Race Note Taking - Noteworthy

You should then record these notes in the binder, again under the divider you have for that track. And before you know it, you will start to have a track notebook with information on every track you have visited. So if you need to know what gear it took to get around a particular track, all you have to do is open up to the divider for that track and pull out your setup sheet. Make forgetfulness a non-issue and save each setup so you can work on getting better each time you get to the track.

For crew members who will be taking notes, it is important to write down not only the changes made to your racecar but also how the driver reacted to those changes. If you change a right-rear spring, take a moment after the driver has had a chance to practice or race the changes and ask him how he liked it-and document what he said. That way when you are considering a change, you can look back through your setup book and recall, for example, that a particular spring caused the car to push three weeks ago.

Having good notes can truly make or break your race weekend. I can promise you that if you take good notes this year, refer back to them, and make the right changes based on your notes, you will consistently be more competitive.

The setup sheet example provided here is a basic one meant for the person who has never taken notes, and it is a great way to start saving your setups. There is nothing included that is too complex, but I do want to highlight a couple of areas.

On the section for two rear tires it says by the bottom box to measure from framerail to string. This is for when you are stringing the rearend of the car. Once you have the rearend square and still have the strings in place, measure from the framerail on the right rear to the string and jot down the measurement, and do the same on the left rear. This will save you time week to week if you know that measurement. When you are preparing your car after a race weekend, all you have to do is set up the string and check what your measurement was the last time you set up the car. Then take the measuring tape and measure again from the framerail to the string and check if your measurement is the same. If it is, then your rearend is still square and you can move on to something else.

The setup sheet may have boxes on it that don't apply to your type of vehicle, especially Karts and Bandoleros. But keeping good notes applies just as much to those racers as it does for the top NASCAR teams. Bandoleros and most Karting sanctions have such tight rules and competition that you need to know that everything you have is perfect to run up front consistently.