Lap times are less a concern...
Lap times are less a concern than good communication and developing a comfortable feel with the car.
"The dirt makes the track really slick," Jefferson says as he climbs from the car, his hair matted from sweating inside his helmet. "We can't turn great times on it, but we can still learn a lot."
Jefferson explains that traction on the dirty, green track is very similar to one that is hot and slippery in the middle of summer.
The crew swaps all four springs and makes a front sway bar change. The driver and crewchief study the scale readout and fiddle with spring loading. Then it's back in the car and back on the track for Jefferson.
He doesn't even run a lap before he's back in. The suspension change has created tire rub, so Carruthers attacks the new bodywork with a pair of tin snips and a rotary cutter. Out again. In again. More trimming. Out again. In again. A slice here, a pare there.
Carruthers builds a new shock for the right-front, and Jefferson hits the oval once again. Everyone keeps one eye on the clock, knowing that at 4 p.m., the Monte Carlo will turn into Cinderella's pumpkin.
"The changes have really quieted the car down," says Jefferson. "But we still need more bite coming out of Turn 2. That's where you need to get on the throttle early. The first one on the gas there wins."
At 3:45 he's back on the oval. One warm-up lap and then a quick one. And another. And another. And another.
"It's not perfect," says Carruthers. "We've still got a lot of work to do. But now we know we've got something to work with."
1. Plan ahead. Anticipate any potential problems that might arise-leaks, product failure, and so on-and be ready to address them.
2. Go slowly at first. The car is new, so make sure everything is working properly before attempting laps at full speed. Don't expect too much, too soon. It's better to practice caution and work the bugs out rather than rushing something that will cost you time in the long run.
3. Keep it simple. Don't strive for perfection the first time out. You're merely trying to get the car in the ballpark.
4. Develop a baseline. Remember the car you ran at the same test track, or a similar track, last year? Use it to plug in setups on the new car. If you have no car to baseline, ask around. A successful driver at the test track could be a great resource.
5. Pay attention to track conditions. If it was midday and the track was slick when you last raced at the test track, try to test under similar conditions.