 | Race Day maintenance
|
There will always be some minor adjustments you may need to make between heats. However, there are also some basic rules you will need to remember. Between each heat, clean the kart and check it out for loose nuts and bolts or things which may have shifted, like a rear wheel hub which has moved on the axle due to cornering loads. Remove the spark plug and have a look at the electrodes to be sure that the mixture is still ok. Remember, the plug should be a nice brown to tan colour, not too white or it is lean, and not too black or oily, which indicates a rich mixture. Lubricate the chain. Check your tyres for pressure and even wear, clean off boiled rubber residue, adjust pressure accordingly. Check all your cables and ties etc, and make sure no underbody nuts have come loose. Check that your numbers are securely fastened, as lost numbers could well mean missed lap scores by the ladies up in the box and may cost you the race. Check your seat bolts are tight and that no cracks have appeared in your seat. A cracked seat could cause an unbalanced kart. Always check steering components between races making sure tie-rods haven't been bent or come loose. Check for toe-in or toe-out making sure there has been no movement from the last time you set it. Wheel alignment. Finally make sure you have a adequate fuel supply for your next race. You would be surprised at how often some drivers run out of fuel. Till next time. |