There’s something unbeatable about the sights and sounds that come with the racing territory. But if you’re finding yourself increasingly frustrated that your lap times are falling just short of your expectations, it can take away from the joys of the race track.
Many think that in order to achieve shorter lap times, they need a faster car. But as any classic sports car driver will tell you, that’s simply not the case. When it comes to driving classic race cars , given that they’re not just your pride and joy but also highly valuable cars, they typically require a lot more care than your average modern-day sports car would receive. So, just how can you improve your lap times without risking the well-being of your classic sports car ?
Taking care of your tyres
Tyres can be instrumental to a victorious lap time, which is why it’s so crucial to consider the health of your tyres before you hit that race track. Before a race, your car should be fitted with new tyres, so you have the perfect amount of grip in your tyre’s tread needed to make those tight turns.
But don’t stop at new tyres. Make sure you’re checking tyre pressure too! When you have low tyre pressure you can risk rolling resistance due to more surface area of the tyre having traction with the road, while high tyre pressure can mean that you have less control over the grip of your tyres, as there’s less surface area of the tyre in contact with the road. Having healthy tyres is instrumental to shaving down precious seconds off your lap times.
Perfect Balance
While it can seem a bit redundant to say that your car should be at the top of its game before a race, something that’s often forgotten in the excitement leading up to a race is your car’s chassis set-up. Ensuring that your car is well balanced and has good weight distribution means that you can reduce the risk of poor handling, especially around tight corners.
Having a balanced suspension means that the weight is distributed equally across all four corners of your car, meaning that the tread of each of your tyres has more of the road’s surface area to grip onto, helping your classic race car to handle and react much better than having to compensate for having more weight on one corner of the car.
Knowledge is power
We know, it sounds a little cheesy. But, the more knowledge you have of the track, even if you’ve only managed to do one or two laps, the better your judgement will be on the day. Even if you’ve driven the track a hundred times, there’s always something new to learn, like knowing that a specific corner need requires a later turn that you initially thought.
It’s these new learnings, however small, that can be the difference between your current lap time and your new personal best.
Collecting and using data
Carrying on from the last tip, don’t let that important knowledge go to waste! It’s worth shelling out for a good lap timer. Using this technology, you can see whether the changes you’ve made to your classic sports car have made that all-important difference.
Take a look at your previous recorded lap times and then compare them to the most recent session. Have they improved or gotten worse? Or have they stayed the same?
Once you’ve collected and analysed the data from your last few laps, you can continue to adjust your car or strategy accordingly, until you successfully shave off those last few seconds.
Upgrade your classic racing car
This, of course, entirely depends on what kind of races that you enter your classic competition car into, as many won’t accept overly modified cars. But if this isn’t something that restricts your car from being entered into the races you want to take part in, opting for small modern upgrades to amplify your classic car’s driving performance can help to boost your lap times and get you on the road to victory.
Classic Racing Car preparation with DM Historics
At DM Historics, we have our expert team on hand to give you and your classic race car everything you need before you hit the race track. Our specialist classic car race preparation services provide you with a bespoke treatment - whether you’re after a full motor racing set-up or a simple service. Get in touch with our team today!
