Getting Started

Looking to go from grandstand fan to racer? This guide will help you get started racing.

Protect Your Neck

How to measure head-and-neck restraint system tethers. By Jason Beck and Speedway Illustrated Staff Your head-and-neck restraint system cannot protect you as well in a crash if the tethers are not adjusted for length. “The easy way to trick the HANS Device is if the tethers are too long,” says Trevor Ashline, vice president of engineering and product development at …

Ten Tips for Purchasing a Used Race Car

Tips for Purchasing a Used Race Car By Jason Beck and Speedway Illustrated Staff Rather than building a car, beginner racers may wish to buy used. Here are 10 tips that will help you purchase a solid, pre-owned race car. 1. Establish your Expectations Someone buying their first race car should have different priorities than would an established, champion racer. …

Firesuits

Fire is a part of racing, make sure you are protected in case of an emergency.

Panard Bars and Handling

The simple Panhard bar does a lot more than hold your car’s axle laterally. It also affects tire vertical loads and thus the car’s balance in the turns.

An Etiquette Lesson

Evan the worst drivers can run into another car. By Bugsy Stevens and Bones Bourcier

Dirt Tire Prep

Dirt-track racing experts offer their opinions on how to sipe, grind, and groove your way to victory lane.

Shock Absorber Ratings

The amount of dampening force produced by a hydraulic shock absorber depends on the speed the shock’s shaft/piston is moving and the valving within the shock. The faster oil is forced through the orifices and valves, the greater the resistance to motion and the greater the damping force. Most racing shock manufacturers use a simple numbering system to identify the …

A Comprehensive Review of Air Pressure Gauges

One of the most important adjustments you can make to your race is tire pressure. An inflation pressure change in bias ply tires adjusts circumference and with it stagger and weight distribution. Radial tires do not change size appreciably with small inflation pressure changes. However, radial stiffness, or spring rate, changes which effects understeer/oversteer balance. Because even relatively small tire …