pewpewpew3000

I've recently started really getting into endurance racing but I am finding it hard to last through a full 2 hour stint. I start out strong but after 20 mins I start getting fatigued, and by 45 mins I am ready to get out. The longest stint I've managed is 1 hr so far at VIR. I exit the car wiped and done for the day unless I nap.

I have water and a coolshirt. I think a part of it is motion sickness - at Mid Ohio I got out after 40 mins and got sick in the bathroom. Eating less and having less caffeine helped. Cars with more air circulation in the car are better.

I am a generally fit 35 yr old - 3-5x/week in the gym, can run 15k. I did have COVID and a ton of sinus issues due to bad allergies since which I think are a factor as well.

Have any of you experienced this and how did you get over it? I feel just upping physical endurance will help but not solve it since I can already run for an hour and a half in the heat.

Frank 993 C4S

Unless your car is really physical to drive (no power steering, manual shifting, no power brakes) this might have nothing to do with your physical endurance. How much racing experience do you have?

pewpewpew3000

~20 HPDE, 3 enduro races, one 5 day racing school.

The racing school was in open wheel cars at PBIR and I found that I could go for a while there, even without drink or coolshirt. Maybe no elevation change + air?

In the races been driving E46 and Miatas. My car is a GT3.

Paddy

I run in both AER and Chump car and typically do close to 2-hour stints. I highly suggest hot yoga for preparation. The core strength helps from doing yoga, but what I find most productive is learning how to breathe in hot uncomfortable environments.

LuigiVampa

Based on all the information you provided this sounds more like motion sickness than anything else.

You are younger and more fit than me and I only had a problem going over 1.5 hours in my stints last month because we were at VIR, it was over 90 degrees, I was in a very warm 996 Cup car, and our cool suit box had failed. Later in the day I only managed 45 minutes and a much fitter person than me bailed after an hour. The next day when it was only in the 80s we all drove for as long as we wanted to. Heat was the sole issue for all of us.

Did you do any endurance racing before you got Covid? I've heard tales of weird lingering affects.

If I were you I would focus on the motion sickness aspect of this since you appear to be ruling out heat and fatigue with your fitness regiment.

Good luck!

mehoff

Seat time. For someone that fit, the drive shouldn’t be affecting you like that. I’d bet anything you’re tensed up in that car, which will wreak havoc with your blood pressure.

fleadh

As (I think) Frank was alluding to, it doesn't sound like a physical issue. If you can run for an hour and a half your physical condition is more than good enough for an hour or 2 in a race car. It could just be that you're not relaxed (and breathing) enough while in the car and simply stressing yourself out and exerting too much energy. It's amazing how much energy you can use if you're not comfortable throwing a race car around -- tight grips, stress and inconsistent breathing can really sap your energy.

I'd keep an eye on cockpit temps and see if they're above "normal". Maybe a heart rate monitor as well just to see how "relaxed" you are. Also, I'd highly recommend a helmet blower (but I don't think this is a solution to your issue)-- I prefer those to cool shirts. Personally I hate coolshirts and almost never wear them if I can avoid it. But, a simple helmet blower (and especially a high powered one!) and I can go for a long time in anything I've raced so far in all ambient temps.

However, all things being equal, you sound healthy enough that a 45 minute stint in a race car (even without water or a coolshirt or helmet blower) should not make you feel like you need to call it a day.

I'm *definitely* not qualified to give any health advice, but if everything else checked out with the car and this was happening to me, I'd seriously think about checking with my doctor.

-mike

Frank 993 C4S

This is what I am thinking also. After only 20 DE days, you are probably still busy focusing on driving the car which can become very tasking quickly.

I totally agree with this. A good coach can show you where and how you can relax during a race stint and could be in your ear to talk you through it. A heart rate monitor would be a good start.

pewpewpew3000

Thank you for the tips everyone.

From what you've all said I think it's a combination of being a relative rookie, motion sickness and the heat. The long VIR stint was no coolshirt but water and some air circulation. I was feeling good and comfortable and not overthinking things.

Already signed up for hot yoga (great idea!), asked the team I'm running with at the next race to add a naca duct for driver air, and will see about getting some non-drowsy motion sickness meds.

boxer-11

FWIW, it took me a while to work up to double stints in a hot car on a hot day. I generally feel more capable having worked on cardio fitness but I am probably less fit than you if you are running 15k...I used to be a track and field guy but my long distance race was 200m, lol.

Now the motion sickness thing -- that I definitely have. I've been through lots of solutions to get to something that works. In the end, I've settled on Scopolamine patch worn behind the ear -- all the over-the-counter meds and physical devices that are supposed to help didn't work on me. There's a hurdle for the patch in that you need a prescription. But with that in hand, one of those gets me through a 3-day race weekend and it also works for me to instruct right seat in HPDE context. That medication does leave me with dry mouth so water feed in the car is a lifesaver...but you have that covered sounds like. The other thing I do is ginger candies for when I'm not in the car -- those help stave off the dry mouth effect and supposedly ginger helps settle the stomach too.

In any case, good luck -- hope you find a way to make it through!

RJFabCab

As others have mentioned, you have youth, work out regularly, and run 15k... a 2 hour stint in 'reasonable' conditions should be a non-issue for you.

Luigi's example of an enclosed cup car with no cool suit at VIR in the summer is 'not' a reasonable condition.

1. Make sure your health is good.
2. Make sure nothing is going on with the car like exhaust leak/fumes etc.
3. This sounds like motion sickness to me compounded by sinuses and congestion. The inner ear takes grown men and women down LOL. Having a cool suit and NACA duct etc can help but it sounds like you need to find a routine that really works for you with respect to what you eat and drink. Hydration is key. OTC meclizine is fairly benign and can be effective. Heck, every once in a blue moon I'll see a racer with a scopolamine patch.

More seat time and acclimating to the conditions can also be helpful.

Bull_D

cycling. long rides. 50 miles plus, in the heat. if you know someone with a sim. you'd be surprised how "physical" the mental aspect of an hour in the sim can be.
as the seal's say......you gotta embrace the suck.

coryf

Both endurance cars are front engine, could exhaust be getting in the car?

stownsen914

Interesting thought, the symptoms are consistent. Even if there isn't an exhaust leak - aero is a funny thing, and can pull exhaust into a car in ways you wouldn't expect. Easy enough to check / rule out with a CO detector.

Definitely consider this. OP's track experience wasn't clear, but it's very common for drivers to have "death grip" syndrome, literally tensing the whole body regularly or even the entire time on track. For a 20 session, this is tiring. For 2 hours, it would be quite exhausting I'd think, even for someone in great shape.

Robert Nixon

I'd lean towards the motion sickness thing, it's no fun! It's probably NOT a fuel leak, I can tell you that a gas leak (fumes) can make you sick real quick in a car!