Competition
Ready
Preparing
an average car for the local race course is easy
By Jeffrey
Fazio
At
this time of the year, when people think about their cars, it’s not
surprising that their thoughts turn to shoveling it out of its parking
spot, buying snow tires or wondering if the defroster will actually
work for the rest of the winter (OK, that last one is reserved for
people driving cars that are more than 20 years old). Although these
are appropriate thoughts for the season, it is also time to start
thinking about racing your car in the new year.
Yes,
your car. Why not?
There
are a variety of venues that you can compete in with the car you drive
every day. Two of the most popular automotive contests are drag racing
and autocrossing. You can compete in either or both within our region.
For
drag racing, Maple Grove Raceway is a short 15-minute drive from
Reading, south on Route 10 to Brecknock Township. If you want to
autocross, there are occasional events held by the Northeastern
Pennsylvania Region of the Sports Car Club of America about 40 minutes
north of Reading on Route 61 at the Frackville Mall in Schuylkill
County.
If
your attention is duly grabbed, now the question is what do you need
to do with your car to make sure it is safe and ready to race? The
good news is, probably not much.
Chris
Haydu, NEPA SCCA board member and 2006 NEPA SCCA STS Class Champion,
said that in order to get started autocrossing, you just need to do a
routine safety check of your car. That check should include making
sure:
·
Fluids are at the proper levels
·
Lug nuts are tight
·
Tires are in good shape and properly inflated
·
Vehicle is not leaking
·
Hubcaps are removed
·
Seatbelt works
·
Everything under the hood is tight (battery, intake system, spark plug
wires, etc.)
"In
preparing your vehicle for its first autocross, the first thing that I
would do is to remove any loose items from your trunk and passenger
area," Haydu said. "This includes anything from under your
seats, cup holders, map pockets, floor mats, sun visors, or anything
that could possibly move during a high g-force maneuver that may
interfere with your ability to use the controls on your vehicle."
In
order to get started drag racing, John Krupiak, track manager at Maple
Grove Raceway, also said there was little extra to do to a vehicle.
"I
think basically folks can look around the vehicle at things that they
probably do or should do on a regular basis: inflated tires, tightened
lug nuts, etc." said Krupiak. "There is very little to an
inspection of late-model street-driven vehicles."
And
yes, both of these guys are talking about an everyday car. The great
thing about these sports is that almost anyone can enter in almost any
type of vehicle.
"One
of the appealing features of drag racing is that participants do not
need to have a race-prepared vehicle," Krupiak explained.
"Folks truly can have fun with or be competitive with their
street-driven vehicle depending on which event they choose to
participate at.
"Our
2005 and 2006 Street Eliminator champion drives a 1980 Chevrolet
Malibu Wagon," he added.
The
same goes for autocrossing, with a small word of warning.
"You
can autocross just about any four-wheeled vehicle, from cars, trucks,
and vans to go-carts," said Haydu.
"Any
participant vehicle with a high center of gravity would probably be
discouraged from entering," he warned. "Fast side-to-side
transitions on a race track could result in a vehicle rollover if the
vehicle is too tall. Most cars and sport trucks are fine for
competition, though. Usually lower, smaller vehicles and sports cars
are the ones that get the best times during the day."
Haydu
said the things you need to check on a car can most likely be handled
yourself or have already been checked with an annual Pennsylvania
state inspection.
"I
do not believe people should incur additional costs to have
technicians look at their cars just to make a few laps down a drag
strip, especially newer cars," said Krupiak. "We have
skilled technical people inspecting the cars and other racers are
always willing to help out newcomers when the need arises."
There
is really no need to worry if you want to take your daily driver out
to the track this spring and see how you (and it) stack up against
some other drivers. It is a wonderful pastime and it can provide an
awesome adrenaline rush.
"Whether
people care to admit it or not, just about everyone that has a license
and drives a car, has raced at one time or another," said Krupiak.
"It just should not be done on overcrowded highways and byways
when you have places to do it."
"Autocrossing
is by far the best way to learn vehicle control and will give you the
confidence you need during unexpected situations on the roadways to
maintain a clear mind and get yourself out of trouble," Haydu
said. "Most drivers on the road today have never had the
opportunity to see how their car would behave in an emergency
situation. The last place you would want to figure this out would be
on a busy highway or a crowded intersection."
Realizing
how easy it is to get involved in competing, there is only one
question left. When’s your first race?
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