Garage Heroes (In Training)

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

Racing 101

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

GHIT 0177: Racing 101 – Building Your Race First Car

Racing 101

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 1 of the series (of ~10) where we go over where we started and how things went at our first events.  We then move on tohow to go about building your first race car.  In case it isn’t clear, Vicki strongly feels its better to purchase a car that already races in the series you wish to enter.  So, if you need to build your first race car or only if you need to make sure your race car is ready for your first race, this episode goes into the various steps and areas that should be your primary concerns.  As with most areas, especially safety related, if you aren’t already familiar with the specific area, please seek help from us or someone with experience, or the racing series technical representatives.  This should be considered a starting point to work from and not an exhaustive, detailed plan.  We have already talked through many of these areas in prior episodes and will continue to cover each of these areas in future episodes.  Always In Training.

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 into many of the ways to enjoy racing at the track.  Especially when you are just getting started, racing is not only about winning the race, but there are also hundreds of “wins” each time we are at the track, many of which occur when you are not even driving on the track.  Just going and trying is a victory.  Winning isn’t everything and it definitely is far from the only thing.

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)  We start off with a quick summary of our first racing events.

2)  The car preparation required varies widely, depending on what you are trying to do. 

3)  At first, we cover what is required for an HPDE event or an autocross event.  There you need very little besides a helmet, but we do cover a few potential upgrades like brake fluid and better brake pads.

4)  We then go into the preparation needed if you want to go on track with a particular target series or type of racing.  The first step is deciding (or guessing) where you want to learn, race, and compete.  Then you need to look at the rules for that series.  Everything is there, but it is at varying levels of difficulty in reading and understanding the rules and their implications.

5)  One additional factor that you should take into consideration when looking to buy or build or fix your first car is making sure it is fairly easy to get parts, support, and work on.  Ideally you should choose to use an already proven type of car that is widely used and raced, ideally with a low cost of consumable items, i.e., brake pads, rotors, tires etc.

6)  The first step would be having patience and waiting for the right car to start with.  The less issues to start with, the easier this whole process will be to complete.  Once you have the car selected and in your work area, you should likely look to clean the car up (inside, out, underneath, and within the engine bay) and during this time, perform a thorough inspection and generate a list of to do items that you will find.

7)  If it a dedicated race car, you will likely be taking the entire interior out of the car so that you can install your roll bar and/or full cage.  In general, you will remove anything heavy, anything flammable, and anything not required to race the car.  We prefer to leave the defroster for the windshield.  It’s up to you but be careful of the electrical systems and the ground connections.  If you damage any one of these, they can be very difficult to trouble shoot.  Also, in some series, you will need to remove the lock from the steering wheel.

8)  The next area to address is installing a roll bar or a full roll cage.  A roll bar is a project that you may want to try even if you are new to racing.  However, a full roll cage is likely one of the most difficult projects required in racing.  It is not a great beginner project and we would recommend working with an experienced cage builder or racing team in your area.  This is not an area where you should risk a mistake.  Besides the skills required, the design of a cage is not a trivial endeavor, both for safety reasons and fitting within the rules of the series.

9)  Vicki is very subtle in her preference towards buying your first race car and learning from there.  This is by far the easiest method to get started and reduces the hurdles/excuses to not getting started TODAY.

10)  Once the cage or roll bar is installed, you will want to paint the cleaned interior of the car and the bars for two reasons.  The first is to protect the bare metal.  The second is it is easier to keep clean and inspect the interior for part, tools, debris, before going out on track.  The key to a good project is prepping and protecting surfaces that you don’t want painted like glass, electronics, wiring, etc.

11)  This is an opportune time to review the rules again to make sure you are planning to conform to the series.  It is much easier now, than redoing or undoing.  It is also often way cheaper.  We also provided several tips for generating a to do list and ways that we have found to work for our team that can have as many as 20 or more people working on the cars at a time.

12)  At this point, it is a great time to reset your car and do a full inspection including changing/replacing all fluids and wear items like brake pads and rotors, and any rubber bits within the suspension etc.  (Essentially try to look at and at least inspect anything on the car that goes round and round or up and down)  In many cases, you will not know the history and current status of the car and this is a great time to make it yours and bring everything up to date and current.  To the surprise of absolutely no one, Bill has a long list, and it is available on our website.

13) Vicki mentions No Money Motorsports blog where he tries to show how to save a bit of money and still enjoy your racing hobby. 

14)  Next is safety.  Don’t ever try to skimp on this area and make doubly sure to meet any and all safety standards.  You can replace your car but your drivers, not so much.

15)  It is at this point that you should even consider working on the process of making your car pretty and things involved with the livery of your race car.  There are a few different ways to add numbers and a multitude of ways to change design/color.

16)  Bill misspeaks HVLP as High Volume, Low Pressure as high velocity.  Sometimes the brain doesn’t engage fully with the mouth.

GHIT 0177: Racing 101 – Building Your Race First Car