I haven't raced with CCS in several years, and have never run a "Team Challenge" race. I plan to do so at Gateway, July 13-14.
What does a sprint racer need to know about these longer races before showing up at the track?
Are teams able to run an entire event on one set of tires?
If only my teammate and I are present can we handle everything or do we really need an extra set of hands?
Any advice is appraciated.
You shouldn't have any problem making a set of tires go the distance. You WILL have a problem with your pitstops, if you don't have a 3rd teammember, to help with re-fueling, etc. Just using a 5gal gas can will cost you major time, while you wait for that 3+ gallons of gas to trickle into your tank. long story/short... You will have much safer/faster stops with a 3rd team member.
I believe you're also suppose to have one person manning a fire extinguisher during refueling.
Whether you can get by with two people really depends on how competitive you want to be. If you don't mind losing a couple laps during a pit stop you can manage.
It's all in Section 11 of the Rule Book, but here are the important things to know about the pit stops:
1. Two 5lb or one 10lb BC rated fire extinguisher(s), manned, pin pulled and at the ready.
2. No short pants on the crew members over the wall, must have sleeves on shirts and no open-toed shoes.
3. Max of seven people over the wall during pit stop, including riders.
4. OK to make any necessary repairs during the pit stop, but bike must stay on the hot pit or behind the pit wall. Your race ends if you return to your pit.