For a potencial 24 hour race......

[Mad Hatter]

I was asked to prepare the ground work for entering a Mustang into a 24 hour race down here... Some are thinking of a 2018 with the 10spd auto,,,,..... My preference would be for a cheaper used 2015 and sticking a Aluminator/tremec XL into it with a major weight loss program.... Is the 10spd Auto that bad of an idea?? Or is it just me?

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Doubt there is any equivalent, real world testing, for a new automatic, so I would definitely stick with a manual at this point - imho. PS - just thought I should ask, kinda personal, but how much weight are you going to lose?

 

[JAJ]

I think another important question is "what cars do you have to beat?" Is this a marathon or a really, really long sprint?

 

[Mad Hatter]

Doubt there is any equivalent, real world testing, for a new automatic, so I would definitely stick with a manual at this point - imho. PS - just thought I should ask, kinda personal, but how much weight are you going to lose?

Me?? Lol...still 84 kilos for the last 20 years!! well, maybe eiyj a slight change in distribution......
Oh,,, you ment the car? the idea would be to go all out a strip every thing possible....

 

[Mad Hatter]

I think another important question is "what cars do you have to beat?" Is this a marathon or a really, really long sprint?

Totally agree with that.... It would imagine it to be be more of a marathon then anything else I think.... 3 or 4 drivers.... Going to watch one in Argentina in May and see what its like.

Still have no clear idea of the competition...... But I doubt a auto would be a good idea.

 

[Mad Hatter]

This is all I have about the series so far.....

 

[Grant 302]

I'd almost want to see what the 10 speed could do...but I'm thinking heat would be an issue for lasting the entire race. I don't know what provisions it has for adding coolers. And all the drivers would need seat time to get used to the trans programming as-is or you'd need even more time to tune it for track use. Seems like a lot of hurdles to make it work.

KISS says go with your gut and the '15 as you outlined it.

Interesting project either way.

 

[TymeSlayer]

Not sure whether a ten speed auto or a manual will be better in an endurance race but I am interested in the build which ever way you choose. Of course with an auto, your co-driver won't over rev the transmission or grind the gears. It's not just about the speed, it's more about taking care of the equipment.

 

[domesticpower]

Can you test the 10-speed auto at races prior to the 24 hr race? Are you able to field more than one car, one with the 10-speed and another with the manual? The 10-speed auto might give a nice advantage but if you'll hit the ground running with it into the 24 hr race, I would stay away. It's just nowhere near proven. What are the weak links? How does it take abuse for extended periods of time? Can you rebuild one in the pits? Note that Ford offers the 10-speed auto on the PP but not PP2 AFAIK. We know the tremec has been raced for years in Mustangs. It might be a mistake to avoid the auto, but it's just a big question mark at this point.

You can't win a race in the first lap but you certainly can lose it. This is far more true in an endurance race as I'm sure you know and the first "lap" in an endurance race is 20-22 hours. Outside of big sanctioned series with massive amounts of money, reliable slower cars tend to do very well in endurance racing based on my experience and what I see and read, albeit without winning outright. Being basically uncharted territory, I would avoid looking for anything that would give me an edge at the absolute limit and just focus on making the car as bullet proof as possible. The S550 is a very capable platform. If you can get it to run well for 24 hours, I think you will likely finish high up with good drivers, even if you don't win.

Have you tried contacting Ford Performance? They have been helpful with me and a Mustang buddy of mine in the past. I imagine they would be excited to help with a project like getting a Mustang into a 24 hour race.

Crazy idea: contact Tremec and see if the GT500 DCT would be a good fit. I imagine it will bolt up... have they tested it in any race cars? Again, I would stay far away it if it's unproven, but saving even a tenth of a second per shift in a 24 hour race will add up to minutes.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks for all the pointers... The crew of drivers behind the idea are all over 50 and have extensive experiance in classic car racing... So that should rule out what happend to my Boss with my co-driver in our recent three hour race (lucky we finished with the gear box intact). One of these fellows has a 10spd 2018 mustang... (no performance packs came to Chile)... He loves it.... But I am not so sure... A tremec seems like the way to go.. Will post updates as they come!

 

[Grant 302]

Has that 2018 seen much track time? Can you drive it soon to evaluate it yourself?

 

[JDee]

If automatics (other than DCTs which are a different cat entirely) were the hot ticket in road racing people would have been using them a long time ago. That they still generally don't speaks volumes. Heat is a major problem.

When I did endurance racing it was more a long sprint than a marathon. Those who treated it like a marathon finished many many laps down. And that was in 1992! Everything I see now says nothing has changed.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Has that 2018 seen much track time? Can you drive it soon to evaluate it yourself?

Am doing some lobbying! So far he has kept it off the track... He has a long long list of track cars.... Going all the way back to a 1937 Alfa romeo f1 car. (Dont want to drive that one!)

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Just talked to Grant , and he and I are willing to fly down to Santiago to be your 3rd and 4th Drivers. Neither of us speak Chilean , but I have sampled their wine , so I am pretty sure I can stumble through the race intros. Grant is a lot younger , so I am already claiming the daylight shift --- speaking of which, I have never screwed up a Boss Tranny.

 

[Grant 302]

Eh spah ñ ol, Bill!

Free rides only!

 

[Grant 302]

Hablo solo ún poco. Suficiente para comer y beber. Manejar...no sé.

 

[yotah1]

Forget the 10 speed auto, it's a mess on track, overheat likes a b*tch and goes into limp mode within 15 minutes...

 

[Bill Pemberton]

I think I understood your first response Grant, something about a cocker spaniol?

 

[Mad Hatter]

LOL....Nice to see your practicing your spanish!!! Yes the Wine is great.... I am jealous of your tracks so I don't know what you would think about our little tracks at this end of the world!

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Don't be jealous , as it appears you are having a fantastic time , and frankly many of the tracks in the US are likely quite familiar. Other than the Big Name Courses ( i.e. Road America , Road Atlanta, Sebring, Daytona, Laguna Seca , Mid Ohio, Watkins Glen, to name a few ) most of the tracks many of us run on are just like your courses - or maybe not even as nice. The two tracks I run the most ( Motorsports Park Hastings and Raceway Park of the Midlands ) are only 2.1 and 2.2 miles long. Their big distinction is that each was designed by Alan Wilson ( yes, the same Alan Wilson that designed Utah Motorsports Campus , home of the Ford Performance Racing School ) and though quite flat they are both technical and offer strong places to pass in a race. Relatively flat tracks are often viewed by drivers as easier to run , yet both of these courses fool newcomers , as there are no sighting points that you often get with elevation changes , and therefore technique can often prove an advantage for a studious driver. Overall, ,especially at Hastings, the camaraderie is great , and it is easy to get to know other participants because the track , the town , etc. are very supportive of the drivers. Many folks come back just because it is a fun track , but also because the Manager ( George Anderson) treats everyone like a King -- small town hospitality and lower costs for many amenities . Plus super easy to get around , not necessary to stay 30-50 miles away in a Hotel/Motel, because the city or State demand a track not be anywhere near normal civilization. So, enjoy the tracks you have , as it sure appears that a lot of what you have in Chile is similar to the normal track in the US. Keep posting and we all wish you well, besides , none of us have our car posted on a race poster , so in reality we are all the ones who are jealous.