attempting license weekend. nervous about car holding up
 

So ive got a 1979 12a with a lot of race miles on it. Im doing a double licensing weenend at the end of the month. Here is the catch: so is my race partner. In the same car. We are worried about mechanic failure. The car runs temps of 180/200 every de/open track day, doesnt skip or misfire, runs really solid and consistent.

What are some things I can do to make sure it makes it through 12 hours of driving over 3 days?

I plan on changing all fluids in engine, trans, and diff. I also plan on changing the oil halfway though the weekend. I was going to get a new set of hankook venus since thats all I can afford right now and no one has scrubs that are cheap in 225/45 13. My pads have plenty of life, going to get it aligned too.

About the only thing im worried about is that the cab may be getting dirty at this point and need to run some gas treatment through it but maybe im imagining it but when I put treatment in a car it runs a little worse.

Should I just go for it or is there something morebi can do?

spare rotors?

I'd have a spare set of pads just in case... sometimes you can go through them a lot faster than you'd expect.

Definitely spare rotors. Cracked brake rotors on the stuff older than FCs are a major safety concern with the front hub being integrated - they can lead to the wheel coming off.

Remember the point of the school: to get your competition licenses. You don't have to be fast or beat anyone to get your competition license, but you do have to finish. Drive accordingly and be easy on the car. Shift early, brake lightly, and don't push it in the corners.

I was planning on trying to take it easy and shifting at 7k. My thoughts are it doesnt mattee ifbi do 12 hours of driving in a row or 12 days of 1 hour driving, as long as my temps are stable then it shouldnt matter.... am I correct according to engine vunerability?

Double school at Roebling? Two people trying to run one car in a double school is asking a lot. IIRC ech of you need to get 3.5 hours of track time per 'school'. You will be putting at least 12 hours on the car because some of the time you get is 'ride along' with your instructor in their vehicle.

First, do not try to keep up with Miatas! Miata drivers in a school all think they are going to be discovered that weekend. Their heads get filled with the idea that even the corner workers are impressed with their driving prowess. So, let them go...

This is an endurance race for you, that means three things. Save the car, Save the Car, Save the car. All your instructor is looking for is that you aren't a squirrel. BE ON THE LINE, BE PREDICTABLE.

The most important session is the last one when you get to do some practice starts and a short race. Usually two practices with about a half lap run after the green then on the thrid practice start you get a 5 lap race. You can miss a session in the middle somewhere but not the last one if you hope to get your novice permit signed off.

Good luck, you'll need it.

I showed up to double school weekend several years ago without even an air pressure gauge or fuel jug, that's how much I knew at the time. Saturday I had to be towed off track after a coolant hose bust. Sunday had to be towed off track for what ended up being a dead fuel pump that seized after the foam in the cell clogged it up and there was no pre-filter. Went home that weekend with a car that did not run but I had a novice permit and was signed off. Guess the little driving I did get in made someone feel comfortable enough. Don't worry, your weekend will be fine as long as you don't act like a jack ass. They just want to make sure you won't be a danger to yourself or others on track.

+3 On the extra rotors. They are small, over heat and crack often. I have a extra set every race weekend. So stock up.
I also found they last longer if you turn them as soon as you see lines starting to form.
I also keep spare rad hoses and brake pads too.

But We used to ran a pro7 car non stop with 2 drives. Me racing and doing TT. while my partner ran HPDE or lent it out as a teaching tool. Did that for two years.

As many others have said, the school is about getting in your time and being safe.
carry a spare of everything that's quick to change- brake pads, rotors/ wheel bearings, coolant hoses, belts, full set of fluids and filters, and at least two spare tires. (even if they're just tires.)
last thing you want to do is park it for the weekend because you got a single flat tire.

With my driving school, there was no way possible to do two drivers in the car, as we only had two run groups- closed wheel and open wheel. I spent ~4hrs per day in the car and was absolutely beat. Didn't help that it was over 100deg out there!

Try to have everything done BEFORE you get to the track. i.e. roll the car off the trailer and go out on track. I have a tendency to procrastinate, and wound up rushing around at the last second trying to get the car back together. It wasn't necessarily a preparation thing, as I hung an exhaust flange while loading the trailer and ruined my header.. wound up having to swap an entire stock exhaust on the car just to have a car to drive. not fun.

fortunately, I'd had all other prep work done-- if I still needed to change the oil and install new rotors when I got to the track (as I see MANY people doing Friday night before a race), then I would have been SOL on actually being ready for the school...

anyway, get the car ready, relax, don't overdrive the car, and enjoy.
good luck!

I looked and Roebling is the only school this month so I have great news.

You will barely use the brakes. I bet you can drive through turn one without touching them by the end of the weekend.

I will defiantly make sure to have a lot of replacements. Funny you say the rotors can crack so easy, the ones on it have lasted 2 seasons and still look good. The car only weighs 2200 lbs. I guess its going to go soon then...

Talked to the school director and said it shouldnt be a problem with two people using the same car. Hopefully it works out. Even if there are only two run groups then that means more track time per group. Both myself and my partner have done lots of solo events and feel very comfortable on roebling road.

Well, the stock rotors go or they don't, and running more rubber (ala the EProd cars) makes it worse. On lesser stuff... it's really not even a matter of how easily they crack, it's just that the consequences can be so disastrous if they do.