In this installment of Tech-niques, Fred discusses record keeping. Check out the Past Tech-niques Articles page for previous articles.

Good record keeping is vital to your success in racing!

If you have a photographic memory, I suppose you do not have to keep records, but if you are like 99% of the people, you can experience more success and fun by reading on.

You must keep records of chassis set-up, car performance, chassis changes and effects, engine changes and effects, vital measurements and specifications for your race car, track conditions, weather conditions and others. Good records keep you from making mistakes or repeating mistakes that you made before. Keeping good notes and records takes discipline. But, if you want to succeed, you will do it. Every top, successful racer keeps a thorough record book.

Get a loose-leaf binder (or two) to keep your records in. Start by filling it with reproductions of the record keeping sheets I present here or ones of your own designs. Add some blank notebook paper to make other notes on. Once you get in the habit of recording everything, you will find other uses for your record book as well.

Weather and track conditions change and affect the way the car handles. Any track is going to affect the car differently on a hot Summer afternoon versus a cool Fall evening. Recording these items is very important in understanding what chassis and engine adjustments were made and how the car reacted and performed. Notes on previous experiences - what worked, and what didn't work - will help you get the set-up dialed-in when presented with a similar situation.

The records you keep give you a base line to go back to and knowledge to build on. Record everything. You cannot save enough information. After each main event that you run, take the time to fill out an information form. Record information about the weather, track conditions throughout the night, note the date and time of day of the race (the track and weather behave differently in the Spring, Summer and Fall, and daytime versus night time), plus complete chassis specs about the car, the engine and all chassis and engine corrections made.

Listed below are some of the basic things that you need to keep track of each time you race. Consider them and add any others you feel are important:

· The race track and date raced there
· Track size and banking
· Weather conditions (this plays a major role in track conditions)
· Track conditions (hot laps, time trials, heats, feature and any other races run)
· Gear ratio (and if you changed and why)
· Tire compound and tire size (hot laps, time trials, heats, main, etc.)
· What tires looked like or how they wore after each event
· Tire temperatures (across the tire surface)
· Engine records (carb jet changes, spark plug heat range, etc.)
· Set-up records (record before leaving the shop)
· Corner weights

· Spring rates
· Shock changes
· Spring changes
· Air pressure in tires
· Front end alignment
· Ballast placement
· Weight percentages
· Panhard bar placement
· Radius rod angles
· Tire stagger (and any changes made)
· Spoiler angle