Race Preparation in PDF

RACE PREPARATION

The 5 Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. You want a well-built car when you arrive at the track, but top drivers also have a routine before every run to make sure the car's settings are consistent each time out. This makes sure the car on the track is indeed what you want, and any performance difference is the result of deliberate changes. Here is a list of things we check each time the car hits the track, for practice or racing. It's meant to be a quick reference list; for a more comprehensive discussion of each setting check the Tuning Section. After a few times, the list should be routine and only take a few moments; you'll be rewarded with a car that's consistent, more responsive, and faster overall. Start with a car ready to run, body off.

1 - Check ride height. Find a flat and level surface; if you're going to use a gauge make sure the surface is hard, as a pit towel could throw off your readings. Check the front height, then the rear, and from the side take a look at the 'rake' of the car. Even little changes-anti-squat adjustment, shock mounting holes, different tires, etc-will change the ride height, so it's very important to check this every time the car hits the track.

2 - Look over your X-6 Cubed. This is easily done as you adjust ride height above. Just keep your eyes open as you go through the list. Feel the shocks, inspect the ballstuds, etc. You'd be amazed how many times we find a ballstud or shock nut working loose, or a loose/cracked part before a qualifier or race.

3 - Check camber front and rear. The one thing that can throw off camber measurements more than anything else is bent rims. If the top of your wheel wobbles in and out as you rotate the tire your rim is probably bent slightly. This isn't the end of the world; you don't have to replace the tire. Simply identify a spot between the extremes, rotate the tire so that point is on the top, and set your camber from there.

4 - Check the front Toe-in. Center the steering rack under the top plate, then look at the front wheels. If you don't have a toe-in gauge, stand up and look down at the front of the car for a better perspective.

5 - Set your slipper clutch and diff. We generally recommend the 'hold the rear tires and punch it' method: Turn the transmitter and car on, hold the rear wheels securely, and give the transmitter a quick burst of 100% throttle-don't be shy! You should hear a high-pitched whine as the front end lifts off your pit table; that's the slipper working. If the diff slips (a screech sound) stop immediately and tighten it a 1/4 turn or so. Back off the slipper and try again. Besides listening, watch the front end of your X-6 Cubed as you do this. The higher off the table your front tires get the tighter your slipper is set.