What if I told you I have a secret trick that will not only find you speed and lower lap times, it will improve your consistency and ultimately lead to more wins and championships?
This isn’t hypothetical, it’s real. There is a trick to finding consistent speed. And while it’s not really a secret, it might as well be because few teams utilize it.
The secret to consistent speed has nothing to do with tricks and everything to do with mastering the basics. Balance – Wheel Positions - Binds.
Yep, you just lost interest. I’ve preached this for years. Few crew chiefs and even fewer car owners want to hear it. The crazy thing is if I told you I had a trick new set of spindles that will make your car turn better and they cost $1500, my phone would start ringing immediately with orders.
Why is this? Because we all face the same primary restraint. Time. Most teams have more money than they have time. Car owners are impatient. They’re looking for the quickest and easiest way to run better. Spending money is easier, faster (and more fun) than working on the car.
But here’s the problem: Finding speed through “tricks” is like gambling. Going faster is based on your “hope” that the part will work. Sometimes they do, usually they don’t. Rarely ever does the new speed last.
What does it mean to master the basics?
First, Gain knowledge on how the racecar works. Suspension analysis equipment such as pull down fixtures and data acquisition systems can expedite this process. Books, seminars and training videos such as DRPUniversity.tv are good investments too.
Next, focus your time and effort on refining the main inputs that make racecars fast. (We’ll go through a complete list of inputs in a future post.) You refine by taking quality measurements and adjusting
Finally, log your information in an organized manner so you can pull it up and compare what works, what doesn’t and catch changes you missed. Your notebook is the most important piece of equipment you’ll buy for your race team.
Step 1: Learn
Step 2: Measure & Adjust
Step 3: Log Info & Analyze
No, it's not exciting, but it's proven to be successful at every level of motorsports.