|
Home
Articles
Feature Car
Fast Lane
Modifications
Beretta Tech
Behind The Wheel
Reference
History
Model Info
Goodie Bin
FAQ
Communtity
Owners
Events
Junk Yard
Chat
Message Board
Mailing List
Links
Support
Search
|
Autocross Preparation
Prepping Your Beretta For Autocross
This page will hopefully give newcomers to autocross an idea of how they should prepare their Beretta for an event. It contains mostly general information, but I've tried to include Beretta-specific things where appropriate. Hopefully, there's a tip or two in here that the experienced racer will also find helpful! :-) If the following appears to be a simple rehash of regular maintenance items, well, that's basically what it is. It's amazing how little things go along way towards making yourself/car more competitive. Also, if you get hooked on autocross and take it up on a regular basis, these are things that are good to do each year before the season, or in some cases, before each race.
- Make sure your engine is running in top shape (tune-up): Each year, check igntion wires, spark plugs, thermostats, PCV valves and other items that affect engine performance and are relatively easy to replace. A good running stock engine will outdo a modified version of the same engine that is not in a good state of tune.
- Make sure all fluids are in good condition and at proper levels: Includes coolant, oil, transmission, power steering, and brake fluid. This is a no-brainer, one would think, as the reasons for having proper fluid conditon/level are obvious. Check before each race. If you get into autocrossing on a regular basis, its probably a good idea to change coolant (or switch to Dex-Cool!), transmission and brake fluid each year. Stick with your regular schedule for oil, or consider moving up to every 3000 miles if you don't already (even if you run full synthetic!).
- Make sure to remove all unecessary weight before each race: The SCCA mandates that all loose items within the car's cabin must be removed or secured. This includes floor mats! You will probably want to get as much stuff out before you drive to the event. Clean out your glove box and console, take out the floor mats you know you won't need for the drive over, remove the subwoofer box. Make sure things like amplifiers/CD changers are secured or removed. At the race, take out the spare tire, unless you feel you might get better weight distrubution with it in.
- Make sure you have enough gasoline: While a full tank of gas is perhaps not desirable due to the extra weight, too little gas is not good either. Beretta's are known to suffer fuel pump starvation in turns (particularly hard right-handers) when the fuel level isn't high enough. Yoda has seen this happen to a GTZ, so its possible and something to remember!
- Make sure to properly inflate your tires: I will approach this with the thinking that newcomers with street tires are reading it. Veteran racers will probably have true race tires and have found there own favorite settings. In general, tires will be overinflated vs. their regular street pressures. The fronts, with the Beretta's FWD layout, will definitely be overinflated. The reason for overinflation is to provide crisper handling feel and prevent tire sidewall fold-over in the tight corners common to autocross courses. Some people like to actually deflate their rear tires a little vs. regular pressures for a little more feel. Find the combination that works for you. Keep in mind that it is not wise to exceed the max tire pressure by more than a PSI or two, and that tire pressure will change as tires heat up/cool off during the event. All of this is relevant to what size tires you have and what your normal pressures are. All you need to do is experiment, and you'll find what you like. My recommendation is to inflate both front and rear pretty high, then deflate down to the combo that works for you. Remember to get your pressures to their regular levels before going home!
Main | Autocross | Road Racing
Drag Racing | Pro Racing | Race Links
|
