Racing takes a lot of planning, time, money, and resources. The basics it takes just to race are unbelievable! It’s not just about the driver, the driver has an entire team, called a pit crew, that help keep the car running before, during and after each race.
Let’s break down some of the basics of IndyCar racing. IndyCars use E85, an Ethanol-based fuel blended with 15% high octane racing fuel. The average cost of E85 gas is $2.49. The mpg (miles per gallon) for IndyCars is less than 2, that's crazy low! An IndyCar fuel tank can hold 18.5 gallons of gas. It takes the pit crew an average of 7 seconds to help refuel at each stop and the driver an average of 40 seconds to complete each lap.
The KidsFit team stepped into the shoes of a pit crew and completed some IndyCar equations. We discovered so much!
Here are the facts for an Indy 500 race:
- 200 laps completed
- 250 gallons of gas burned
- $622.50 to fuel each car for the race
- 37 miles between each pit stop
- 13.5 pit stops during each race
- 1,480 seconds between pit stops
- 94.5 seconds added to each race from pit stops
Check our facts with the IndyCar Equation Challenge and experience part of the planning a pit crew goes through each race for yourself!
