American Racing Tips

To properly race, drivers need to invest in learning all the ins and outs of racing including car configuration and maintenance.

Throughout the years, racing has become one of the more popular types of sports in the United States. Certainly, it is every driver's goal to come out the best and finish the fastest for every race. In all race-car competitions, victory does not simply rely on the driver. It also depends on how the race car has been maintained and configured. Consequently, there are several tips drivers might find useful in revving up their performance.

Tire Air Pressure

The air pressure in every race-car's tires significantly can affect the car's overall performance. Specifically, the air pressure considerably influences the tires spring rate. For instance, too much air pressure will make it harder for the tires to turn corners, and a lack in air pressure makes it harder to drive cars and enter curves. An important note through, tires used for racing don't need necessary need a balanced tread. Rather, it's important to test the car and which air pressure settings support its performance best.

Compound Selection

Arranging the compound settings of car is more complicated than getting the right air pressure. Basically, compound setting for the tires considers the driver's preference and the type of track where the race will be conducted. Usually, it takes test runs for drivers to find the right compound selection selecting. There are a few basic steps drivers might take to start determining their right compound selection. Getting the right compound selection starts with three types of tires: soft, medium and hard. For greasy and wet tracks, try using soft tires. Use medium tires when running on dry surface. Switch to hard tires and see the difference. Knowing how each type of tire responds to a surface will help a driver determine the right kind of compound setting for the car. If the surface has varying conditions (dry on one part and wet on the other) then combining setting for both medium and soft tires should do the trick.

Magnetic Particle Inspection

Before going out to race, it's important to check the parts of the car. One way to spot flaws is through Magnetic Particle Inspection or MPI. MPI is helpful in determining whether cracks on the surface of the parts indicate an even bigger problem. To carry MPI, iron powder is sprinkled over the part to be inspected. Afterward, magnetic force is applied. If there's nothing wrong, the iron powder will simply remain scattered. However, if there's a flaw, the iron powder will accumulate over to the affected area.

References

• Stock Car Racing: Pro Advice on Dirt Tires
• Stock Car Racing: Magnetic Particle Inspection

Resources

• Stock Car Racing: Car Racing