impressive and that last stint was so consistent in the #25...WOWOW!!
What suspension mods were on the FL5s?
Yeah, that last stint was Calvin, and he was rear tire grip limited. But by then, our position was stabilized so long as he kept it on track. We could have pitted for fresh rears to up the pace, but the pit stop delta, even paired with a fuel stop, wasn't worth the squeeze. And running faster is always more risky.
If you look at his opening stints (he started the #25), you can see his true pace.
Andy Hollis said:scrapin240 said:Congrats!!! So impressive and that last stint was so consistent in the #25...WOWOW!!
What suspension mods were on the FL5s?Yeah, that last stint was Calvin, and he was rear tire grip limited. But by then, our position was stabilized so long as he kept it on track. We could have pitted for fresh rears to up the pace, but the pit stop delta, even paired with a fuel stop, wasn't worth the squeeze. And running faster is always more risky.
If you look at his opening stints (he started the #25), you can see his true pace.
That's just good endurance race management. I crewed on my son's team at the T25 three years ago; they rented a Ecotec swapped Miata and ran in E1. The team was all friends who were very fast drivers. One of them won multiple Spec Miata titles and series and the others were capable of similar pace.
Getting these guys to stop the dick measuring in lap times was the biggest thing and lead to our DNF because just past midnight one guy ran off at T12/13 and broke the crossmember. Part of that problem was the crap prep; the crossmember should've been reinforced or uprated for the power and the Wilwood brakes. And part of it was not keeping to the pace we agreed would get us to the finish in good form.
I don't think they were going to beat the E46M3's but it would've been close at the end because we didn't need to make as many stops. I think a well prepped K-Miata would be the ticket for E1. That and drivers who follow direction...
rdcyclist said:Andy Hollis said:scrapin240 said:Congrats!!! So impressive and that last stint was so consistent in the #25...WOWOW!!
What suspension mods were on the FL5s?Yeah, that last stint was Calvin, and he was rear tire grip limited. But by then, our position was stabilized so long as he kept it on track. We could have pitted for fresh rears to up the pace, but the pit stop delta, even paired with a fuel stop, wasn't worth the squeeze. And running faster is always more risky.
If you look at his opening stints (he started the #25), you can see his true pace.
That's just good endurance race management.
These guys listen well. Its part of the culture both at Honda and within the team. It's actually kinda interesting watching a bunch of Type-A personalties deferring to each other.
We had a crew of three working spreadsheets on big screens in the command center. Every lap was logged along with fuel/tire expectations and empiricals. I could just look over their shoulder to read a real-time summary of pace, next fuel window, etc. They would also run scenarios using opponent data. They actually came to me with the overall podium possibility and go/no-go tire swap, using both our data and the competition's history. I had done it in my head, back -of-the-envelope, but they had crisper data.
Vids/pics starting to pop-up. Here's an interview I did during the race...
As a crew member for THRW and Honda associate, a big thank you goes to Andy Hollis and Tom for everything they put into this team. Sure, we have resources, but it's aimless without leadership and the guidance of those who've been successful prior. This was my 4th TH25 event as crew, and even after 40'sh hours without sleep, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
- "Generator Andy"
In reply to Jeremy Lucas :
Lawrence smiling is worth quoting for posterity.
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