Hey there- I'm abusing my mod privileges by posting this announcement asking for your help. If you do the "facebook" thing, please consider joining our Bullet Racing 24 Hours of Daytona Group, and helping us get others to join. I manage the team, and we're racing to raise money for charity (Children's Hospital). While we're a professional race team, we're all volunteering our time and expertise for the cause. The more people we have that follow us and show their support, the better chance we have of obtaining support from corporations and media. You can read more about it on our web site (<a class="postlink" href="http://bulletracing.ca" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://bulletracing.ca</a>) or in THIS THREAD The race is this Saturday and Sunday (it IS 24 hours long), and the team is down in Daytona right now doing pre-race testing, etc. Thanks.
Re: Show Your Support For the record, it's not fair that you (Chater) get to post all the anonymous boobie/booty pics. That's like tons and tons of validation that goes your way without you deserving it. Here's a picture of Nettdata when he lets loose in San Fransisco
Re: Show Your Support Our Movember team raised $8k. And yes, my moustache during Movember was prodigious, and now a thing of legend within the halls of EA.
Re: Show Your Support Focus: So I know fuck all about racing but this looks freaking cool. I've started delving into your other thread but haven't had time to read the entire thing. What do you do besides manage which must take a crap load of time? Are you a mechanic? Do you ever get to be behind the wheel?
Re: Show Your Support I'm also a team driver, but not for the 24 hour. Maybe next year, when I get more experience, etc, but I stick to the local tracks. I also run my own car, which is number 45 in the pic below: Aside from that, I'm not allowed to touch tools. If so much as go look at a wrench, I get yelled at by the real mechanics. I'll fuck around on my own car, but really, for the team, I'm the "computer guy". I work with the Porsche engineers in setting up and managing the on-board engine management, I run the Motec data acquisition, and use that captured data to assist in coaching the team drivers, etc. I also am the main point of contact with Race Control during the race... any communication from them to us, or us to them, goes through me. So, if we get flagged for something (meatballed due to a piece falling off the car, penalized for some driving infraction, etc), Race Control will call me on my dedicated radio and inform me of what we have to do. Likewise, if we have a beef with another driver/team, or a question for the officials, I make it to them. In the event we have an in-car issue that requires the car to head back to the garage for repair, I take over control of the hot pits. That way, when the car is fixed, it comes to the hot pits in pit lane, and we refuel the car, etc., and let it loose. I manage that process, and guide (via radio) the crew in the pits and the driver. Just audibly coaching the driver while he's coming in or going out of the pits is huge... counting them down to the stop, reminding them to kill the engine, check dash settings, keep them calm, then reminding them of changes (such as cold tires or brakes, or hot tires, etc) on their way out. I also release the car into the pit lane, and provide pit-lane spotting info for them. I also keep the driver updated about where they are, strategy decisions/info that they may need, etc., and work on understanding any issues the driver may be having so we can fix them. 99% of the problems with race drivers is their mental frame of mind. Keeping them sane and grounded goes a LONG way to getting us a good finish, or a finish at all. I also deal a lot with the various vendors and support companies on-track, sign for the $10k in race gas we'll use, deal with the tire providers, etc. I also keep the drivers happy, and deal with other team logistics such as hotels, cars, catering, media, sponsors, etc. And I generally don't get dirty.
Re: Show Your Support Thanks for sharing that man. You've got an amazing passion for it. I didn't know all that was involved. this: I swallowed hard. What are the speed differences for the big races versus the local ones you mentioned? How long are the shorter races?
Re: Show Your Support The 24 hour race is special, as we run on the Daytona banking, and our speeds see 190mph or so. Local races depend on the track. We can see 170 on the back straight at Portland, like during our last race there (we won a 12 hour race about 6 weeks ago). Locally, we can see 130-140 on our stupidly small track that doesnt' have much of a straight. Short local races generally last 20 minutes, but we'll have 2-4 of them in a typical weekend. "Endurance" races can be 45 minutes, with a mandatory timed stop (most cars need gas, and due to the amateur status of the races, and lack of professional pit crews, we try to make it an equal playing ground by enforcing a minimum pit stop time).