What to pack for a race weekend

[petebee]

Hullo

Having just done a dry run on packing the car, tyres and tools we got to thinking, what should we take with us to our first race meeting?

Your suggestions will be very welcome. See you all at Brands.

Pete

[tristancliffe]

Also see http://www.monoposto.co.uk/about-mrc/f- ... ng-racing/

Thinking out loud

A tent (unless you prefer hotels, pfffff)
Living/cooking/clothing stuff for tent

The race car!
Enough fuel (plus a little spare just in case)
Race licence (and upgrade form if you want signatures)

Helmet, race suit, gloves, boots etc

An awning - one of the Easy-Ups, a sheet of tarpaulin, a sturdy awning or a truck with an awning...
Some jacks that can lift the car - ideally both ends at the same time, but one end at a time will suffice
Wheel nut tool and torque wrench for putting them back on
Spare oils
Duct tape
Tissue roll
Misc washers, nuts, bolts, rivets, split pins
A multimeter
Brake/clutch fluid
Dzus tools
Screwdrivers
Allen Keys
Spanners
Mole Grips
As many spares for your car that you can fit in your vehicle - leads, plugs, coils, suspension, rainlights, rodends, brake lines.......
Brake cleaner
Handcleaning wipes or Swarfega-esque stuff.
Battery charger
Tyre pressure gauge
Tyre pressure inflator (either a camping style 12V one, or a compressor etc)
A Towel (and some peanuts and beer, just in case the Vogons arrive)
Kneeling mats
Slave battery
A generator
Cables for electric hook-up if you're lucky
Wet tyres
A change of underwear
A laptop (if your car has fancy computery bits)
Helpers - the more the merrier, ideally aged between 12 and 60
A sense of humour
Not too much expectation

If you have a "pitcrew"
Pitboard and numbers
Stopwatch
Umbrellas
Waterproofs

You will forget to bring things you will later need. You will bring lots of stuff you will never ever need, even though it seems so likely that you daren't leave them at home. You will bring more and more stuff to each subsequent race. It's really a case of trying to bring EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, and only not bring stuff if you can justify not needing it.

Enjoy!

[andrewcliffe]

For a first race meeting, you probably be too busy concentrating on other stuff to take into account numbers on a pit board.

When Tristan was first starting we had a big dayglo pink thing we could hang out which was a signal to come into the pits.

[foggy]

And make sure you get to know Ewen at AVIT motorsport, I think he's helped us at every round so far when something goes wrong! He has an answer for everything

[schomosport]

Monoposto membership car. Write your license and transponder numbers on it
Pen and paper to write things down before you forget them

Most of the following you can scrounge but if you have them / have space:
Lockwire (and pliers)
Few lengths of electrical cable / connectors / crimp tool
Pop rivets and pop riveter
Camp chairs
Spare throttle cable
Ear plugs
Engine and gearbox oil
Bucket and car cleaning stuff - you should have the time for it!

If you have problems on the day you can't fix for yourself don't hesitate to ask for help. Most everybody will muck in to help you get out on track.

[Dermot Healy]

Also see http://www.monoposto.co.uk/about-mrc/f- ... ng-racing/


Helpers - the more the merrier, ideally aged between 12 and 60

Hmmmmmmm..........60 eh?.......The unthinking tyranny of youth

[tristancliffe]

I wondered who would pick up on that first!!!

Granted you could have a helper who is older - many in Mono do, myself included - but chances are they'll slow you down, forget stuff, disappear to eat cake, spend ages in the toilet etc etc etc

[driftwood]

the main list Tristan has given is essentially correct but it does depend on if you are in a van or a car
IF you have to toss stuff out make sure you keep anything that is specific to your car engine plug leads type stuff as you dont want to be scrounging for the left hand threaded spark plugs fitted to the toyota engine built between 28 and 29 February 1987 a syou can bet your bottom dollar no one will have them

yes you can "borrow" pop rivet lock wire type things if you have a "situation" but people will soon get humpy if you are forever having car failures due to bad preparation or being too mean to buy the essential spares to keep the car going

i know of 1 man who race hired his car and had to borrow my funnel and jug to refuel the car
the 2nd time he asked he was told some blunt facts of life
happy to help people but not the 2nd time of those who do not want to help themselves

for the first race make sure you allow enough time to get to circuit
park up in the place you are allocated
make sure you calculate amount of fuel needed for quail ( if in doubt put more in and pump out afterwards do the maths of laps miles used etc) always allow 1 out lap 1 in lap as well and for race allow 1 more lap for red flag race i always put 3 litres in car as my zero line then add in the race fuel
this covers multitude of sins
A being under weight
B poor car fuel tank pick up issue as tank runs dry
C miscalculation of laps/MPG
D the red flag restart extra lap
you only ever run out of fuel in race once it NEVER happens again!

allow enough time to be scrutineered in case they find some silly item u need to deal with before they pass the car
allow enough to to get from paddock to assembly area for noise test and park in assembly area
pit crew to have umbrella in case its too sunny or raining while you wait for the others to turn up
dont last minute dot com the day leave that to the established racers who know the script have well prepped cars that can turn up at last moment

on track
1 take the first 3 laps easy as u must complete 3 laps to qualify also if its new track you are driving on it allows you time to dial in feel the circuit find lines
2 watch your mirrors 3 -4 times a lap and try to recognise the cars of the quicker runners so you know them as they come to pass you
3 Do NOT change line when they come to pass ! faster car will have you sussed as he catches you up
you also have the Cross on car so they will be wary of you
IF you see the faster car approaching and its safe to move to the outside or inside line to let the quicker car do so and feel free to wave to the side you want the car to pass but dont fret too much over this as the quicker car has probably read the track position of you and his speed and will be aware of your car over the course of the lappery

and dont listen to anything Jim Blockley has to say
he is old and senile and if he smiles you know there is something DREADFULLY wrong !

[Dermot Healy]

Oh what a boring lot of racers you are....with your 'wet wipes' and freshly ironed & carefully lockwired underpants, neat sandwiches in tupperware containers & pretty little (monogrammed) kneeling mats .....all carefully stowed, listed on a spread sheet, & backed up in an iPhone app.

Surely this is not the way motorsport should be? Or perhaps it is the MSV influence -all those PalmerAudi trucks used to be lined up in personal number plate order?

Perhaps the only things you really need are an angle grinder (which fixes anything) & all those 'old' bits you took off and replaced with new shiny bits last time you worked on the car - 'cos you are going to find on lap one of qualifying that the reason the 'old' bits were all ground away & fitted at an odd angle, is that the 'new' bits foul something important.

[triple j motorsport]

Hullo

Having just done a dry run on packing the car, tyres and tools we got to thinking, what should we take with us to our first race meeting?

Your suggestions will be very welcome. See you all at Brands.

Pete

Hi Pete

Take all the tools for normal running of the car quick lift, charger, funnel, torque wrench etc and then the spares that fit your car only wish bones nose cone etc. better to carry a spare nose cone than welding kit.

vices, angle grinders, welders etc you can borrow if not enough room to carry them

John

[petebee]

Thanks for all the pointers chaps and chapesses. Had lots of fun this afternoon, loaded up the car in the trailer with wheels tools and stuff etc to check it fitted. Thankfully it did.

Really looking forwards to Brands now, everything is ready, the car (#55) is running well although the learner at the wheel needs a lot more practise. Still, lap times on my local circuits are consistant and im enjoying it so must be fine.

I am booked in for the testing at Brands on the Friday so a little more practise to come and then I look forward to seeing you all on the Saturday.

Pete

[jimblockley]

What happened to my post?

[petebee]

What happened to my post?

I have no idea. I'll check behind the sofa.