When nature calls

biomatics · 21 Jan 2005, 04:56 (Ref:1206093)

Hey everyone.
I just read the Patrick Carpentiers interview in which he mentioend that during the race in Australia in 2002 he had to pee so bad he thought about peeing in his car cause he didn't think he'd make it to the finish line. Unfortunatley he didn't reveal whether he had to do this or not! That got me thinking - what do drivers do when nature calls suring a race? I've asked my friends and some say they hold it while others say the pee in their racing suits. Does anyone know what they do? Any stories from drivers themselves? Just curious!

stoned pony · 21 Jan 2005, 05:20 (Ref:1206096)

Well, there's no room for a waste bottle in an open wheeler....

Fish_Flake · 21 Jan 2005, 07:17 (Ref:1206112)

First of all, when you're racing along the concrete canyons of Long Beach at 150 mph, I don't suppose that you're thinking too much about your bladder.

Second of all, if something happened, I doubt anyone would notice, what with the several layers of protective clothing and the profuse sweating from wearing all those clothes while enclosed in a box for two hours.

Not that I'm an expert, but for some reason I can't see bathroom issues being the kind of nuisance to race car drivers as we on the outside sometimes makes them out to be.

Amar7605 · 21 Jan 2005, 07:25 (Ref:1206113)

I think that Fish Flake has a point. With all of the sweating happening, I don't think that the body is able to urinate. It's well-known that some drivers are known to lose as much as 7 pounds during a race.

I remember at Long Beach 3 years ago I saw Max Papis having lunch right before the race. I am not sure what he was specifically eating, but I did see a lot of white rice on his plate. So that is where he gets his energy for the race. And I think he was drinking a Gatorade.

With all of the dehydration going on, peeing shouldn't be an issue!

macdaddy · 21 Jan 2005, 08:07 (Ref:1206129)

I remember being at MIS one year (either 00 or 01) when the track announcer informed everybody that one of the drivers had just radioed in with this very problem. He really, really had to pee. The team basically gave him a tongue-in-cheek choice of either park the car and run to the potty, or get on with it!

Tony Stewart won a race last season (Watkins Glen?) in which he was suffering with the stomach flu. Any urine in his pants would have been the least of his problems!

What if a driver has to sneeze? Or gets a really irritating itch on the side of his nose?

Jordi · 21 Jan 2005, 09:22 (Ref:1206194)

I remember a story from Pedro de la Rosa... when he was driving in the Japanese GT Championship along with Michael Krumm, he had to pee and he did pee, and Krumm afterwards told him "Pedro, you sweat so much, as according to the story, even the seat was wet. De la Rosa didn't tell him the truth until a few days later...

marcus · 21 Jan 2005, 09:25 (Ref:1206195)

Im not sure about having to go to the bathroom at all but I do remember that when Roberto Moreno was in F1 the benetton team had to several times clean the cockpit of his car out after a race because the g forces made him physically sick in the car.

thats gotta be really off putting.

Off topic but sort of related , when I was racing karts I was running in 2nd behind another driver who had never actually led or won a race , he was doing well and I couldnt quite catch him , he began weaving and zigging and zagging over the track.
I wondered what the heck was going on as there was no way I got catch him from the distance I was back and he didnt need to block me at all.

the race ended and he won but instantly pulled off the track and jumped out of his kart , when I got back to the pits I found out he actually had a wasp in his collar of his driving suit and it was repeatedly stinging him , he managed to kill it by squatting it but not before it had stung him at least 3 or 4 times.

he went home after that race

camcartfan · 21 Jan 2005, 09:52 (Ref:1206219)

Bruno is famous for being in the porta potty immediately before taking to his car.

camcartfan · 21 Jan 2005, 09:55 (Ref:1206223)

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdaddy

I remember being at MIS one year (either 00 or 01) when the track announcer informed everybody that one of the drivers had just radioed in with this very problem. He really, really had to pee. The team basically gave him a tongue-in-cheek choice of either park the car and run to the potty, or get on with it!

I know that when I was in the Air Force, the fighter pilots always carried their helmet bag in one hand and a pee bag in the other hand when they walked to their aircraft. Even during the war in a scramble, they would run to their plane with a pee bag in their hand. Not sure exactly how it works, but I'm sure it's easy to figure out if you think about it long enough.

Wonder if teams would ever try it out. Maybe not every driver would need one, but some drivers would probably appreciate it.

macdaddy · 21 Jan 2005, 10:00 (Ref:1206227)

By-the-way...
Welcome to 10T's, biomatics!

Hazza · 21 Jan 2005, 10:25 (Ref:1206245)

I remember they asked Derek Bell about it, and he said he never had to, but he'd known some people who had in endurance races!

Who was it that ****ed up against the pit wall? Thomas Sheckter?

And a really off topic question, but I read that they had Boris Said waiting in the pits incase he (Tony Stuart) couldn't continue, what are the rules about driver swapping in NASCAR? Who gets the win? (As i'm pretty sure Boris woudl've had it in his power to do so) And when can you do it? Could they like make a stop under yellow and get Tony out of the car?

macdaddy · 21 Jan 2005, 10:25 (Ref:1206246)

I wonder if farting through a corner reduces downforce?
Whatwith the upward pressure on the seatbelts trying to lift the car?

Hazza · 21 Jan 2005, 10:29 (Ref:1206252)

It depends whether your fart has enough power to lift the weigh of the car. If it did, anything greater than the force of gravity*weight of car would detract from the downforce i'd guess...

Paul Tracy did a race at laguna without seatbelts, I wonder if he had to clean car out after that?

enemy-ace · 21 Jan 2005, 11:52 (Ref:1206291)

From personal experience I remember being on the grid in a kart race and having to go really badly. But once the race started it went away, it really became a non-issue. I think once the adrenaline kicks in most other concerns other than the task at hand are forgotten.

rustyfan · 21 Jan 2005, 12:51 (Ref:1206338)

Tom Kristensen 'took care of business' during the Le Mans 24 Hours a couple of years ago and even told the pit-reporter about it on live TV after completing his stint.

Had to suck being the one taking over once Kristensen got out (although I reckon the driving suit absorbed most of it)...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazza

And a really off topic question, but I read that they had Boris Said waiting in the pits incase he (Tony Stuart) couldn't continue, what are the rules about driver swapping in NASCAR? Who gets the win? (As i'm pretty sure Boris woudl've had it in his power to do so) And when can you do it? Could they like make a stop under yellow and get Tony out of the car?

The driver starting the race gets the credit, even if the substitute driver was to win the race.

The driver exchange can be done at any point during the race, but for obvious reasons it's better to do it during a caution.

Snrub · 21 Jan 2005, 17:05 (Ref:1206539)

I seem to recall reading an article where MS had admitted to relieving himself in the cockpit. (I think it may have been linked through 10/10ths) I know I've read of a couple of others too.

They drink a lot of water before a race. I recall someone, I think Dominguez who started getting IV treatments before races to ensure sufficient hydration.

Tracey · 21 Jan 2005, 17:49 (Ref:1206570)

This subject is also discussed by Alex Zanardi in his Autobiography (which has been a really good read so far!)

**Woolley** · 21 Jan 2005, 18:33 (Ref:1206616)

I'm sure I remember Johnny Herbert admitting to it as well. And someone (van der Poele?) who was sick inside his full face helmet - yuck!

rustyfan · 21 Jan 2005, 18:53 (Ref:1206632)

Speaking of being sick, Swedish speedway ace Tony Rickardsson had the flu during an event a couple of years ago and threw up while racing in one of the heats. Rather than stopping, however, he swallowed it and carried on.

Yummie

MLM · 21 Jan 2005, 20:40 (Ref:1206691)

Quote:

Originally Posted by camcartfan

Bruno is famous for being in the porta potty immediately before taking to his car.

He isn't the only one.

da Matta was another one who did the visit to the potty before getting into the car.
Drivers drink a LOT before a race (I read somewhere up to a gallon!

) because they get very dehydrated.
I remember at Mid Ohio, there was a steady stream of drivers headed to the Men's potty (right next to one of the pit entrances) after the Driver's Parade.

In fact, isn't there a story about Zanardi accidently (or not?

) walking into the Ladies' potty@ MO (which is right next to the Men's )?

BTW, welcome biomatics!

Dov · 21 Jan 2005, 20:56 (Ref:1206700)

Men's or Ladies Potty, who cares, when you gotta go......

jjspierx · 21 Jan 2005, 22:13 (Ref:1206761)

I drink lots of fluids before all my races, and I have never once even thought about having to go during a race, but then again, the longest I have ever been in a car for my races is an hour.

stevebrown · 21 Jan 2005, 22:21 (Ref:1206769)

I remember marshalling F3000 at Silversstone in '98. I was at Woodcote and down on the grid before the start. My mate said look over there. There was a driver relieving himself up against the wall in front of the grandstands. As he zipped up he got a big cheer from the crowd. It was only when he walked back to the track we saw it was Montoya. When you've gotta go...

Steve B

camcartfan · 22 Jan 2005, 09:31 (Ref:1206966)

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevebrown

I remember marshalling F3000 at Silversstone in '98. I was at Woodcote and down on the grid before the start. My mate said look over there. There was a driver relieving himself up against the wall in front of the grandstands. As he zipped up he got a big cheer from the crowd. It was only when he walked back to the track we saw it was Montoya. When you've gotta go...

Steve B

That's hilarious! Cool story.

macdaddy · 22 Jan 2005, 09:38 (Ref:1206970)

As he zipped up he got a big cheer from the crowd.

Imagine the cheer if it had been Danica.

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