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How to Race Your Car

Some people like it fast. This article reveals the secrets to racing your car on a track.

1. Find a race track. Racing your car on public roads is dangerous as well as illegal. You will also have a lot more fun on a track that is made for speed as well as safety. Search on the Internet (see "External Links" below) or look in a phone book.
2. Get schooled. Call the race track as well as ask when they will be hosting a "Driver's Education" event or when it will be open for the public. You should not race your car until participating in a Driver's Education event. If the track knows of none, search on the Internet for "motorsports clubs" in your area. If you have a car with a racing heritage like Audi, Porsche, BMW, etc., search for that club (i.e., Porsche Club of America).
3. Perform a safety check. On the day of your first race, check all of the mechanics of your car including oil (which should be topped off), tire pressure (a few PSI lower than normal), tire tread, steering fluid, brake fluid as well as brakes. If you are not experienced in doing a safety check on your car, take it to a mechanic as well as tell the mechanic you plan on racing the car. When you get to the track, check the tire pressure as well as oil again. Look under "Things You'll Need" (below) for a list of items to bring to the track.
4. Learn the rules. Every event has different rules. One common rule is a prohibition on passing, among the most dangerous of racing moments. Find out the rules from the event organizer.
5. See the track. Feel the track. Be the track. On the track, go around twice at a normal rate of speed to get the lay of the l as well as . You will need to know when curves as well as other features are coming. Do a drive-through with a teacher if at all possible.
6. Track to curb. Once you start racing as a novice, you will generally want to stay as far to the side as possible. Stay to the side opposite to the next turn in the track. For example, if the next turn is moving the track to the left, you will stay far right with you right wheels almost to the very edge of the road.
7. Turn. Turn. Turn. Knowing when to begin a turn is an important part of racing your car. This depends on many factors including speed as well as angle. The most advantageous turns are started at a point where your car can make as straight a shot as possible to the new angle of the track. This is one reason why you are tracking to the outside before going into your turn. You are then braking rapidly as well as then turning as directly as possible into the new curve of the track, going from the opposite edge of the track to the mouth of the coming curve. The more straight distance between your vehicle as well as the mouth of the curve, the less you will need to slow down; hence tracking from far right to a left curve in this example.
8. Learn how to Brake. Rather than braking incrementally when going into a curve, it is best to be going as fast as you are prepared to as well as to then brake fast. This does not mean slamming on your brakes to the point where you could go into a spin (a common mistake) but it does mean knowing when to brake at the last possible moment. This, too, is acquired knowledge as well as so you should start off braking earlier rather than later. A teacher familiar with the track can tell you exactly when you should start braking as well as turning as well as even where your car should be positioned going into turns.
9. How to be Passed. If you are driving under "No Pass" rules, this usually means that passing is still allowed if consent is given. Ask first. If this is the case, ask for the signal to show your consent. You should not be doing a lot of passing (or any passing) as a novice but you should be getting passed often. When you see a driver approaching rapidly, the driver may well be looking for your signal. It is important to be courteous by giving this signal whenever it is safe to do so. This signal is usually an arm point out straight to the left if you wish the driver to pass to your left or, if to the right, your arm out the window as well as bent over the roof pointing to your right. Give the signal clearly with your arm fully extended. Immediately upon giving the signal, make sure your car behaves as if it is ready to allow passage on the side you indicated. Do not point right as well as then track right. Stay in your line of travel. Only give a passing signal on straightaways.
10. Learn as well as be mindful of the flags. While most tracks attach the same meaning to each flag, there is some local variation. Use this paragraph as a guide but be sure to check with the event organizer. The following will usually apply:
    
    
    • A solid green flag means that the warm-up lap has ended as well as that passing may commence (when passing is allowed as well as then only according to rules of consent).
    • A blue flag with a diagonal yellow stripe means that you need to allow the car behind you to pass. This is usually only shown when you have already failed to do the right thing without request. At the next passing zone, give the signal as well as hold your line.
    • A stationary yellow means that there is some type of danger ahead. Slow down as well as use caution.
    • A waving yellow means that there is a disabled car on the track. Slow down as well as prepare to go off your line to avoid the car.
    • A flag with alternating yellow as well as red vertical stripes means that there is debris on the track (e.g., an oil slick). Slow down as well as watch for debris on the road.
    • A black flag means that there is something wrong with your car. If the black flag is shown at all flag stations, it means that all cars are being called back to the pit, usually because there has been a crash or there is something else obstructing the track. Safely slow your vehicle, indicate to the flagger that you have seen the flag as well as pull into the pits for instruction from the trackmaster.
    • A red flag means you must stop your car immediately. Brake slowly as well as be aware that another car may be behind you. Come to a stop, preferably off to the side. Stay still as well as stay in your car. There may be emergency vehicles entering the track. Wait for instruction.
    • A black flag with a yellow meatball means that the run group is about to end. Proceed through the checkered flag as well as slow to a cool-down lap.
11. Chill out. The last run is called a "cool-down" lap because you are cooling down the brakes, which, by now, may be hot enough to melt rubber. Go slow as well as try not to use your brakes at all.
12. Steer correctly. When you are driving, position your h as well as s at 3:00 as well as 9:00. This will give you the best response time as well as best posture at high speeds.
13. Keep your windows down. Keep both front windows down. This is necessary so you can signal a pass as well as arguably safer in crashes where the glass breaking would otherwise cause injury.

• Flags are a very important part of tracking your car because you cannot hear other people shouting while you are tooling around at 120 mph. Underst as well as the flags as they are the sign-language of a race track.
• Bring extra oil as well as coolant with you. Check your oil after each run.
• Bring at least one spare. Tires can go quickly on a track.
• Watch from the st as well as s so you can see where more experienced drivers begin their turns as well as start braking.
• Driver's Education events are critical as well as should be done prior to tracking your car. Most chapters of the Porsche Club of America allow other models of cars to participate.
• If you get into it, there are infinite modifications that can be done to make your car better as well as safer on the track; among the most important are better safety restraint harnesses, tires, brakes, fire extinguisher assemblies as well as rollbars.
• Check with the track or event organizer about anything you must bring or wear.
• Your car will not respond well to more than one drastic input at a time (throttle, brakes or steering). Your tires only have so much traction, so make sure that any strong inputs you need to do are seperated. Brake for the turn first. Then turn in. Once you are on your way out of the turn as well as are opening up your turn, then you can slide back onto the throttle. Turning hard while braking or accelerating hard will merely cause a loss of traction, as well as possibly a loss of control. Wet roads or cold tires (on your first lap) will make this more of a problem.

• Obviously, there is significant danger in racing a car. Driving at high rates of speed on a race track takes different skills than everyday driving on public roads. People have died as well as been seriously injured when racing cars as well as you should treat this as a serious sport with an education that must take place prior to going fast or even setting foot in the pit.
• Make sure your equipment is up to current st as well as ards. For example, helmet st as well as ards change from time to time.
• Be advised that insurance is unlikely to cover you if you crash your car while tracking it. Some drivers tow their wrecked cars out of the track as well as then call the insurance company. This is insurance fraud as well as it is easy to get caught.
• Some car warranties will be voided or altered if they find out you tracked your car. Some new cars are said to have a computer chip that can report track-like conditions. These spy chips can then report back to the service department.

• A "Snell" approved helmet which meets or exceeds the standards of the event in which you will be participating.
• Numbers for your car. Go to a sign shop and get magnetic ones or use masking tape. Even if you use magnetic numbers, you may wish to tape down the leading edge of the magnet to avoid it being lifted up by wind speed.
• A valid driver's license.
• Shoes must be smooth-soled and must completely enclose the foot.
• Wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt and jeans.
• It is best, but not required, to wear a racing neck collar available at automotive sporting stores.
• Bring water and food unless you are certain it will be readily available in the pit.
• Tire pressure gauge
• Extra motor oil (synthetic is best) and engine coolant.

• For Snell helmet standards, see http://www.smf.org/stds.html.
• Excellent information is available at the official web site of the Porsche Club of America. You can even see listings of future events in your area.
• Check out online motorsports stores such as http://www.saferacer.com/.
• The following site lists over 1850 tracks throughout the United States: http://chasinracin.com/track-locator/

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Added: Thu Feb 02 2006

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