Jeep Engines - Oljeep

OFF-ROADING AND RACING 465As far as where to spend your money, think of it in terms ofpe$orrnance per dollars spent. That means putting the bestparts together for the least amount of money to go thefastest. These days, this approach seems a little datedbecause many racers have a lot of money and are willing tospend “whatever it takes” to go fast. The days of doingeverything yourself are disappearing in this age of “puredrivers”; that is, drivers that do nothing with (and possiblyknow nothing about) their engines or chassis. Drivers thatdon’t get their hands dirty. “Pure drivers” don’t talk abouttorque or horsepower, they talk about shift points, theperfect line through a turn, where to brake, where to go flatout,etc. So the first decision you must make is, do you wantto race cars or be a race car builder? Driver or crew chief?Or both?Recognize Your LimitationsThe typical racer doesn’t have a complete understanding ofautomotive engineering; that is, engine, transmission,chassis, suspension, etc. He or she will usually haveexpertise in only one or two specific areas, such as engineand/or drivetrain (or possibly suspension). However, mostracers can’t construct a decent, safe, and reliable tube framechassis or roll cage. For example, a chassis builder is anexpert in front end geometry, something that most racershave never heard of. And chassis builders talk to dozens ofracers every weekend about what’s working, what isn’tworking, and why. Racers usually don’t talk to anybodyother than their own team members (they’re afraid to giveany secrets away).Also, the average racer has passenger car knowledge,which is completely different from race car theory. A lot ofrace cars may look like passenger cars, but they aren’t evenclose. For example, an oval track car can’t drive through atwo inch puddle of water without stalling out, and a SuperStock drag race car can’t sit still and idle for long periodsof time, both things a passenger car must be able to do.Recognizing up front what you can do and what you mustrely on a professional to do for you will go a long way inmaking your race program a success.Where Do I Start?Everyone has to start somewhere. Racing is no different. Asmentioned earlier, the first choice you must make is whatrole you’re going to play. In racing, there are severaldifferent challenging and exciting roles to choose from.Consider the following:DriverThis is the glory function-the “quarterback’ of racing.To get started in racing as a driver, you need to havesomeone first explain the rule book. Second, attend alot of races as a spectator and ask a lot of questions.Third, decide whether or not you’re willing to spend alot of your hard earned money to get started (this isusually the step most people stop at).MechanicThe mechanic makes the vehicle go fast (hopefully)and fixes it when it doesn’t. The first step to being agreat mechanic is to get good basic training.Crew ChiefA racing crew chief must be an experienced mechanicfirst before he or she can be effective as a crew chief.Experience is the main ingredient. A crew chief mustbe an expert mechanic with engines, transmissions,axles, roll cages, suspensions, etc. This is arguably themost demanding position in racing.Racing EngineerThis is the most difficult racing position to obtainbecause there are very few jobs available. Many racersare very good engineers, but they don’t have the rightcollege degree. A racing engineer must have a lot ofracing experience (especially as a mechanic), and acollege degree (usually in mechanical or electricalengineering). Usually, working for an auto companysuch as DaimlerChrysler is good experience and alogical intermediate step. A racing engineer can neverknow too much about an automobile...T -1T1