Whatever kind of racing you enjoy, a big part of your time will be spent worrying about race car preparation. If you don’t have a solid plan in place, it’s easy to forget something important – or distract yourself worrying that you’ve forgotten something important!
Fortunately, sleepless nights can be avoided if you put together a good race car preparation plan. It doesn’t need to be complicated, either. A solid checklist that gives you an idea of what to check when is all you need.
Race car preparation shouldn’t be a last minute thing. As soon as one race ends you should be preparing for the next one. That doesn’t mean that you can’t take a while to celebrate your victory, but you should give your car some care and attention – after all, it did help you earn your place on the podium! Start by cleaning the car, and giving it a quick visual inspection. Is everything where it should be? Did anything get damaged? If so, replace or fix the damaged bits. If anything felt odd when you were driving, spend a few minutes investigating anything that you think might be a problem. Don’t ignore any rumblings or warning signs.
As the race draws closer, you can start thinking about more specific parts of race car preparation. Watch the weather forecast and make sure you’ll have the right selection of tyres for the day. Make sure that your car is topped up with all the important fluids, that your tyre pressures are correct, and that all your safety gear is in good condition. If you can, run some test laps of the track to make sure that everything feels good.
On race day, work through your checklist, and give the vehicle a quick visual inspection. You won’t spot any minor issues that way, but you might spot a damaged weld or broken wing that could otherwise land you in a lot of trouble.
As a driver, you’ll have your own issues to worry about. Make sure that you have something to eat and drink a while before the race. Also, take a trip to the bathroom just before you suit up. The last thing you want is to have your bladder complaining while you’re driving! Keep a drink in the car if it’s going to be a long race. Get someone to check you’re suited up properly, and confirm your helmet is strapped on correctly. It’s easy to forget to do the chin straps up, and a loose helmet is almost useless in certain types of crash.
The specifics of race car preparation will depend on the kind of racing you do, and where you do it, but there are a few things that will always apply. Before you start racing, you should always check that your vehicle is in good condition, and conduct some basic safety checks. If you aren’t a mechanic yourself, then getting a qualified mechanic to look over your car periodically is a sensible idea. Remember, safety first!
This post was written by James Harper on behalf of DMS Racing. James writes on a number of subjects including motoring and motor sport.
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