CA Guide - help needed for Bluffers section

[dukla]

Was thinking about the guide and figured what would be useful is "What to look for" during a pit walk (Friday for us plebs). Obviously based on the fact I think it would be a good idea I am too damn ignorant to write it, so am requesting your contribution in this thread. I am happy to collate/edit it: deadline for contributions needs to be this Friday, 28th May, as I need to get anything resulting to Werner by 29th.

I have zero technical insight or team knowledge, but stuff like diffuser sizes, brake cooling gear or other tech-nerd stuff. Or aerodynamic design features. Or secret weapon stuff that is likely to be under wraps (Audi had covers on their wings last year Friday that was looking like being controversial until Peugeot won anyway). Differences/rivalries between cars in the same team.

Then perhaps team/personality stuff: again I am ignorant but recognise there are a couple of CA-ers with in-depth knowledge. Technicians out for their 30th Le Mans, teams with all-volunteer pit crew, ...

Last the frivolous - spotting Le Grand Fromage himself, or the folks abusing Aston hospitality, or sponsor freebies. Will the Mansell Beechdean sponsors be handing out free samples of ice-cream? Or more than 1 set of tyres in the JLOC pit.  e.g. last year I guess George Dempsey was one of the few 'attractions' my sad brain knew about (on instruction from daughter!)

Any little factoids that may help increase the interest in the lesser pits would be good - friends/family/colleagues of CA-ers at work in the team or whatever. CA related advertising on any car (JPC on some car somewhere, genuine CA member's company sponsorship/contribution somewhere, Kronenbourg doesn't count!) - I know about LeMansZone.de on the #39 KSM Lola Judd, Paddy/LangTall will there be DfH on the Spyker?

Please avoid anything libellous, but anything 'secret' can be PM'd to me if you prefer 'surprise' publicity when the guide is published.

[dukla]

anyone (aka bump!)

Or maybe it wasn't such a good idea?

[smokie]

One year my buddy Mark and I did the pit lane walk and spoke to the "guards" at the rope of each garage. We asked each of them what their role was in the team - we spoke to Chamberlain's Tyre man, someone who did transport, and at the last, we got the Bentley Project Director, with whom we had quite an interesting chat, given that neither of us were particularly clue up on anything.. We vowed we would do the same again another year and see who we could catch, but that was in the days when we were on MB and we rarely managed to get out of the camping field as whenever we set off somewhere in the morning, someone from CA would invite us for "a beer" on the way past which generally seemed to last well into the evening....

[Rhino]

Probably to late now but hers a few things i look for
Bodywork. Panel fit on cars. Aero is very important, the panel fit on cars is something i always look for. Big gaps and panels not flush looks bad as air will leak out and slow car down. Also to me means car build and set up has not been done to high standard. For example there was one car which had panel fixings which pushed the floor down and meant the front bodywork did not sit flush with sidepods meaning you have disturbed airflow, the floor was not flat either having a bulge from the fixing pushing down. A minor point but they all ad up to lose top speed and downforce.
Dodgy repairs. When the bodywork is laid out at the front look for repairs done. If it has a really bad wet layup repair on it then it carries extra weight. If there is riveted repairs then it is not as strong so could flex under load.
Paintwork. The sponsors logos are mostly stickers now, look close to see how thick stickers are or how they are faired in. Sharp, thick edges create drag and slow it down. Also see if on any repairs there are multible layers of paint, this adds weight and fit of panels.
Check how the pit is set up. At the Audi pit a few years ago they had a stack of flat aluminium plates with a 45degree angle each end. When they had a pit stop practice they used these to put spare tyres on during pit stops so they don't roll away. That year Peugeot lost time by tyres rolling away at pitstops. Less time in the pits is good.
How the pit is set out. May not be set up for the race but things like the spare parts, how easily available are they. If your car blows a front tyre you want front body work, suspension and floor to hand and not in the truck.
Harder to spot is extras on the car. Does it have fuel pumps and filters easily accesed on the car so they can be replaced in seconds not minutes. Ditto batteries. Hand throttles. Know a good story of one team who didn't have a hand throttle because they thought the engine management would keep the engine ticking over to get back to the pits. It didn't and they lost alot of time.
How the cars are being worked on. If there is mad panic in the pits on friday then it doesn't look good. More haste less speed. A panicking mechanic could easily break something when a cool head is best.
Practice. always good to see them practice. There only allowed one air gun so  they need practice to make sure the car is in the pits for the shortest length of time. Also drivers help each other into the car. They have to change seats and adjust and tighten belts so they need to practice as well.
Amount of spares. Teams usually have all there bodywork in the pits on friday and should be fitting them to check they are interchangeable. Bad news to find in the race you replace some bodywork only to find the fitting is wrong. Should all fit the same otherwise we are back to the drag and slower car again.
Thats all i can think of for now hope it helps.

[dukla]

Thanks smokie, Rhino. Great stuff - will try get it in.

[Jager]

For those that don't know much about the techo stuff but would like to improve their understanding before the race, a visit to Mulsanne Corner website is well worthwhile.

its a great source for understanding all the little, subtle aero differences between different cars and will give you some good ideas on what to look at during a pit walk.

There also some interesting techo stuff on historical Le Mans cars, including a good article on why the Mercedes became airborne in 1999 and explanation of the subtle differences between the 2001 - 2003 Bentley's.

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/