Most causal race fans probably think once a local team has its car built (or rebuilt) and ready for any given season, all that’s left is to haul it to the track every week, unload and give it your best shot.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Especially if you have any hope whatsoever of generating some decent results on the racetrack.
No, this often-expensive yet admittedly hobby-level racing is much, much more than sticking that race car back into the trailer at the end of the night and unloading it again a week later.
Greg Peters is a former racer from Westbrook with more mechanical knowledge than most. These days, he serves as crew chief for his son John, driver of the Runtal Radiators Chevrolet No. 51 NASCAR Pro Series entry at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and in select Pro All Stars Series (PASS) events.
“Getting to the track for either the next weekly or touring series race requires a lot of preparation,” Peters said. “After completing the previous event, the first thing we do is clean the car, assess any damage that may have occurred, order parts if needed, then begin preparing for the next race.”
From there, the man more comfortable with a wrench in his hand than a computer says it gets busy.
“These Super Late Models are highly technical,” Peters added. “Our pre-race work is done to ensure that everything from a thorough nut-and-bolt check, to servicing the brakes, changing the oil and setting up the chassis, which could involve changing springs, shocks, etc., is completely done.”
You might think by this point, the thing is ready to go back in the trailer. Not just yet, my friends.
“The last thing we do is put the car on our scales. We check all of our numbers to be sure we’re as close as possible to the right chassis setup for the particular track we’re headed to next. It requires many hours to accomplish this, but we do it for the love of the sport and the quality time our family enjoys.”
Conrad Childs knows all about the importance of family time and how much of it racing can consume. The 54-year-old from Auburn maintains three cars that compete in Oxford’s Acceleration Series program on Wednesday nights.
Between his own Rebel division entry, son Cody’s Military Talent Source Chevrolet Camaro Outlaw No. 94 entry and daughter Kathryn’s Team Haley Hugs Ladies division entry, his plate is reasonably full between Thursday mornings and the following Wednesday.
“It can take as many as 30 hours per week to get all three cars ready,” Childs said. “And that’s if none of us have any major damage. Last year, we had some engine trouble with Cody’s car. It felt like we were changing one every week. This year, we aren’t having as many problems. That’s a little relief.”
Childs is enjoying his return to racing, yet also takes great pride in how his kids do out on the track.
“With me being back in the seat again, I can get a better feel for track conditions and what their cars might need for a setup. The only drawback is that working on my own car takes away from the time I can put into Cody and Kathryn’s cars. I really want them to succeed; I’m just out there for fun, now.”
Mike Whittier is the car owner and crew chief for son David’s Street Stock/Strictly Street No. 58 entry based in West Poland. He’s also involved with several other local drivers, with a shop as busy as any in western Maine.
“Our week of maintenance begins on Sunday morning,” Whittier said. “We usually get unloaded, clean the car thoroughly and look everything over. The way our Saturday night turned out dictates the rest of our week.
“If it was bad, we spend Monday night doing our measurements, checking ride heights and looking everything over if the car wasn’t handling well. Wednesday is usually preventive maintenance; like a nut-and-bolt inspection, checking fluids, changing them if needed and packing bearings.”
As the week wears on, it starts to get a little easier.
“Friday is usually reserved for doing chassis setup work and other miscellaneous chores,” Whittier added. “That’s on weeks that you stay out of trouble, but if you wreck, you’re in for a much longer week. On Saturday morning, we organize the pit box and load up for the track.”
Brandon Barker competes in the Pro Series at Beech Ridge each week alongside John Peters, Corey Bubar and a host of other top talent. The Windham resident finished sixth in the PASS 150 at Beech Ridge on July 7 in an impressive effort.
Barker knows all about the importance of shop time for his team to remain competitive on the oval.
“You just can’t go racing every weekend without doing the mechanical inspections and proper repairs during the week,” Barker said. “We spend a lot of time going over the car, making sure there was nothing broken in the previous race. It takes time and effort to get it right.”
Barker also knows getting the chassis setup correct before race day is in his highly-competitive class.
“With these Super Late Models, if you’re off by 1/16th of an inch somewhere, it can put you out to lunch. We work hard to maintain speed in the car, so we try to get all of our measurements right. When we unload, we should be pretty close.”
pwhipple@sunjournal.com
Greg Peters stands behind his son’s PASS North Series entry at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, July 29. Peters is a veteran driver and mechanic who knows what it takes to get a race car to the track every week.
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