A Bert/Brinn-style transmission is an excellent example that not everything in racing has to be more complicated than the U.S. tax code. A Bert transmission is a favorite in many dirt racing classes because it's small, lightweight, has a low rotating mass, is dependable, and easy to repair.inline_mediumwraptextrightA Bert-style two-speed transmission is very popular in dirt track racing because its relative simplicity makes it lightweight and dependable. That simplicity also means it doesn't require a dedicated gear specialist to rebuild it.26339434/drivetraintech/ctrp_0912_two_speed_transmissionctrp_0912_01_z+two_speed_transmission+bert_style.jpgTrue

There's no problem that a homeowner dreads more then when he has to repair the plumbing. In my experience, the problems that require a professional to come out to your house could have been avoided by simply having it installed correctly the first time. This couldn't be more true when dealing with your race car. If you don't plumb the car correctly the first time you could be looking at an expensive repair bill that could have been avoided.inline_mediumwraptextright26494495/enginetech/ctrp_0912_earls_performance_plumbingctrp_0912_01_z+earls_performance_plumbing+engine.jpgTrue

The landscape for building and evaluating circle-track engines is on the verge of new opportunities to incorporate some updated thinking. What does that mean? In reality, several factors come into play. Let's examine a few of them that may apply to us of the engine contingency.inline_mediumwraptextright30439845/ultimateracing/ctrp_0912_high_nox_emissionsctrp_0912_01_z+high_nox_emissions+jim_mcfarland.jpgTrue

The Outlaw Super Late Model could be best described by saying, "Bad news travels fast"-and I mean "Bad" in a good way like teenagers would use the word to describe something that "totally rocks." These low-cut, flat-sided, sleek, mean machines rock like no other race car in the stock car world. At one time in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana these cars were the pavement superstars at many local Saturday night tracks.inline_mediumwraptextrightDennis Strickland (90) and Jack Varney (116) race hard for position at Toledo Ohio Speedway.26230960/ultimateracing/ctrp_0912_outlaw_super_late_modelsctrp_0912_01_z+outlaw_super_late_models+dennis_strickland.jpgTrue

It started innocently enough just a simple conversation with my old buddy Nick Ramey last September at the ARCA race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Nick, who runs the ARCA engine program for Roush Yates Engines, told me that the company was planning some big things for 2009 and that I should keep an eye on them. Fast forward to PRI 2008, while walking the trade show floor, I heard my name called out. I turned around to see a guy in a Roush Yates shirt. "I'm Jeremy Anderson, Nick told me to find you," he said.inline_mediumwraptextrightProject DLM's new powerplant on the dyno for this first time. It's doesn't get much better then glowing red headers. Kevin Thorne26314780/enginetech/ctrp_0912_yates_roush_nascar_motorctrp_0912_01_z+yates_roush_nascar_motor+red_headers.jpgTrue

Engineers at RHS have recently designed the only small-block Chevy 23-degree cast-iron head that is CNC-ported from the factory. The precision accuracy and durability of the Pro Elite SBC 23-Degree CNC-Ported Iron Cylinder Heads are derived not only from the precision CNC-porting of the intake and exhaust runners but the CNC-ported combustion chamber, as well.inline_mediumwraptextright25451836/enginetech/ctrp_0911_rhs_pro_elite_headctrp_0911_02_z+rhs_pro_elite_head+illustration.jpgTrue

Put Yourself In A Position To Win We have all heard the saying "The fastest car doesn't always win the race." But is there any truth to that saying? After watching a great deal of stock car races one might say that, yes, it happens all the time. Think of the most recent race you watched, whether it was on TV or at your local short track. Was there one car that had the entire field covered and was laying down some of the fastest lap times in the race, only to end up finishing Second or even worse?inline_mediumwraptextrightBeing the fastest car during the course of the race is great, but what do you do when you miss the setup and only have a third-place car? John Gibson25120565/ultimateracing/ctrp_0911_nascar_sprint_cup_seriesctrp_0911_01_z+nascar_sprint_cup_series+john_gibsons_car.jpgTrue

"Hydraulic" It Out!
Many times we run up on a pilot bushing/bearing that just won't come out! Here's a technique that has worked very well for me.inline_mediumwraptextright30138192/readerstechtips/ctrp_0911_readers_tech_tipsctrp_0911_01_z+readers_tech_tips+crankshaft_and_pilot_bushing.jpgTrue

Youngest "E" Gets Behind Wheel Chichester, UK

A couple of issues back we chronicled our entry into the 24 Hours of LeMons race series. Beginning with a '90 Honda Accord destined for the crusher, we showed you how the car was transformed into a racer (Sept. '09 issue) and then how we did in the April race at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC (Oct. '09 issue).inline_mediumwraptextrightOur 24 Hours of LeMons entry looked exactly the same on the outside, but a little work on the brakes made a world of difference on the racetrack.31215699/eventcoverage/ctrp_1002_24_hours_of_lemonsctrp_1002_01_o+24_hours_of_lemons+race_car.jpgTrue

What I find from talking to hundreds of teams throughout the season is that many racers know more about his/her chassis and how it's built than ever before. That is because the competition has moved ahead in its knowledge. Just to keep up, let alone pass the winners, in any class be it Dirt or Asphalt, we need to have knowledge.

The '08-'09 off-season was one of the worst ever for NASCAR teams-cost cutting, massive employee layoffs and team mergers were the rule. The job loss rates were rising faster than a qualifying lap at Bristol. As the economy continues to battle through one of the worst times since the great depression, displaced employees are left to fend for themselves, the final result of sponsor dollars drying up.inline_mediumwraptextrightSo you want a job in the motorsports industry? UNCC might be a good place to look. Kathy Bond30660906/ultimateracing/ctrp_0912_unc_charlotte_motorsports_programctrp_0912_01_o+unc_charlotte_motorsports_program+circle_track_race_car.jpgTrue

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame today that includes: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty. The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C. to vote on the induction class of 2010.inline_mediumwraptextright25498235/ultimateracing/ctrp_0910_nascar_hall_of_famectrp_0910_01_z+nascar_hall_of_fame+.jpgTrue

Test Drive a Midget First Annual Shane Hammond Driving School Set for Oct. 12th at Waterford (CT) Speedbowl

Avid readers of Circle Track will remember back in the Aug. '07 issue a story chronicling the Urban Force Racing team. The local race Wisconsin race team was made up of a group of high school students led by their automotive technology instructor and funded by the founder of ABC Supply Company. The idea behind the team was to create a program using racing as the carrot to keep troubled kids in high school.inline_mediumwraptextright30957399/eventcoverage/ctrp_1001_madison_international_speedwayctrp_1001_01_z+madison_international_speedway+.jpgTrue

In racing, spark plugs are practically a disposable commodity. Use them for a while and throw them away. If the engine starts acting funny, replace the plugs just in case. It's cheap insurance and really not a bad idea at all.inline_mediumwraptextrightAll those thousands of dollars of high-end engine parts depend on relatively cheap spark plugs to work. Give your plugs the best chance possible by gapping every one before installation.25479554/enginetech/ctrp_1001_engine_spark_plugsctrp_1001_01_z+spark_plugs_engine+gapping.jpgTrue

One of the most taken for granted products on many a short tracker's car is the starter. They are often a second thought, one that comes to mind only after a failure. But a starter failure is the last thing that any one of us wants to experience. And thanks to Quarter Master's new Hi-Torque Ultra-Duty Starter we don't have to any longer.inline_mediumwraptextright26722240/enginetech/ctrp_1001_hi_torque_starterctrp_1001_01_z+hi_torque_starter+.jpgTrue

When F1 driver Felipe Massa got hit in the head with an errant spring from another car in August, his helmet, along with his skull, got seriously damaged. Massa was wearing a top-of-the-line carbon-fiber/composite helmet-which meant, despite almost a couple of weeks in the hospital, he survived with few after effects. The same could easily happen to one of us in the short track world.inline_mediumwraptextright30941262/safety/ctrp_1001_auto_racing_helmetctrp_1001_01_z+auto_racing_helmet+.jpgTrue

One of the reasons I love racing is because, ultimately, when there are five laps to go and you're in Second Place, the responsibility rests completely on the driver's shoulders to win that race. You see, growing up when I would play team sports, like baseball, I used to get so frustrated at my teammates because in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, I wanted to be up to bat. Then when my teammate would strike out and we would lose the game, I couldn't talk to him for a week. Ignore the fact that I wasn't any good at baseball. That's why I love being in the driver seat, in that situation-it's all on me.

I happened to incur irony at its finest last weekend. You see, last weekend for us was our second race of the year and, while running seventh about 75 laps in to our 250-lap race, the engine sputtered like it was out of gas, and then shut off. I thought for certain I had blown it. We checked and checked for a problem underneath the hood and then finally someone thought to change the battery. Bang! The engine fired right back up. I remember thinking to myself, Wow this is ironic. When I get home from the race I have to write a story called "Battery Basics." It turns out that it wasn't necessarily a battery problem, but rather an alternator problem. However, I can assure you that the battery and alternator will not go unchecked from here on out.

Second In A Two-Part Series
In the last issue of Circle Track, we announced our plans to compete in the 24 Hours of LeMons race event at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC, and outlined the process of building our race car. This month we get to the fun part-racing.

RaceQuip's new FIA/SFI Camlock Harness belt set offers loads of features along with affordable pricing and it exceeds both the SFI 16.1 specification and the stringent FIA 8853/98 standard. This "dual certification" allows racers in some sanctions (SCCA, NASA, and more) to use these belts for five years instead of just two.

Other issues might have been with one or more broken shocks, bent control arms (the car was crashed at Concord and we know from experience that damage can occur in the strangest places), bent axle tubes, and more. All of those items must be checked and eliminated as problems before the car hits the track again.

Between 16 & 23 Years Old and Like To Race? Then Join...
Young Racers' Club
Dedicated to Supporting Youth In Racing

Head Gasket Help
Replacing head gaskets and need a good way to keep debris from falling into the cylinders and getting down into the piston rings? Here's how I do it. All you need is an old set of piston rings and some paper towels. If you don't have an old set of rings lying around the shop, I'm sure your local machine shop will give you some. Now, just place the paper towel over the cylinder, then lay the piston ring over the towel, press it into the cylinder, trim the towel, and you're ready to clean all the old head gasket off of the block. When you're done cleaning all of the gasket residue off, carefully pull the towel and ring out together.
Steve Roche
Barona (CA) Speedway
Pro-Stock #72