Mechanical

Building a car vs developing a car

DwD 0341: The difference between building a car and developing a car

Race Weekend Shuffle in place: We have talked a lot about building a race car and prepping a car for the track. But that Is only the beginning and just when you thought it was over, it has only begun. The best way to think about it is that you now have a ticket to enter the event and part of your future will be developing the car and improving it.

There are things that will always need to be done. Some of these areas are to increase the performance of the car. Many of these areas are to improve the durability and reliability of the car. There is also a set related to optimizing the car by dialing in the various settings and options within the car that you will be using to improve the performance on a given track or day or weather or. Undoubtedly this is the first part of a multipart series. On this episode Ben was joined by guest judge Jeremy Hall, Vicki, and Bill.

If we missed a factor or something wasn’t covered to a satisfactory level, please let us know at [email protected] or on our Instagram @GarageHeroesInTraining

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc. Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating, that we would appreciate that very much. Even better, a podcast review, would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving and we would appreciate it.

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is amazingly easy. If you go to your podcast library, look under shows. Then click on this podcast. Here you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS If you are looking to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with you video, Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution for you. We are during installing the system in two of our cars. If this sounds like something that may help you and your team, please use our discount code “GHIT” for a 10% discount code to all our listeners during the checkout process.

PS2 Please do not forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, do not forget to use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system, a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order. They are a great system and invaluable to safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross, etc. The recently released second generation systems and app increases the capability of the system.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Jeremy, Alan, and Bill

Hosts and Drivers for the Garage Heroes In Training team

DwD 0341: The difference between building a car and developing a car

Bought Not Built

DwD 0335: Bought Not Built?

One of best things about racing is how welcoming racing has been to us and in general to everyone we see at the track. One related aspect of this is the application of a built not bought aspect to racing. It is often used in jest, but can divide the paddock, either by accident or intent. However, just because you or your team may have mechanical experience and talent, which does not imply that a team or person that does not should be excluded from the sport. We discuss this and several other areas that can be seen to prevent others from joining our sport. Even Fake Jen makes an appearance on this episode along with another great Alan Story.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice. This includes the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc. Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating, that we would appreciate that very much. Even better, a podcast review, would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving and we would appreciate it.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, and Bill

Hosts and Drivers for the Garage Heroes In Training team

DwD 0335: Bought Not Built?

How to Test Your Race Car

at the Track with Scott Robertson

GHIT 0334: How to Test Your Car at the Track with Scott Robertson

We often hear how important it is to test your car prior to racing. While listening to Scott’s Track Walking podcast (a can’t miss podcast), Scott was discussing how he and Becky were able to conduct a full track test and tune evaluation of their vehicle during a recent HPDE. Since Scott is a respected coach and offers a service to help a driver to dial in their car at the track, we thought he would be a perfect guest to discuss how to best conduct a test and tune day most effectively and efficiently. We start the discussion with what a test day means and work our way up from there. This was recorded several weeks ago prior to the 2022 One Lap of America where Scott and Becky entered the OLoA in their Mazda 2 Sundae Cup car lovingly called Mooncake. If we could go back in time, we would have asked how that car was able to come in second overall on the skid pad event versus some very capable and sometimes expensively prep’ed vehicles.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice. This includes the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc.

Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating, that we would appreciate that very much. Even better would be a podcast review. This helps us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving and we would appreciate it.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS If you are looking to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with you video, Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution for you. We are amid installing the system in two of our cars. If this sounds like something that may help you and your team, please use our discount code “GHIT” for a 10% discount during the checkout process at https://candelaria-racing.com/

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights for this episode include:

1) We start off with pre-event processes such as planning what you will test. This includes aspects of what tools you have, what you are capable/willing to change at the track.

2) Some examples of the testing order and priority. Things to do and things not to do.

3) One of the key aspects is to determine what you are trying to get from the process, i.e., driver experience/education or car optimization etc.

4) We also cover some of the key changes that you would like to change, as well as what tools you need to have for some of the key areas you will likely test. Hint: you will need a good tire pressure gauge and ideally a tire thermocouple or equivalent.

5) The best aspects of seeking an outside perspective or even better an experiences coach or F1 engineer, or even somewhere in between.

6) Ideas of things that you would like to test, including front sway bar (full hard to disconnected), rear sway bar (same), shock sweeps (full hard to full soft), rake adjustment, alignment, aero, tire pressure, etc.

7) Tips on how the impact of driver adaptation can affect the tests.

8) The importance of testing documentation and how it can help you going forward. A partial list of the items to summarize include the weather, track conditions, alignment, tires and condition, driver etc. This will eventually lead towards secondary goal of building you set up database for the car and the tracks

9) We go into last year’s One Lap of America and the (at that time) upcoming 2022 which since been completed.

10) Scott and Becky finished first in class and 54th out of 84 entries for the entire event and stunned the world on the skid pad with a 2nd place overall.

To follow Scott, you can go to:

@TrackWalkingPodcast on Facebook or Instagram

@RobertsonRacing on Instagram

@RobertsonRacingMiata on Facebook

Or you can email Scott about coaching etc. at: [email protected]

GHIT 0334: How to Test Your Car at the Track with Scott Robertson

Best Car Mods to Go Faster

DwD 0328: Best Car Mods to Go Faster – With Guest DwD Judge Tyler

Ben is joined by honorary guest DwD Judge Tyler for a special Dominating with Dawson where we go over what are the best things you can modify in your car to perform better. Ben goes with brakes pads and brake fluid upgrades. Tyler goes with upgraded tires. While both of these are great additions, Bill and Vicki disagree slightly. If we were playing Family Feud, brake pads and fluid would be #2. Tires a close #3. We always like keeping you in suspense so the correct car mods answer is……..

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS If you are looking to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with you video, Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution for you. We are in the midst of installing the system in two of our cars. If this sounds like something that may help you and your team, please use our discount code “GHIT” for a 10% discount code to all our listeners during the checkout process.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

DwD 0328: Best Car Mods to Go Faster – With Guest DwD Judge Tyler

Audra Tella on Autocross and a Pre-Intervention

– on Autocross and a Pre-Intervention

GHIT 0314: Audra Tella on Autocross and a Pre-Intervention

It was almost spring, and we were thinking about ways to get out and start having fun with our cars again. We thought it may be great to go autocross’ing, especially to start the season. Since we were thinking autocross, we thought we’d invite Audra back to the podcast to talk all things autocross. Audra Tella is one of the hosts of the Shifting Points podcast and is also one of the leads for the local BMW autocross group near Boston. We talk about what to expect at your first event and what to do and more importantly what not to do to go to your first autocross event. Then we launch our intervention plan. This is part one of the plan. Part two will be revealed in the next episode of the Shifting Points podcast coming out this Wednesday. We started the podcast to get people started having fun with their cars. Audra and her fellow podcast host are already enjoying their cars but, especially after seeing Audra last year at our Thompson race, we hoped we could offer to help them start driving or maybe even tracing on track.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS If you are looking to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with you video, Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution for you. We are in the midst of installing the system in two of our cars. If this sounds like something that may help you and your team, please use our discount code “GHIT” for a 10% discount code to all of our listeners during the checkout process.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights for this episode include:

1) What is autocross? What you need to do to prep for the event and what you should NOT do to prep for the event or prevent you from going. Bill goes full facetious for at least 15 minutes.

2) Why are the cones there, what do they do and why does everyone seem to be angry with them.

3) We break down the lingo a bit and show that your first event will be easy to start and learn. Autocross drivers are very welcoming to everyone and would love to share their sport and all the fun.

4) Audra introduces up to the internet. It is a wonderful way to find an event close to you.

5) How autocross is structured to even out the competition or break it down into groups of evenly matched cars. Some even have special classes for novices.

6) We also find out what vent is Audra Tella’s favorite event of the season. We may have to attend. Time to check the season schedule.

7) What is Audra’s schedule for the season? Can we add to the festivities? Or are we just bad influences? Still TBD on that one.

8) Why we all started podcasts?

9) The devious plan is devised and launched? Our planning for the Mini Intervention.

10) Audra makes a prediction of the potential livery theme. Is she correct? Tune into the second part of this episode on Audra’s Shifting Point podcast, coming soon, hopefully this Wednesday if life doesn’t get in the way of editing.

To hear how part two goes, subscribe to the Shifting Points podcast and the episode will be coming shortly.

GHIT 0314: Audra Tella on Autocross and a Pre-Intervention

Part 2 over on the Shifting points podcast is HERE