Cold Weather Racing

[mike g.]

Hello,

It seems that the long race at Blackhawk this weekend is going to be a cold one...

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...2=-89.0334&e=0

Any tips or tricks? We ran the fall sprints w/ SCCA in the chill, and the April school this year that was in the 50f temp range... but, this weekend seems a tad more chilly.

I know we need to switch to colder weather plugs (we're running hot ones now) - still gotta find a local source for them...

Tires? Are they going to heat up with no direct sun and 50f temp? Heat blankets on them? Run the rain tires and hope they warm up a little? Or just go out and feel like driving on ice?

Taping the front radiator... already got that covered... tape it all off except a little, then pull tape as needed to keep around 200 degrees.

Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks,

Mike
78 T-440

[rmccown]

Run a tap off your radiator hoses and plumb into your cool suit?

[Alan R Guibord]

Be careful of your oil filter. I had one explode at Pocono years ago from the cold

[Frank C]

Filter companies run cold start burst tests. High cold start pressures can blow the seal or even (not very likely - the worry is fatigue) burst the can. The cans are pretty flexible. You can see them expand in a cold start. Be careful when the engine is first started when/if the oil pressure is extremely high.
- Frank C

[rickb99]

March 30, 2008. A day I will never forget! But perhaps Blackhawk won't be as bad.

Looked out the window at 9:30 on the night of the 29th and it was snowing! Called Jeff; "Jeff, I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to get off the hill in the morning". Jeff; "That's okay dad just let me know. I'm going regardless". So with that, I knew I was getting off this hill.

Caviets, yes old tires (slicks), yes slightly wrong toe in, yes brand new driver (but one who's used to high velocity's). And, the temperature was STUCK on 32 degrees F, that's THIRTY-TWO degrees F but it was a dry track. Perfect day for learning a new car.

Tires never got above maybe 55 or 60 degrees (just a little bit 'warm' in the 32 degree air). Car was extremely 'darty' over about 100 MPH. Prone to heavy brake lock up (by a driver that only locked up the brakes 2 other times all year). Ultra cold tires lead to 3 spins (by a driver who only spun 1 time the rest of the season).

The 'dartyness' was the worst problem. To the point where the driver said, if we can't fix this, the car is too dangerous to drive at speed. We did solve it. I think it was a combination of toe-in and the extreme cold tires.

Summary: Expect the car to feel a little 'strange' and maybe not handle as well as you are used too. Brake earlier then normal for sure, cause you'll be on stone cold tires. Run the softest compound you can. Rains? I don't know but it might be worth a try if it's ULTRA cold.

If the temp is below 40 and you're racing, you need mental help. Be prepared to take the air cleaner off and block the carb off completely with your hand (hand choke) to get the 1st start.

[kea]

Increase toe, front and rear, if your car has an carb. air intake scoop, take it off. Run a duct from the top of the exhaust headers, to close proximity of carb intake (engines don't like really cold air). Check oil viscosity, a multi-weight might be a good idea. Tape Rad intake (but not all the way), and warm the engine, long before the 5 min warning, to try and transfer some heat to the oil system.
Don't forget to do something about deflecting your breath, so not to fog the helmet visor.
Keith

[Brian]

get the oil temp up before you run the car at speed. I lost an engine at Watkins Glen on the weekend because I wasn't able to warm up the car enough before a race, and the pace lap didn't do much. When I ran it up to speed on the green flag, the oil pressure was all the way around at 0 again... Sadly, 10 laps later it was at 20 psi and the engine had the big old knock happening.

The coldest that I have driven a race car in is 22 degrees, last december at Roebling Road.

Brian

[racer27]

Fuel does not atomize well in a cold Pinto's intake manfold. We don;t have any of the stock features that allow a cold car to run OK.

After running in 30 deg weather at Pocono and Summit, even after a full warmup in pits(Water to 200) engine was stumbling and stalling when applying gas is slow corners. After a full 20 min session a Pyro showed intake to be less then 50 degrees. Apparantly. the gas going thru the carb re-condenses in the cold intake and stepping on the gas floods her.

How we corrected it:

1. Taped up all ducts in engine bay
2. Taped up airstream facing portion of air filter so car did not have cold morning air forced in
3. Ran the car thru 3 full heat cycles in paddock. When we shut down the car, we put a blanket/trap over it to retain heat in the engine compartment. Key is to thaw out intake manafold.

4. Don' go out till oil temp is at least 75% of what you normally run

At Summitt we used a Torpodo heater to hear up Manafold and carb (Carefully).

Done once each morning is typicially adaquate

[Charles Warner]

Torpedo heater is the best tool. Use two - one for the engine/radiator and one for the gearbox. Install a heat blanket on the oil tank (if possible) or use a heated dipstick in the oil tank. Use liberally. Heed Bian's advice regarding oil temp. Some recommend limiting rpm to the oil temp in degree C. IOW, if oil temp is at 40 then stay below 4,000, etc.

[JHaydon]

... and if it SNOWS...

As a GT1 driver once told me, treat snow like rain, except wetter. Any adjustment you make to your driving style for rain, increase it for snow.

There was a stretch of several years where we had snow either at the Loong race or at the first driver's school in April.

Pocket hand- and toe- warmers can be a godsend too, but I don't recommend them in the car. If they get too hot, there's not much you can do about it!

[PaulT]

My first driver's school was with Council in April when it snowed, just occasional light flurries. Not as bad as that day at Gingerman a couple years ago.

Paul

[problemchild]

Have a positive attitude!

Follow some good technical info which has been provided. If your oil filter makes it the first 20 seconds at low rpm .... you should be fine. I once had a car where my hands were in the airstream .... make sure you keep air flow from things that don't need cold air.

The big thing ..... Just make sure that the driver treats the race like a challenge where the weather is the great equalizer. When it rains, half the drivers have given up before the green flag drops. Nasty weather will psyche out a bunch more. Make sure the driver is ready to 'race"!

Canadian Nationals have often been in October. I have raced at Mont Tremblant when snow covered the runoff areas and had to chisel ice from the carb at Shannonville one year. When the green flag drops .... it is just like any other race .... the driver has a job to do!