The First Outing of 2025
As you prepare for the first outing of the season, take some time to think about what you hope to accomplish. Is this going to be a test session, or are you going straight into competition? There is a huge difference. Stop, breathe and think. If you have the luxury of testing ahead of your first competitive event, you will be in a much more relaxed state. You can be more intentional regarding your goals during the test session. If you are going directly into a competitive environment, you will need to review your logbook and quickly formulate a systematic plan to optimize success. More about the logbook later.
Consider the following factors:
Performance Goals
If you have been following along with the blog, you are familiar with annual and intermediate goal setting. Are you looking to address certain weaknesses in your program, or are you looking to build on the success of the previous season? Depending on your goals, expectations can vary considerably. If your goal for the first run is to log a career-best 60-foot time, then you should probably return to last month’s blog and re-read the planning and goal-setting section. A great 60-foot time is normally a result of doing everything else well, from staging the car to optimizing the chassis setup, gearing, engine, and clutch tune-up. It all matters. In most cases, we are either racing on an eighth or quarter-mile track and while 60-foot times are important, remember that you first need to “GO” before you can “GO FAST.”
Weather and track conditions will also play a significant role in your performance goals during your first outing. We will cover those in detail below.
The Crew
What will each crew member’s responsibility be at the track? Consider all your between-run maintenance. Establishing crew responsibilities immediately will make your outing and season go much smoother. With well-defined responsibilities, you and your team will not be tripping over each other between runs, trying to do each other’s job. Each member of the crew can complete their task and minimize the chance of overlooking any details that might cause you to miss or abort a run down the track. Your team will appreciate knowing what is expected of them.
The Track
If you have prior experience at the facility, great. This will prove helpful. You will already understand certain details that are often overlooked and taken for granted. Items such as getting your rig parked in an appropriate location and understanding how the facility itself is run help significantly. Knowing these details will give insight into how many runs you may expect to make, along with the time of day those runs may take place. You might even be able to forecast what the track conditions will be like. If this track is new to you, then plan on doing a little homework in advance to learn about the facility so you know what to expect. Did we mention the logbook yet? More on that later.
Weather Conditions
The weather is probably the single most important variable you can learn about ahead of time. Being an amateur meteorologist is part of becoming a successful racer. As we mentioned in last month’s blog, there are several weather websites and apps you can access, such as the Drag Racing Weather app or airdensityonline.com. In most cases, your phone will already have a basic weather app installed to help you with the expected temperature, possible precipitation, and amount of sunshine you will see during your visit to the track.
Logbook
Finally, the logbook. You should have organized your logbook during the offseason in preparation for 2025. If you have never logged data or kept notes in the past, implement a plan to do so. As we detailed earlier, weather and track conditions are a great place to start. Any additional details and data points are up to you and can be specific to your class and/or car.
TIP: Every successful team has a well-detailed logbook. Assign the logbook and data recording responsibilities to one crew member. Make sure that the person recording the data has some degree of self-discipline, as this information will prove extremely important going forward. Having the same crew member handling these responsibilities will minimize any inconsistencies regarding the data. Your logbook will allow you to make tuning decisions run to run, track to track, and even year to year.
Starting Point/Baseline
Congratulations! You have identified your goals, expected weather and track conditions, your crew has their assignments, and your logbook has been reviewed. You are now ready to decide on your initial starting point/baseline. It is beneficial for you to have a plan regarding your baseline engine, chassis, gear, and clutch tune-up before heading to the track. Be prepared to be flexible if the conditions vary from your expectations. Remember that the weather, racetrack conditions, and time of day you run will significantly impact your performance. Making small adjustments to your baseline may be needed to maximize your chances of making a representative pass and will get your day off to a great start. From there, you can gradually begin to work towards a more aggressive tune-up, which will enable you to run quicker and faster.
The Event
Be patient as you go about the day. Inevitably, unexpected and/or unplanned events are going to come up. How you and your crew adjust to these events is key. It is imperative for you and your crew to stay focused on what is expected of each other. It is very easy to lose focus or feel that a drastic change is required if a sub-par run is made. This may very well be the point that separates the winners from the losers. Successful teams race smart and stick to the process. They complete their between-round maintenance and continue to be systematic in their decision-making. They realize that making good decisions will maximize the chances for success.
NOTE: Having too many unrealistic expectations can often lead to disappointment and frustration.
Post Event Evaluation
As you pack up and head home, there is a high probability that ideas are already running through your mind on how to improve the next time you
go out. This is a great time to stop, breathe, and think. Take some time to review the event and your ideas. Perhaps you had to work through a problem, or you identified an area you struggled with a bit. Once again, take some time to ponder your next steps. You may feel that a conversation with your engine builder, chassis builder or clutch provider would be helpful to remedy an issue or help plan for the next event. Making a hasty, knee-jerk reaction after just one outing is not the pathway to success. Remember, racing is supposed to be fun!
Be sure to check in with us in the coming months as we dive more into making 2025 the best season yet!
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