Dealing without a crew

[rasperin]

Hey guys, I had one other question. There should be no problem for me to race without a crew right? I'm going to plainly say this that there is no chance in hell that any of my friends at work/home or family would have a moments interest in crewing. My personal friends would rather be playing video games and my family is far too busy working or needing to do there own thing to help me in a hobby. How do those of you without a crew get by? How about those of you with a crew, how did you get that crew of yours?

Thanks!

[jhooten]

You build a car as reliable as possible.
You do as much prep as you can before you load it on the trailer.
You get to the track early and stay late to get ready.
You drive at 95% and stay out of trouble to avoid damage you have to fix at the track.
You always have a back up plan.

[JoshS]

You'll make friends. There will be plenty of people to help out.

[Z3_GoCar]

I do a little of both. I have a friend from work who races a Formula Continental with another organization, VARA, when he races I crew for him, and he's helped me at some of my races. Other times I'm by myself, I'll set the tire pressures after practice, and leave them for the qualifying and race. I'll also check the tires if I might have flat-spotted, and re-torque the lugnuts otherwise. It's a full weekend either way, but a lot of fun.

[wcmcarlos]

You build a car as reliable as possible.
You do as much prep as you can before you load it on the trailer.
You get to the track early and stay late to get ready.
You drive at 95% and stay out of trouble to avoid damage you have to fix at the track.
You always have a back up plan.
What he said times two!
Do not even think about driver's school without help of some kind, get a high schooler, or check out your local Miata club meetings, you might have to pay for gas & meals, but driver's school is too demanding to attend alone.

[Eagle7]

I often run without crew. I get along fine except for two issues. 1) I'm not so young any more, and unloading/setup/teardown/loading takes it out of me, especially if it's hot. And 2) I can't get tire temperatures, so tweaking the setup is mostly by on-track feel. Dealing with car issues, getting to grid, etc is not a problem. But as previously mentioned, a bulletproof well-prepped car helps a lot. If something major comes up I'll pack it up instead of fix it at the track. Happened for the first time in seven years at the IT-Fest a few weeks ago when making it to grid for the Sunday race would have required a transmission swap.

[gran racing]

Crew? I'm bringing "crew" to the Labor Day Summit Point event. They've already got Gettysburg planned for one day, a D.C. trip for another day, and watch racing for one. Crew is what Josh said. You'll meet people there, people will help whom you've never even met before; anything extra is a bonus. (Although I absolutely agree with bringing someone, anyone to schools.) It seriously is amazing what your fellow competitors and other racers will do to help you. Just be open to helping them, and it all works out. My suggestion is when you first start racing, introduce yourself to others in your class. If you see that they might use a hand, offer. You're just going to have to experience it to fully understand.


You drive at 95% and stay out of trouble to avoid damage you have to fix at the track.

LOL! Ummmm, heck no (drive at 95%). Always stay out of trouble - even when you have crew, they'll appreciate that.

[tom91ita]

You build a car as reliable as possible.
You do as much prep as you can before you load it on the trailer.
You get to the track early and stay late to get ready.
You drive at 95% and stay out of trouble to avoid damage you have to fix at the track.
You always have a back up plan.


You'll make friends. There will be plenty of people to help out.

honestly, this is part of what i was thinking with the crx. for the most part, they are reliable and there are lots of folks out there at the track and within the honda community that can help out.

even with spares. i was enroute to an event and got a call asking if i had an extra tranny with me. i did. my spare has more miles on it in a certain ITC car than in mine. and now i know it is a good tranny.

when i did a refresher driver school, i got an offer for crew help from a forum and it was a real help. you can do a school without help but i would not recommend it. there are too many things going on that you do not anticipate. like meeting with instructor, etc. when you might need to look at the brakes, etc.

and whatever you get, autocross it first to get an idea of what happens when you exceed the limits of adhesion and to give you some experience in prepping the car, etc.

if you buy an off the wall car cause it is a great deal, the likelihood of someone else running a daewoo and having parts with them is real slim.

[lawtonglenn]

...You drive at 95% ....


What he said times two!....


so make sure you drive at 190% !! :D

[preparedcivic]

Having just been through getting on track drill this year, a helper at Driver's School is an absolute necessity; on race weekends a crew member is good to have around, but not 100% required. In my case, for schools and a race weekend it was my 13 year old former kart autocrosser son, who got brought along to handle tire changing, air pressure, refueling and helping me get belted in. Aside from the lunch break, there is no free time at schools and it is almost impossible to keep the car cared and fed without someone doing it while you are in class.

The race weekend the big kid had a sports conflict, I took my 12 year old daughter, who also has had enough kart experience too that the session I realized driving to false grid all belted in I hadn't set air pressure, she quite capably bled them to where they should be set at all 4 corners.

Once you are in a routine after 4 or 5 events, it does get easier, but help is always good to have around.

[erlrich]

This is my 5th year racing, and I've never had any crew; even when friends have come to see me they aren't doing anything to the car. I even did my driver's school without a crew, but as others have noted it would have been really nice to have had even one person helping out there. So yeah, you can get by without a crew, but you better know your car inside out, and be able to fix everything that might go wrong. It also helps to have a car that is bulletproof.

[dickita15]

Before I went to drivers school I hung out and helped other guys with the same kind of car. I got them to crew for me for the schools. Since then we all usually paddock together so if any of us have a big problem there are plenty of hands. I have had my own crew guy maybe 10 races out of 100.

[ulfelder]

Most everything has been covered, but I'll add this: make sure getting into (and, more importantly, out of!) your particular car is a one-man operation. Cool shirt, earbuds/radio rig (probably not an issue for you), helmet, HANS, harness, window net, gloves, maybe glasses, getting the thing fired - develop a routine that lets you do all this on your lonesome, even if your fingers (like mine) get nervous inside the 5-minute whistle ...

Related note: some guys see no need for an emergency brake in a race car, but I highly recommend one, especially if you'll be crewless.

Steve

[JLawton]

I have spent most of my time without crew until I started meeting people at the track. You'll never be with out after that!

Also try to hook up with guys in your area to ask for advice, hang out with, etc.

[racingralph]

you may come to the track as one , but you are rarey alone !unless your a pure a** . we often help other racers even the ones we race against , cause if we can't win i want another rx-7 to win ! ralph

[tnord]

i don't think i've ever once had crew at a race weekend. if you're mechanically capable it's no big deal at all. the only weekend i really wish i had crew was at my drivers school, there just wasn't any time between track/classroom sessions to keep tires/brakes/fuel/etc sorted.

the best advice here is to have the car fully prepped and ready to go before you leave your house. there are a couple honda CRX/EF civic guys that run in ITA that could help you, and a few miata guys at the track that used to be honda guys.

[downingracing]

As others have said: For drivers school - you MUST have a crew. You will enjoy the experience 1000x more when you get out of the classroom session and your car is on the grid and ready for your next session. You can do it yourself, but it could be a very tough time.

Having a 'good' car makes a HUGE difference! My brother took a Prod car (Fiat 850!) to his drivers schools. I was part of the crew for the first one. We worked on that car ALL WEEKEND! We pushed it farther than it ran... (at least that is how it felt!) We actually got recognized at the end of the weekend for always having the car on the flase grid and ready for each session. There is 0 chance he would have passed the school without having a crew.

On a race weekend, get to the track early on Friday and make friends! (This is easy to do with racers!) You'll be doing all the small stuff yourself (tires, fuel, fluids...). If anything major happens, there 'should' be plenty of folks willing to pitch in and help out! We've all seen it first hand - everyone comes together to help out when someone needs it. You see a car come in on a hook, you stop over to see if they need anything. Most do not - but some do! Even if it is just providing moral support for the crew to get it fixed! Most racers want to have competition on the track and will do just about anything to help out!

[joeg]

Never had a crew for racing--that is why I gave up on Pro Rally.

Learn to wrench. Pack everything wisely--Just stuff you can change--at worse--overnight.

Things like spare engines, trannys and the like do not fit that category.

Be wise with tools. Carry what you need.

Heck, even though I have no crew, I often have time to help others.

x2 on driving conservatively. Don't abuse the mechanicals or the bodywork.

[tnord]

Never had a crew for racing--that is why I gave up on Pro Rally.

Learn to wrench. Pack everything wisely--Just stuff you can change--at worse--overnight.

Things like spare engines, trannys and the like do not fit that category.

Be wise with tools. Carry what you need.


+1

i used to pack up about my whole garage worth of tools/spares/etc. now i just bring the basic stuff, and if anything major breaks "screw it, somebody hand me a beer."

[RSTPerformance]

When you go to the track make sure you park "in the mix of things" and not off in ytour own corner. The people around you will help. In the begining you might not know people but don't be afraid to ask for help. All of us want more cars on the track to race against and will help get you on the track no matter what. We (the other racers) don't always know if you are having trouble that is why it is important to ask people around you or others in your class. DON'T BE SHY!

Raymond "As for driving 95%... go 100% if you crash you will be amazed how many people show up with the tow truck drivers to help you get the car on the trailer... If nothing else you will make new friends quick :)" Blethen

PS: On second thought if Dave goes from 95% to 100% I am not sure any of us could catch him! Dave for the safety of the hubs you should back it down to 85% :)

[gran racing]

Ray is one of the many prime examples of what is being said here. My last race at the Glen, I had a hub failure and my car came in on a flat bed. I was beyond exhausted that day (no sleep the night before sharing a small bed with son and wife, among other things). I was ready to put the car on the trailer and just relax. Nope. Ray and others told me to get the car up on jack stands. Without their help I highly doubt I would have been racing the next day. I had no crew to help me. Other than the several guys who weren't on my crew list and are fellow competitors, jumped right in to help. Now that's crew. ;) You'll be fine.

[dj10]

Being exhausted and trying to work on your car that needs major repairs or damage without help could be a receipt for disaster. Know your limits and hope you have someone like my friend Jim Locke. He can repair a Iowa Class Battleship and get it back into battle with a paper clip, sheet metal, tools rivits and duct tape. At one Mid O race I was knocked off into the tire wall by a GT1 car I was trying to pass on the outside of the carousel. Needless to say, the grass was wet and I damaged every corner of the car. I was going to put the car away but Jim with hammers swinging, duct tape and rivits had the car back to a car form. We had to even saftey wire the trunk down. I won both races and broke the track record that weekend too. There was no way I could have made all those repairs without Jim.....BTW Thanks again Jim.

[jumbojimbo]

I got my crew by posting to the local rallycross message board. You might find someone local who wants to get involved but doesn't know how.

[rhygin]

You can make it through the race school solo... but it is a slam and does get hard. I have been without a crew almost every time at the track. sometime when I have a "crew" it is actually harder!

I have been very, very fortunate to have received very timely help from others on a few occaisons. I have found it good to help others where ever you can as it might come back around!

[chuck baader]

Most of my racing years (10) I have been without crew, until recently. The best advice I can give is have the car ready to race two weeks before you leave for the event. That way, when you think of something at 3AM in the morning, you can address it before you leave. The best race weekend is one in which you change tires and check pressures, ONLY:eclipsee_steering:Chuck

[pfcs]

Paddock near cars like yours, preferably driven by co-dependents.
Try to make at least 2 friends-don't piss EVERYBODY off!

Worked for me-I drove my car to every NE race, usually alone with my wheelchair and had plenty of 'crew'.
All of who I miss.

[JeffYoung]

Lots of great advice above.

I raced basically by myself in 04, and drive an oddball so there aren't any "like" cars around. Since then, I've paired up with a buddy and we share the work (we both drive, 2 cars). Much easier.

it's doable, racing without crew, but you have to be prepared and like Chuck says, make sure the car is ready to go a few days before the event at least.


Paddock near cars like yours, preferably driven by co-dependents.
Try to make at least 2 friends-don't piss EVERYBODY off!

Worked for me-I drove my car to every NE race, usually alone with my wheelchair and had plenty of 'crew'.
All of who I miss.

[MMiskoe]

In the event you do get someone who's interested consider letting them use the car for an autocross or HDPE event. I've done it and the threat of damage is less than when you're racing, they used crappy old tires but weren't going to be in a position to notice. Cost to me was minimal since I was going to the events anyway. Made me feel really good about being able to help them out.

There is also something about having good food & cold beer that seems to attract people at the racetrack.

[jumbojimbo]

Two more thoughts:

Crew for someone else now or at least tag along to an event. That way you'll get a feel for what a race weekend is like and you'll understand whether you need a crew or not. Chances are you don't really NEED crew if your car is ready to race when it rolls off the trailer.

Do a pdx or track day with the car. Again, you'll get an idea of what it feels like to go from track to paddock to track. And if the car breaks you learn the lesson about preparation and it won't cost you much money. Better learn that lesson at a PDX that costs $200 than school that costs $1,000.

Oh, and on the third hand, my rule is that I never never never leave anything undone because I can "do it at the track real quick in the morning before qualifying". Need tires mounted? Don't do it at the track. Need brake pads changed? Don't do it at the track. The first time you leave something to do at the track you will learn the lesson the hard way never to do it again.

Definitely don't let lack of crew keep you away from the track. It is not that hard to get along without crew if you need to. Like several people have said, if you're not a jerk and you park near people in the same class/car as you, you'll have friends soon. They might laugh when they help you set the timing on the car but they'll be there.

[lateapex911]

Most of us crew for ourselves. I have paid friends to help for events that involved testing at a new track, etc. Big help, and I got more done, because I could concentrate all my free time on making the car and myself faster. It showed in the results.

One thing nobody has mentioned: Be physically fit. As in, ready to work at a fast pace, lifting, moving and doing things all day, in 90 degree heat. Most people need to do cardio workouts to be in that kind of shape. It will make you faster.

[tnord]

One thing nobody has mentioned: Be physically fit. As in, ready to work at a fast pace, lifting, moving and doing things all day, in 90 degree heat. Most people need to do cardio workouts to be in that kind of shape. It will make you faster.


+1

this is often overlooked. but seeing how some people dealt with the stupid heat we had at our races this year (100+ temps both times i went out) compared to how i felt...i think it was for sure an advantage.

[Chip42]

I started crewing on RX7s in the WDC region when I was 13 - my dad's friends decided to go racing, and I started helping out at driver's school. at the time, I basically recorded times, tire pressures and temps, and gathered the stray air dam from the tower after it was recovered from the side fo the track.

byt the time I was 19, I would drive my van tot he track, sleep accross the road from registration, and use the mornign traffic as an alarm. if I didn't have work arranged ahead of time, I knoew wnough people that I could sign on with and just help out where I could that weekend, guys who showed up alone like you.

I moved south, met my current gang, and have been wrenching on their cars since. Dave sent me to driver's school in his BRAND NEW FP civic that I helped to build, and it was the scariest thing I've ever done (in WAY over my head)- but it gave me a serious appreciation for the car that I hadn't had at the time. I'm still in porcess on my car, and raced a bit in the IT civic since then.

point is - some of us really like to crew. there's somethign about the overnight thrash replacing motors at the track, or between weekends. we meet up a few days a week and work on the cars and hang out (well did, I had a baby). I'm sure you will find a good group with a simillar car as suggested, and you might want to consider heading out NOW to afew events and meeting them before you make it to the track as a driver. help them out, learn from them, and you;'ll likely find them helping you at your school and beyond.

aside from that, find some gearhead kid who's dad is your friend, and drag him along, he'll love it.