Racing Southwest

It’s time to start racing!  It may be your first time out this season or your first time out ever, but race preparation is key in making your first race day go as planned.

The first step is to clean out your car.  The junk cluttering up the back seat becomes a flying mass of projectiles during a race.  The first time I autocrossed my Focus, I was oblivious to the fact that  CDs become flying saucers of doom when g-forces are in play.  I had a set of ten CDs in a visor mounted case.  By turn three, they became a driving hazard by flying right onto my dash, passenger seat, and floor.

The second important race preparation is checking your tire pressure.  Under normal driving conditions, passenger car tires need about 36 pounds per square inch (PSI) of air pressure.  In a road race, drift, or autocross setting, tires should be inflated above the car manufacturer’s specifications.  This is because when your car takes corners, the weight is shifted to the outermost tire.  This shift in weight can compress the sidewall on your tire.  By filling it up with more air, you are protecting your sidewall from the added stress.  This will make your tires last a lot longer, plus you avoid rubbing your wheels on the pavement.

There are many theories about how much air to put into your tires.  If this is your first time out, look at the sidewall of your tire.  There is small lettering indicating the maximum pressure that the tire will hold.  It can be anywhere between 44 and 55 PSI.  After you have determined the max pressure, fill all four tires up 5 PSI less than the max.  If you cannot locate the max pressure, inflate them to 42 PSI.  This is enough pressure to keep most sidewalls from caving in too much, and a good starting point.  After you get a little bit more comfortable with your car, you can start messing with your tire pressures.

So, you’ve checked your tire pressure, it’s now time to check the tread.  Tread wear is measured in 32nds of an inch (1/32”).  This is because 1/32nd of an inch is the smallest size the human eye can see.  On most tires, there are tread wear indicators built into the tread.  As soon as the tire wears down to 2/32nds (1/16”) of an inch, the tread wear indicators become visible.  They are small strips of hard rubber that run perpendicular to the face of the tire.  If you can see several of the indicators, it’s time for new tires.

You can also purchase a tool called a tread wear indicator.  It looks like a vaccine, but instead of injecting fluid, you push a tiny ruler into the deepest Tire tread indicatorgroove in the tire tread.  When the ruler bottoms out, remove the tool and record the measurement.  Take measurements in a few spots on the tire to determine how worn it is.  There will be a safety inspection before the race, and if your tires are too worn out, you may not get to race.

The safety inspection is very important. The race techs usually inspect wheels, tires, steering, throttle linkage, and battery tie down.  It is a good idea to inspect these items yourself a few days before the race.  Make sure all of your lug nuts are torqued down in the proper order.  Visually inspect your throttle linkage while someone presses the accelerator pedal.  Make sure the spring-loaded lever moves back and forth smoothly.  If your throttle sticks open on the track it can be devastating.  Other major components to check include brakes and suspension, including shocks and struts.

Lastly, check all of your fluids.  It’s difficult to get motivated to change your oil in the cold winter, but now that it’s warming up, get out there and change it.  You will be saving your engine and your wallet.  Also check your brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid if possible.  Most cars don’t have a tranny dipstick, but they do have fill and drain plugs.  It may be time to change that as well.

The last helpful tip I have involves removing your horn, turn signal, and windshield wiper fuses.  This will save you from the embarrassing occurrence of honking or cleaning your windshield mid-turn.

Now you’re ready to race.  Not sure where the next race is?  Check the forums.  The RSW Drift Cross is one of the best venues to start racing.  It gives participants a chance to try out road racing, drifting, and autocross.