I’ve learned a lot by watching professional mechanics and keeping my mouth shut. Maybe I should continue but I Believe in sharing.
AJWatson the famous Indy mechanic once shared a pit with me at Elkhart Lake, Well to be accurate I shared my pit with him. He was crew chief for Al Unser sr. He was very decent guy who didn’t mind a young kid telling him what I knew about the race track.
What I learned though was new gears need to be polished before they are used. If you spend a little time cleaning up the edges they are much less likely to shear a tooth
I was watching a world of outlaws sprint car race and Steve Kinsler’s cousin was his crew chief. What I saw was how important watching the weather is. Just before going out to qualify they changed both the intake air horns and headers and fattened up the fuel mixture.
Then during the 50 lap feature his cousin watched the air density gauge. As air density changed he’d hold up fingers to indicate what position on the Dial-a-Jet to go to.
There is no doubting Steve Kinslers driving skill but it’s obvious that a knowledgeable mechanic made the race a walk away.
Maybe I'm wrong, but wasn't that when the computer between your ears, was more important than the one on your lap?
NOHOME
UltimaDork
12/19/17 9:06 a.m.
I worked with a guy who dominated Formula V in Canada way back in the days. What I learned about crossing the finish line in first place is that it is a game of 0.001 seconds. You just need to stack a thousand tiny improvements to end up ahead of the other guy. And you can never stop looking for the next improvement no matter how much time or $$$ it cost. He now runs a race prep service for those that know this to be a reality but are too busy making money to do the work themselves. http://www.riceraceprep.com/
NOPE, that was not for me. However, I also learned that racing for last place can be just as much fun as racing for first.
HIs mantra that sticks in my head to this day is "I have seen a lot more fastener failures due to bolts not being tight than I have for bolts being too tight. So, if you are going to thread it, tighten it."
In reply to Dirtydog :
I really like that one! Well done!
In reply to NOHOME :
Amen! When I started vintage racing I did so in. 54 horsepower stone stock MGTD on Fulda tires
DLBF Dead last but finish was my goal.
In reply to frenchyd :
I just knew you would understand. Thank you.
