Posted Jul 29, 2008
Endurance racing is a motorsport which challenges drivers perhaps more than any other type of racing. Those who suit up often endure exposure to extreme temperatures when some races are held in zero degree weather or when temperatures inside the vehicle can reach 130 degrees. It takes a special person to perform the required mental and physical calisthenics to compete in a three, six, twelve, or twenty-five hour race; it takes a person who enjoys a mental as well as physical challenge.
This form of racing is enjoying
a surge in popularity as people are realizing how much fun the sport
can be and how easy it is to enter a race and compete. In endurance racing, drivers typically drive a road course
circuit that, depending on its length, would require more than one driver
to take shifts on the course. While that might reduce the fatigue each
driver endures, it also requires well-choreographed teamwork to run
smoothly.
Brett Strom, lead driver and
vehicle owner of the Class EO Nitto Tire car describes what it takes
to win races like the 2008 Six Hours of Button Willow Presented by AEM
Endurance Race and the 2007 "25 Hours of Thunderhill".
"I work in a car shop where we all do racing. We know each other and
work well as a team. It helps to have time to do the necessary prep
work, like rebuilding the car when necessary. Sometimes we'll prepare
for a race 12 months ahead of time, just to get everything set up."
Brett adds.
Asked to describe the special attributes that an enduro driver needs to have, he replied, "It for sure helps to be in good shape. I drive sprint and enduro, but prefer
enduro. I enjoy the mental challenge, the strategy. It's a mental game and a lot depends on how well you prepare and how well your team is working." Brett explains that the drivers all the way up to the sponsors who provide some of the critical equipment like tires, every individual is depended on as an important link in the operation.
Greg Clough of Fun Cup, another
driver who participated in the Button Willow Endurance Race, confirms
what Brett Strom says about the taxing conditions on the track when
he states, "Heat really takes a toll, even when you drive only
thirty minute sets." He also states that when he was in intense
competition, he would work out in the gym several days a week, to overcome
the g-forces racers pull in the corners, less so now as a more casual
competitor.
When asked about the importance
of teamwork, he replied, "In enduro racing, teamwork steps up into
a next level. Everyone on the team is more heavily relied upon for driving,
preparing the car and doing repairs." He also asserts that novices
can drive as successfully as experienced enduro drivers because the
focus is on driving consistently, relying on your fellow drivers, and demanding more tactics than aggressive
driving. "You want to preserve the vehicle in pristine condition
when you hand it over to give a teammate a chance to drive."
Greg had a few parting observations
that people entering the sport might find useful. "In enduro racing,
you don't compete as often, maybe half as often as sprint racing, but
you get more track time per race. You can have a family and a life.
Besides that, a big cost in motorsports is preparing and transporting
your vehicle. If you are going to haul a race car to a track, enduro affords you the
opportunity to get as much track time in per race as you could ever
want in one event."
