Coming up through the HPDE ranks, there were two somewhat mythical beasts that came up a lot, in hushed tones: "slicks," and "aero." Slicks in reference to DOT radial slick tires, such as the Toyo RR, Maxxis RC-1, and Hoosier R7. Aero in reference to cars...
When I started building my #74 E30 back in 2016, I had some preconceived notions about driver & cockpit ergonomics. However, this was my first build focused solely on track use, and I still had a lot to learn. Early in the build, I did my best to set up...
Please pardon another sim racing related post. My planned trip to Sebring last weekend didn't happen, so sim racing is all that I've been able to do since my last NASA event in early November. When I first bought my racing simulator, I guessed that I...
The penultimate NASA event of the 2022 season was at Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP). I was excited to drive CMP, because it is only an hour from me, but after a year and a half in Charlotte, I hadn't driven it yet! Thankfully, I was not disappointed. Moving...
When I'm at the track, I like to poke around the paddock and check out other cars for inspiration. Sometimes I'm more appalled than inspired. I can't understand why safety is often neglected in race cars. (Note that I am speaking here about dedicated...
Motivation, and lack thereof What motivates you when it comes to cars/racing? I have been contemplating this a lot lately, because in the wake of some major life events, including losing my father to cancer, I have struggled with finding any motivation to work on my cars. Thinking back,...
The adage "the right tool for the job" is typically referring to, quite literally, using the correct tool for the task at hand. But what if your tool is a race car? Something from a recent conversation has really stuck with me. In discussing with Carlos Mendez how...
As detailed in my recent post about Tire Parity in NASA Racing, there are new rules for NASA's power to weight racing classes (ST and TT) intended to create better parity between the bevy of tire choices. Thankfully these new rules are not based on manufacturer's...
When it comes to safety equipment, ask ten people and you're going to get ten different answers. Without getting too deep into the specifics, I wanted to document some of the overarching safety equipment systems for various levels of track use. This guide will cover three system archetypes:...
I've never been one to thrash on a project. I prefer to stay organized while working slowly and methodically. For years, this was also the way that I treated track events. I would bring the car to the event fully prepped... and then I would barely mess with...
Throughout our lives, we are taught (and regularly reminded) about hydration. The advice may have come from a chastising mother, a sports coach, or an event director reminding you drink a lot of water "because it's going to be hot at this track event in Florida in...
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, home of Petit Le Mans and many other world-class races, was a bucket list track for me. In December 2020, my forthcoming move from South Florida to Charlotte, NC was the impetus for visiting the track for the first time. My friends Matt Lopez, Raul Iriarte,...