Garage Heroes (In Training)

Learning as we go. Come along with us and Enjoy the Ride!

Racing 101

GHIT 0185 Racing 101 Part 5: What to Expect At Your First Track Day

or What To Expect When You Are Expecting To Drive On Track For the First Time

Racing Expectations

Our podcast is trying to encourage people to try high performance driving and racing, so Vicki wanted to start a special series she calls “So You Wanna Racecar”.  On this episode, we go over a typical track visit from arriving at the gate to departing at the conclusion of the event.  It’s like you get to experience everything about racing on a track without the thrill of driving, and without the post-race hangover from your adrenaline crash.  The goal of this episode is to help you to be prepared for what usually happens when you visit a track for the first time and hopefully reduce some of the anxiety of going into the “unknown”.

Please let us know if we missed anything that you may want discussed in a future episode of our Racing 101 Series. 

The outline for the series is:

Part 1:  Building Your First Race Car (and options to not)

Part 2:  Safety and Safety Related Equipment Needed

Part 3:  Best Entry Points To Start Performance Driving

Part 4:  Buying and Selling Cars (With Special Guest Lara Vernon)

Part 5:  Going To and From The Event/Track – What To Expect

Part 6:  Paddock and Pit – Best Practices

Part 7:  Perspective of a New Driver (With Guest Adam Owens)

Part 8:  Tools, Spares, Supplies Needed for a Race Weekend

Part 9:  Common Issues All Drivers Will/May Experience in When On Track For the First Time

Part 10:  Miscellaneous Topics (& Things We Forget to Mention Earlier)

On this episode of Dominating with Dawson, we go into the seeming obsession in the paddock with late braking for turns.  If it is your first time on track, please don’t try to push your brake points to the very last minute.  Leave some room and focus more on your corner apex and exit.  It is much faster and much safer, especially early on in your career of driving a track.

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 or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

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

A link to the episode is: https://tinyurl.com/Racing101Part5 

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS  Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t 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.  We have two systems for our team and Bill is looking to add a third for this season, pending CFO approval from Vicki.  They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

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

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  Our goal is to reduce some of the flood of information that occurs when you first go to the track for your first event.

2)  Bill provides a tip to answering the dreaded question of “Do I look fat in this dress” and also goes into potentially what may be the worst response to the question.  

3)  Our team is founded on checklists and we provide several examples of what we use on our website at:  www.GarageHeroesInTraining.com.  Hot tip though, having a checklist that you don’t bring with you or use won’t help you at all.

4)  One of the tried and true sayings from our Lemons races “Numbers are hard”.  Here are several tips that try to make them a bit easier.  

5)  Tips on garage and paddock layouts at the track.

6)  We try to walk you through the point where you arrive at the track and all the way through the event.  Many tracks and series have slightly different details and procedures, but we try to give an overview of many of the most common procedures.

7)  We go through the tech inspection process of both the driver’s safety equipment and the car’s mechanical and safety tech inspection.

8)  Tracks also will have varying ways that they hold their practice schedule and we try to give a couple of examples that are most common.  It is important to make sure you know what the schedule is and make sure you can get the value for the expense.  If it does work for you, especially if you are a new driver or new to the track, we recommend signing up and getting some laps on the track, often with only a few other cars on the track.

9)  If you aren’t familiar with them, track walks are a great way to learn the track, especially if you can tag along with a group who is familiar with the track.  If you see us taking a track walk, please feel free to join us.

10)  Our endurance races usually start Saturday morning until Saturday evening, pause, and then resume Sunday morning and finish Sunday evening.  As such, Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings are very similar.  Also, Friday evening and Saturday evening are usually similar, but often if things are going well, Saturday has a lot more social “opportunities” (read as parties) in the paddock.  

11)  Organizing the paddock and pilot area are key to getting the car prepped quickly and efficiently.  Tips abound.

12)  Most races end Sunday evening and the track closes in a few hours after that, so there are a few tips on prepping the paddock and pit area for departure to make this possible.

13)  Try to get everything done as early as possible since there are often unforeseen issues and problems that arise unexpectedly.  We give a few hypothetical examples we have “heard” about.

14)  How did Bill get the nickname “toddler”

15)  Some factors that may need to be considered when thinking about and setting up your driver line up, especially for the first stint.

16)  There are also a few of the racing etiquette details sprinkled throughout the episode.

17)  Bill gets several homework assignments for providing some lists on our website.  It may take a bit, but they are coming and will be updated shortly. (ish)

GHIT 0185 Racing 101 Part 5: What to Expect At Your First Track Day

GHIT 0183: Racing 101 Part 4: Buying and Selling a Race Car or a Soon to be Race Car

Are there any other types?

Buying a Car

We are getting back to our podcast roots and wanted to start a special series Vicki calls “So You Wanna Racecar” that Bill can’t seem to say correctly.  This is part 4 of the series (of ~10). On this episode, we try to summarize the process involved with finding and buying a “new to you” car, or for those with a problem (Like Bill) how to best prepare to sell your car.  Lara Vernon is on as our guest for a second time and is involved with buying and selling cars in her real life where she owns a boutique exotic car dealership called “Rare Exotic Vehicles” in Asheville NC that deals with very cool vintage cars and hot rods from the 1930’s on.  The discussion deals with all types of cars, from a daily driver to a race car to a future race car to a parts car for the race car.  Lara’s advice will save you time and money and get you further towards your goal.  You may even find that flipping cars or parting out cars can help support your racing.  This is one of the rare cases where the magician gives away a few of the secrets.

Please let us know if we missed anything that you may want discussed in a future episode of our Racing 101 Series. 

The outline for the series is:

Part 1:  Building Your First Racecar (and options to not)

Part 2:  Safety and Safety Related Equipment Needed

Part 3:  Best Entry Points To Start Performance Driving

Part 4:  Buying and Selling Cars (With Special Guest Lara Vernon)

Part 5:  Going To and From The Event/Track – What To Expect

Part 6:  Paddock and Pit – Best Practices

Part 7:  Perspective of a New Driver (With Guest Adam Owens)

Part 8:  Tools, Spares, Supplies Needed for a Race Weekend

Part 9:  Common Issues All Drivers Will/May Experience in When On Track For the First Time

Part 10:  Miscellaneous Topics (& Things We Forget to Mention Earlier)

On this episode of Dominating with Dawson we go into how high performance driving education (HPDE) helps everyone on public roads, whether you have driven for decades or even if you are a new or soon to be new driver.  It helps in all areas including the use of controls within the car as well as increasing the ability for the driver to anticipate and read the road and other drivers.  We know of nothing that can be more effective in improving your driving as well as reducing the likelihood of an incident on public roads and everyday driving situations.  Our three hosts all agree but each has a different number one improvement area that they feel has been improved through our driving education events and driving on track.  We then wander into the relative safety of being on a track vs off track/on public roads.  For those keeping score at home, the track is way safer than driving on public streets, even if you don’t count the safety equipment improvements involved with a prepared race car.

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 or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

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

A link to the episode is:  https://tinyurl.com/Racing101Part-2

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS  Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t 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.  We have two systems for our team and Bill is looking to add a third for this season, pending CFO approval from Vicki.  They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

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

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  We start off with a review of Lara’s recent win with her team on the 24 Hours of Daytona on iRacing where she will be getting her iRolex.

2)  Critical aspects of the car searching process, what to avoid, what to look for, and how to look for things that will indicate a well taken care of car. 

3)  How the discussion of the car can lead to even better deals, both on the phone and eventually in person when possible.

4)  Several of her favorite sites to look for cars online.  Bill shares the Auto Tempest addiction and has a large set of open searches that he is always looking at, much to the irritation of Vicki.

5)  Two words to try to avoid in most cases are accident and rust without a lot of further detail and investigation, rust being at the top of the list.

6)  Lara also goes into the current market pricing and demand that she is seeing and how things are changing, even during our current COVID situation.  It seems to be a seller’s market currently.

7)  We also cover the transaction from the perspective of the seller.  Yes Bill, you can sell cars as well.  Try it.  You might make Vicki happier.

8)  Tips on how to inspect a car, what to look for, and where to get background on the particular model. Body, engine, fluids (level and color/smell), paint, with plenty of tips and tricks.  Note to self:  Do not let Lara near our race cars, they may not inspect well, lol.

9)  Somehow, we ended up talking about our award winning race at the 24 Hours of Lemons race in Thompson Connecticut during our second ever race.  Granted it was the “I Got Screwed Award”, but hey, it is an award, lol.

10)  We also go into a bit about her iRacing results and what is involved in some of her endurance races.  Now if we could just get Jen and Vicki to not get motion sickness.

PS If you are preparing to sell a car, another former podcast guest,  Jim Tramontano from “No Money Motorsports”, has a great article on things to do or avoid when listing your car to maximize your selling price and minimize the time on the market.  https://tinyurl.com/SellingRaceCars

(Jim, you are way overdue for another episode)

Lara’s Contact information is: 

Her business is are:  www.RareExoticVehicles.com

@Lara.is.racing on Instagram

9)  Somehow, we ended up talking about our award winning race at the 24 Hours of Lemons race in Thompson Connecticut during our second ever race.  Granted it was the “I Got Screwed Award”, but hey, it is an award, lol.

10)  We also go into a bit about her iRacing results and what is involved in some of her endurance races.  Now if we could just get Jen and Vicki to not get motion sickness.

PS If you are preparing to sell a car, another former podcast guest,  Jim Tramontano from “No Money Motorsports”, has a great article on things to do or avoid when listing your car to maximize your selling price and minimize the time on the market.  https://tinyurl.com/SellingRaceCars

(Jim, you are way overdue for another episode)

Lara’s Contact information is: 

Her business is are:  www.RareExoticVehicles.com

@Lara.is.racing on Instagram

GHIT 0183: Racing 101 Part 4: Buying and Selling a Race Car or a Soon to be Race Car

GHIT 0182: Racing 101 Part 3: Easy Entry Points to Start Performance Driving

Open door to racing

We are getting back to our podcast roots and wanted to start a special series Vicki calls “So You Wanna Racecar” that Bill can’t seem to say correctly.  This is part 3 of the series (of ~10). On this episode, we try to summarize the easiest ways that we know of to start performance driving and racing your car.  We selected these options by their ease of entry, ability to enter with little to no driving experience, and their safety.  Cost and complexity of entry was also added as a secondary criterion that we discuss throughout that episode.  The best advice we can give is to just pick one that sounds good for you and start.

Please let us know if we missed anything that you may want discussed in a future episode of our Racing 101 Series. 

The outline for the series is:

Part 1:  Building Your First Racecar (and options to not)

Part 2:  Safety and Safety Related Equipment Needed

Part 3:  Best Entry Points To Start Performance Driving

Part 4:  Buying and Selling Cars (With Special Guest Lara Vernon)

Part 5:  Going To and From The Event/Track – What To Expect

Part 6:  Paddock and Pit – Best Practices

Part 7:  Perspective of a New Driver (With Guest Adam Owens)

Part 8:  Tools, Spares, Supplies Needed for a Race Weekend

Part 9:  Common Issues All Drivers Will/May Experience in When On Track For the First Time

Part 10:  Miscellaneous Topics (& Things We Forget to Mention Earlier)

Our next episode of Dominating with Dawson covers the issue some drivers will have that is referred to as the “red mist”.  This is something to be aware of and avoid at all costs.  It does not improve your performance but often increased the risk associated with driving on the track.  Sometimes just knowing it exists is the key to avoiding it or dealing with it if you experience it.  The red mist is almost like having a temporary lobotomy while on track.  Obviously not the best condition to be driving at any point, but especially on track.  We even try to offer a few ideas on how to be cognizant of yourself to hopefully prevent the red mist issue.  Please let us know if you know of any other methods that work, we would love to learn and to share them with everyone.

Also, as a bonus since we missed one last episode, we have a double shot of Dominating with Dawson.  On the second segment, we go into things that you can do and should do on that straightaways as you progress.  While not only illustrative of how many things there are to do on the straightaway, but we also hope we show that there is a near limitless number of things that need to be reviewed on the track and while on a straight you usually have a bit more time and can collect yourself and collect some information that is vital to keeping your car in order and improve your racing.  As a new or first time racer, you will likely be overwhelmed, but as you progress, you will have more and more time to do some of the things we discuss here.  With proactive, the racetrack will seem to slow down in your mind even though your lap times will likely be significantly faster than your first time on track, even in the same car.  Racing on a track is surprisingly active even when it appears you aren’t really doing anything, like driving straight.

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 or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

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

A link to the episode is:  https://tinyurl.com/Racing101Part-2

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS  Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t 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.  We have two systems for our team and Bill is looking to add a third for this season, pending CFO approval from Vicki.  They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

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

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  Attending an amateur race, particularly if it’s one you may be interested in trying is a great way to “audit” the process and see what you may need to do and prepare for.  Talking to others in attendance is a great way to learn and make your first racing friends.  Cost estimate :  Free to $10-30 or so

2)  Autocross is often jokingly referred to as the gateway drug for performance riving.  It is quick, relatively cheap, easily prepared for, and not too much preparation or safety requirements to start in most cars (Helmet, good working condition car, and good to go, in many cases there can be rental helmets on site).  Cost estimate :  $20-100 or so for entry

3)  SCCA’s Track Night in America is a weeknight track event at a local track where you are welcome to go race your car on the track and see how it goes.  There can be some instruction there and all drivers and street cars are readily accepted.  A relatively cheap way to start and try your hand at a local track.  Cost estimate :  $100 or so to enter

4)  HPDE’s and Track Days are closely related and on a spectrum of the amount of instruction being offered.  It can be a single day event or the entire weekend.  HPDE’s offer a higher fraction of your day with an instructor and may involve classroom sessions and potentially on track drills which are usually a ton of fun.  Track days often have instructors available to set up or just ask to drive with you but are usually a bit less formal and structured.  There is a wide range of events that go from one end to the other and finding the one that fits your personality and interests is as easy as signing up and start out, or all of them, lol.  Requirements are usually a helmet and a safely running car.  Again, rental helmets can usually be reserved ahead of time for the event.  Cost estimate :  $200-500 or so per day to enter

5)  Rally events are not usually speed based events but are a great way of getting into the driving culture.  There are several types, and each has a varying set up and goal structure.  The cost can be quite low, and they are often used as a charity fundraiser or to support local community interests and needs.  Cost estimate :  $50-500+ or so to enter

6)  There are several types of racing that are set for you to enter a race as your first step, things like Lucky Dog, the 24 Hours of Lemons and ChampCar are geared to accept and help first time racers.  This is how our team got its start.  It may be a better plan to attend and HPDE event before trying this, but it is a very viable path if you wish to try your hand at racing as a first step.  We did discuss several other types of racing, but they are not typically open to a first time driver and are more of a goal to work towards.  Identifying a potential series of interest is a good way to focus on the car or cars that you look to get for racing.  Cost estimate :  varies pretty widely but $100 or so up to ~$750 or more per day (for the team) to enter plus significant car and safety equipment expenses etc.  More advanced races can be significantly higher cost to enter and prepare for.  There are rental options for an entire car or just for a “seat” to share the race with others.

7)  Also, don’t ignore (go) karting.  It can be indoor or outdoor and electric or gas powered karts.  It is a great way to whet your appetite without having a car or even if you aren’t old enough to drive a car on the street.  A lot of the skills and approach crosses over to whatever type of racing you may wish to try.

GHIT 0182: Racing 101 Part 3: Easy Entry Points to starting Performance Driving

GHIT 0180: Easy Entry Points to Performance Driving and Racing

Racing 101 – So You Wanna Racecar – Part 3

gateway arch

This is part 3 of the series (of ~10) we go over several of the easiest and most popular paths to get your start performance driving and/or racing journey.  This should be considered a starting point to work from and not an exhaustive, detailed list as there are many other potential paths and organizations available across the globe.  We have already talked through several of these entry points in prior episodes and will continue to cover each of these areas in future episodes.  As always, each if us if forever “In Training” no matter what our current level of performance.

The outline for the series is:

Part 1:  Building Your First Racecar (and options to not)

Part 2:  Safety and Safety Related Equipment Needed

Part 3:  Best Entry Points To Start Performance Driving

Part 4:  Buying and Selling Cars (With Special Guest Lara Vernon)

Part 5:  Expectations between Going To and From The Event/Track 

Part 6:  Paddock and Pit – Best Practices

Part 7:  Perspective of a New Driver (With Guest Adam Owens)

Part 8:  Tools, Spares, Supplies Needed for a Race Weekend

Part 9:  Common Issues All Drivers Will/May Experience in When On Track For the First Time

Part 10:  Miscellaneous Topics (& Things We Forget to Mention Earlier)

Continuing with our racing 101 Series within our Dominating with Dawson segment, we go over a condition that is to be avoided.  It is commonly referred to as the “red mist” when racing or driving.  This is somewhat like road rage and not only negatively impacts your performance but also increases the risk of damage to you, your car, and your fellow drivers on the track.  Being cognizant of the red mist is often the biggest step to avoiding it by early recognition before becoming fully “mystified”

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 or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of performance driving.

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

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS  Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t 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.  We have two systems for our team and Bill is looking to add a third for this season, pending CFO approval from Vicki.  They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

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

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  After some initial recording issues, …….

2)  Attending an amateur driving event is a great way to start learning a bit and feeling comfortable with going to a track or racing event etc. 

3)  We often joke about autocross being the “gateway drug” for performance driving and racing.  It is easy, requires very little equipment and preparation for your car, and is one of the most inexpensive entry points to start performance driving.  Budget requirements are usually well under $100 or so for the day.

4)  If autocross isn’t appealing to you because you always had the dream or desire to drive on a track, then perhaps SCCA’s Track Night In America is the best of the potential entry points for you.  You take your daily driver or your fun road car to a local track during the week and race it at the local track.  This costs a bit more but is still usually less than $200 for the evening.

5)  If you are looking for a bit more hands on coaching and structure, we always recommend attending an HPDE event.  These can be at a track or even focused on autocross, depending on the event organizer and location.  It is usually a blend of in class instruction and track time, often approximately 50/50 split, but the class time is very helpful and valuable.  Budget around $500 or so for a two-day event.  If you are looking of an HPDE targeting autocross, we enjoy going to the EVO School that costs about ½ as much for each day. Both are great entry points to start with.

6)  If you want a bit more track time and a bit less instruction, there are several track days at local tracks with a bit less structure and instruction, but usually a bit more time on track.  We would recommend starting with an HPDE event, especially as a first time.

7)  Road Rally events aren’t really racing but a great way to get started and meeting your newest bunch of friends to be.  Rally events are not a speed event but can be timed or can be based on finding checkpoints or completing challenges.  These can be a single day or multiple days; costs vary greatly from $40 to much more and are often used as a charity fundraising activity or to help the local community in some way.  These are usually on public roads and are often relaxed.  Not every rally is like the Burt Reynolds movie Cannonball Run, lol.

8)  We started by entering a race as our first event. Looking back, not the best of the entry points for our team at the time.  It is another potential entry point.  We would recommend at least one HPDE, but several series cater to first time race drivers and are set up to help you achieve this goal.  The cost of entry can be low for an autocross event or over $1,500 for an endurance event to enter.  There is also a higher level of car preparation and safety equipment involved.  The shortest races would be an autocross where the races are usually under 1 minute each.  Then there are sprint races where the race can be for a single stint searching for your one best lap (usually called Time Attack) or for some short wheel to wheel races the race can be 20-40 minutes or so.  Endurance races usually start at 4 hours and can be single 24+ hour events or multiple days of multi hour races.  Costs can vary from a less than $100 for an autocross race to over $1,000 and up for endurance races.  Budgets can also grow dramatically depending on the event and the cars being used. 

9)  An alternative to racing your own prepped car in a race is to either rent a car or a seat in a car to try your hand at racing.  The costs again can vary depending on the car and the race, but with this option, you do not have to purchase and prepare the car.  This reduces the start up costs and effort required to get out on the track and that is the most importance thing to getting started.  You will still need a helmet and the required safety equipment, but he car and associated supplies, tools, etc. are usually covered.  Pricing can vary dramatically from a few hundred dollars minimum to several tens of thousands of dollars for high level events in semi-pro and professional events.  NOT recommended for your first time, lol

10)  At many events you will need to either bring a racing helmet or rent one on site.  Always make sure to contact the organizer for their specific requirements and if there are rentals available ahead of time.

11)  We did neglect to mention going on track with an “experience” type of event where you can drive on a real track in some very fancy car or race cars.  These are usually lead follow and you get to go up to the speed that you are comfortable with a pacing guide ahead of you.

GHIT 0180: Racing 101 – Easy Entry Paths to Performance Driving and Racing aka So You Wanna Racecar – Part 3

GHIT 0179: Racing 101 Part 2 about Racing Safety Related Needs

Race Car Safety

We are getting back to our podcast roots and wanted to start a special series Vicki calls “So You Wanna Racecar” that Bill can’t seem to say correctly.  This is part 2 of the series (of ~10). On this episode of Bill is a Piñata, we go into the various racing safety needs related items that may be required to get on track or by the racing series.  There are a large number of items and many different options and features to take into consideration.  We try to summarize each item and area and provide a high level introduction that should help everyone to get started.  We have covered several of these areas in detail in prior episodes, but we wanted to review them here for someone  new to racing or new to high performance driving.  Please let us know if we missed anything that you may want discussed in a future episode of our Racing 101 Series. 

The outline for the series is:

Part 1:  Building Your First Racecar (and options to not)

Part 2:  Safety and Safety Related Equipment Needed

Part 3:  Best Entry Points To Start Performance Driving

Part 4:  Buying and Selling Cars (With Special Guest Lara Vernon)

Part 5:  Going To and From The Event/Track – What To Expect

Part 6:  Paddock and Pit – Best Practices

Part 7:  Perspective of a New Driver (With Guest Adam Owens)

Part 8:  Tools, Spares, Supplies Needed for a Race Weekend

Part 9:  Common Issues All Drivers Will/May Experience in When On Track For the First Time

Part 10:  Miscellaneous Topics (& Things We Forget to Mention Earlier)

On this episode’s Dominating with Dawson, we go into several Starting Grid and Paddock related tips:  One of the potentially intimidating things is arriving at the track for the first time and not knowing what to do.  I this episode, we cover what to do to get on the track for the first time including generic gridding and paddock setup and best practices to have a great time and keep everyone safe.  After this we hope you will feel like you’ve been there already even if it is your first event.

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 or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

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

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS  Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t 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.  We have two systems for our team and Bill is looking to add a third for this season, pending CFO approval from Vicki.  They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

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

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  Apparently Vicki and Jennifer were not familiar with the term “Luxury Mammal” which we first heard from Randy Bish.

2)  We start off discussing the main topic of racing safety needs with a section covering racing seats and the use of seat inserts.  We did have a full episode with Joe Marko from HMS Motorsports on episode #149.

3)  Our Preference is to use a halo type seat with FIA certification and seat inserts to make a secure fit.  Ideally without sliders but if needed, please use double rail secure sliders from either Sparco or from a Jeep TJ.

4)  Mounting is critical for both comfort and safety, as well as getting into and out of the car, especially when using a halo seat or in smaller cars like a Miata etc.

5)  Bill reminds Jennifer and Vicki of the broomstick test as an example of how much gap there should be above your helmet and the roll bar/cage.

6)  Jennifer comes up with potential alternatives to help with fitting several different size drivers in a car.  She has a future on “Top Chef”.

7)  Our next discussion area is the racing helmet.  It protects your melon and probably the most critical of the racing safety need.  If it is a certified helmet, the only thing that really matters is that it fits you properly.  If you can try it on before you buy, please do so.  (Any movement is not good, and very tight areas can be a problem, especially in endurance racing.  Puffy cheeks as a good sign)  Also, if someone has a “Simpson head”, that does not imply the way they look.  At the time of this recording, 2010 helmets are cycled out, 2015 helmets should be “on sale” and 2020 is what you should be looking for.

8)  We discuss Greek desserts and the use of a balaclava with your helmet.

9)  Racing suits, different types, and options, as well as underlayers and a few tips and things to do or look out for and several resources to find potential deals.  As with the Helmets and seats, it is best to try them on before buying. This is our second leg of the racing safety needs triangle.

10)  We finally found a reason to listen to our podcast.  Don’t miss it.  Lol.

11)  We also cover several different types and brands of head and neck restraining devices to help protect you neck in case of an accident.  There as several different types and additional complications when racing as a team and sharing H&N restraint devices.  Simpson offers a hybrid system that can be used with 3-point belts that are in stock/OEM cars.

12)  Flame resistant gloves and racing shoes are another item that may be required in most series and are a good addition to your driver bag.  Gloves and shoes see a lot of wear and tear so expect to replace them more often than the above items.  Also, conserve the wear of your fire resistant racing shoes by not wearing them around the race track and paddock, as well as not drying them in a dryer.  Don’t ask how we know. 

13)  Also, most series will require fire retardant socks within your shoes.  They disappear in the laundry just as well as normal socks, so be prepared. 

14)  One items that is often not thought about is underwear etc.  Please stick with natural fibers like cotton.  Most synthetic materials like nylons, spandex, etc. will melt and fuse with your skin if exposed to the heat of a fire.  

15)  Jennifer brings up the use of glasses and contact lenses in a race car.  Bill has strong opinions related to his laboratory background in this area.  Perhaps they may change your mind/opinion.

16)  The use of ear protection, in car/helmet radios and helmet speakers etc.

17)  There are several types of rear view mirrors available and we try to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type, as well as our team preferences.

18)  Fire extinguishers and Fire Suppression systems are often required and a great addition to your car and team.  There are a few types and options that have distinct advantages and are the third critical of the racing safety needs triangle.

19)  Other items discussed include the emergency stop switch, auxiliary lighting, and brake light systems, cages and roll bars, and safety harnesses/seat belts and the various options and features available along with a few of the tips and tricks we have learned so far.  Still in training.

20)  Also, at some races or series you will be using the hot pit or potentially setting up a home base/camp area on the pit.  Each of these require different setups and equipment, as well as team member behavior and movement.  We try to summarize the two most common pit area behaviors, but each series and track may have different rules or requirements.  Always check prior to the race to make sure your entire team is familiar with the rules of the series and track.

21)  Rob Krider is Called Brilliant.  Not the first time.

22)  Vicki wants to be clear that you should likely buy your first race car, just in case it wasn’t clear after the last episode.

23)  Start now.  It is so much fun!

Used Racing Suits:  Race Image:  https://www.raceimage.com/

Rob Krider’s Magnetic Towels to prevent fuel spills:  https://nasaspeed.news/toolshed-engineer/magnetic-fuel-spill-towel/

GHIT 0179: Racing 101 Part 2 @ Safety Related Needs