Ask your engine builder how...
Ask your engine builder how often to perform basic engine maintenance. Photo by Jeff Huneycutt
Having a basic understanding of the wiring that makes up the car can save a lot of money. In the off-season, our team spent over $1,000 to have someone re-wire the entire car.
Having a basic understanding of the process will help throughout the year. For instance, let's say you are involved in an accident where the front bumper cuts the radiator fan wire. A racer who has no understanding of wiring will purchase a new wire the same length, instead of just splicing the wire and adding a connecter. Sometimes it might be best to go ahead and replace the wire, but there are ways to save money and this might be one of them.
If there is an area that ranks ahead of other skills, it is this one. Engine maintenance is a must if you want to make it through an entire season without forking out the dough for a blown motor. The maintenance will include running valves, changing oil, checking all the fluid levels, and checking spark plug gaps, among other things.
The best way to determine how often you need to perform these tasks is to speak with your engine builder and find out exactly how many laps you should run before routine maintenance. Also find out what your engine's valve clearance should be, and then, after each race weekend, pull the valve covers and run the valves. Simple steps like this will not only help you avoid a blown engine, but will also prolong the life of your engine in between rebuilds.
Having a good understanding...
Having a good understanding of chassis setups will only help you while at the track. Photo by John Gibson
Some might argue that this is not a skill, but trust me there are a lot of people who make a decent amount of money simply setting up racecars. You can save money by understanding what is happening to a chassis while the driver is turning the wheel. If you can set up your racecar and run up front, then by all means do it. But if you are struggling to consistently run up front and need someone to set up your car, than you might want to look at hiring someone to do that.
Regardless, having that understanding will pay dividends in the long run. The more changes you make and the more you learn, then the more benefit it will be to your program. After a while, a driver will notice when the team makes a particular change and how it affected the car. This will transfer from track to track, so when there is only five minutes left in practice you can refer to your prior experience and knowledge of the chassis setup and make a quick change to gain an advantage.
Make no mistake about it,...
Make no mistake about it, fabricating is a skill that you must possess. Photo by John Gibson
I am not a fabricator and I know it. But being able to make crush panels or hang different pieces of the body can also save money. Here is one of the smartest things you can do whether you make crush panels or have them made. Once all the crush panels are fabricated and in the car, remove them and have some construction paper on hand. Use the paper to make a template so when the crush panels actually get crushed during a crash, you can save time by having the templates for patterns.
The skills that make up this list are extremely vital to help you make it through a race season. It is all about saving money and investing it back into the right places, like more power in your engine, new tires, and so on. For a driver who wants to learn these skills, I recommend that you take some classes or spend the time to learn from the right people. If you are able to master these skills, I can guarantee it will pay off and you will run up front more consistently.