The countdown is on; T-minus one week till the RBRA team hit the track at Sandown for the first race of the PIRTEK Endurance Cup.
With double the drivers and lots more racing kilometres, the Enduro’s are set out to challenge even the best of us. We thought we should leave the tough questions to the experts and let them tell us how they prepare for the Enduro’s and what’s different for them.
Craig: “I love this time of year, partnering up with a team mate and Steve is back for a second year! As for what I do differently to prepare for it, we ramp up our cardio training before the Enduro’s, because you are sitting in the car for longer periods of time than the rest of the year.”
Jamie: “We like to think we prepare 100% for all races, physically Sandown isn’t the hardest of races, but mentally it is. It is a long 5 hours on the Sunday from start to finish. So I make sure I am mentally fresh for race day.”
But what about the guys who make those wheels turn and engines rev? Engineers Dutto and Shippy give us an insight into what Enduro’s mean for the crew and what extra preparation is needed.
Dutto: “Every race meeting is treated as critical, but I would be lying if I said they were all created equal. The Enduro’s, and of course Bathurst, are the Holy Grail of the races you want to own. For this, the attention to detail is not increased but extended to cover all the extra facets, whether it’s a driver change, pad change or track specific components and focus. One of the main differences with the longer race distances is the range of, and therefore importance of, strategy options which increases dramatically.”
Shippy: “Endurance events introduce some extra variables. We focus on the different pit stop challenges we might face through the races. Obviously we work hard on driver change practice and brake pad changes, but we also focus on less predictable scenarios. We have different regulations for the endurance races, with a minimum number of pit stops for each race. This means we need to think about the refuelling strategy differently to the minimum fuel drop races. Also, we need to ensure that we use our drivers appropriately throughout the race and manage their mileage & fatigue.”
All eyes will be on the dynamic duo of Jamie and PD, who are eager to again take out the title of Sandown Champions for a 3rd year in a row. Let’s not forget Lowndsey, he could be up for his 6th win at Sandown!
Join us for the Sandown 500 September 11-13, the first of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup Races.
