Considering it just a "time on tank" math problem is a gross simplication. Just because you CAN put a big cell in a car doesn't mean that you SHOULD put a big cell in there. Adding a bigger cell creates other problems...weight, handling and driver fatigue.

Most club racers are pretty much 'well-done' at the 2 hour mark. They don't do this often, and don't have experience pacing themselves. We watch lap times and will call for a driver change if lap times get erratic. In previous years, we'd pulled 'time cards' on rival driver's cars in other enduros, and run them thru a spreadsheet to see who the consistant drivers were...because we knew that consistancy and stability was more important than outright speed. At the Summit Point 12 Hour, the only year we were ever beaten in Showroom Stock, I had walked down pitlane pre-race and told one other team "YOU are our competition", even though there were 3 RunOffs winners running in several other SS cars. Ask Joe Leonard/5-Star of the DC Region...we knew that THEY would be the guys to beat us, based on their ability to perform. We told them pre-race that if we got beat, it would be by them...and it was them at the checker.

It's romantic to think that you'll have a team of drivers who will all perform well with 3+ hour shifts in the car, but it's fantasy. Somebody will end up on their roof, or stuck in a wall. That's a sudden reality-check that maybe it's not such a hot strategy, after all. Driver fatigue, and the inevitable problems that that will cause will more than eat up any benefits of "going long" on fuel.

Having all your drivers doing 3+ hour shifts, or even as a "passport to entry", is not a good idea. I'll stand by that.


How many 24hr races have you run or been a part of?[/b]
Driven as a part of a 4-driver team at two 24 hour races. Driven as half of a two driver team at fifteen 12-ish hour races. And you ? Anytime you'd like to publicly compare racing resumés, let me know.