Why We Race

A shimmering golden door hides a giant corporate machine that produces the next racing star of tomorrow. Once the door is opened the legendary machine guarantees racing fame and a long money filled career. Mesmerized, parents forget the comforts of home and stand in an endless line in hopes of placing their offspring in the proficient golden gadget located near a 2.5 mile oval Florida shrine. Reputation convinces parents to try and they are certain the elusive hardware will do all of the work instantaneously transforming their child into the next racing hall of famer. Nearly all youngsters would be better off honing their skills at their home track but Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne are rumored to be products of the wonderful machine. Jeff, Tony and Kasey know the golden door is a myth, yet history shows that the racing gods in Daytona Beach create new legends in lock step with the fall of an aging and once bright star.

Parents believe that when a young kid is given the key to the golden door the corporate machine can magically stamp out the next budding star of tomorrow regardless of their experience level. Many kids with whitened teeth and hair from the cover of Fashion Quarterly enter, but only one in a million emerges with the needed poise and skill of a true champion. With what seems to be an ever younger child inside, the pristine machine shakes, steams and vibrates working magic and applying mythical power to the chosen few. At last, a shot at the big time – it is all so easy or so says the legend.

Years ago I was at my home race track in Monroe Washington. Evergreen Speedway was located smack downtown and the grandstands doubled for racing and cow judging at the yearly fair. Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough were the racing gods of the day – corporate America allowed few gods back then. Legends in the era of black and white photography earned their time in the sun with actual grit, determination and plenty of beer.

By the age of ten I had been to the Evergreen Speedway many times. My dad would load me into his Chevy van with blankets to sit on and an Igloo cooler packed with his two beers hidden under a layer of ice and our PBJ sandwiches. Dad’s van was a true California special complete with crushed velvet seats and a stereo system that could rattle the windows out of an Army tank. Since we lived in Washington State, and not California, Dad’s ride really turned some heads. BF Goodrich T/A radials and 5 spoke mag wheels were the perfect accent to the airbrushed scallops that ran down the sides of the highly customized Chevy van. Riding to the track in style was a required part of racing back when I was ten. Mini vans weren’t allowed in the parking lot then. Little did I know I was learning why people race while chatting with my Dad on the 40 minute trip to Monroe.

We were regulars at Evergreen so even at ten I knew my way around. We sat in the exact same spot every week and nobody would even think of invading our turf. Eagerly, I would lead the family to the base of the grandstands turning left to look up at our favorite spot - 8 rows down from the top, 7 seats to the left of the isle and just past the start finish line. From there we had a perfect view of turn 1.

Turn 1 was where all the action took place and early in the year the turn 1 pond was still full - a beautiful combination of soupy water mixed with authentic northwest mud. Our bellies ached from laughter when drivers spun into the pond creating a giant brown splash. Thoughts of the billowing puff of steam filled the long Saturday night drive home with plenty of laughter. On special occasions, a rookie push truck driver would park too close to the pond and a muddy tsunami would cover his freshly waxed truck – real racing right here at home complete with material for America’s Funniest Videos.

Saturday nights weren't complete unless a couple unexpected racers got a shower in turn one. Racers that landed in the turn-one pond were usually unharmed. Mud on thier faces and bruised egos caused more damage than thier cars ever saw on the track.

Drivers and cars that landed in the pond were usually unharmed. The mud on their faces, a uniform dripping with puddle water, and egos that were more wet than bruised came standard with the admission price. The turn 1 puddle taught me plenty about why we race – it would just take me years to understand.

I fondly remember my favorite local drivers from back then. Real drivers that inspired me to get out of the bleachers and work on racecars were my idols. They had greasy uniforms, tussled hair and bad mustaches that would make them look more like adult film stars than racecar drivers. My visions resemble an old Elvis movie creating a dramatic contrast to current victory lane scenes with Kasey Kahne and his Budweiser Dodge sponsored by the Dodge Dealers in Gatorade Victory Lane at the Powerade Winners Circle celebration. Over the chaos of the celebratory noise you could hear Kasey say, “Which hat do I wear now?”

According to legend - in Kasey’s interview - he would utilize skills learned in the mythical machine. He would announce in his politically perfect voice; “I want to thank all of my sponsors, we had a really good car, the team worked super hard, the engine shop gave us a great engine and I am really proud of my team, my engineer, my PR guy, my mom and my dog”. It goes without saying that his dog is named “Charger”.

Amazing results - maybe the golden door really works! Sorry Kasey - I could have picked on anyone but since we are both from Washington I figure you would give me one freebie or maybe you would let me off the hook because my comparison to new and old is just “one of them deals”.

From our family Evergreen bleacher spot we could hear the announcer, well sort of. The thunder of the race cars muffled some of the words but back then my hearing was not yet hampered by the 100’s of times I would be in a closed garage with unprotected ears being bombarded with 8000 RPM’s and an engine guy that said he was setting the timing. I was never sure if the timing was set correctly or if it was just the engine tuners weekly playtime.

When ever the announcer mentioned my favorite figure eight driver I would perk right up. The loud speaker would crackle like an old scratchy LP - “….and starting on the pole - Dirty Dan the Sewer Man”. Funny how 35 years makes a reference to a sewer sound romantic.

Dan Knot was a racer. He raced for the pure fun. To him – Daytona was a post card with a white sandy beach and a bikini girl with oversize sunglasses. Mythical corporate machines not required. My Dad learned to be a chassis guy on Dirty Dan’s team and in true racer tradition he passed on all his knowledge to me. Dad taught me plenty.

Dirty Dan the Sewer Man somehow made a reference to a sew sound romantic. Dirty Dan (Knott) raced for fun - we all could learn from Dirty Dan.





My Uncle Bob turned wrenches on the Sewer Man’s car and he simply loved being around the track. Uncle Bob was a mechanic by trade. He could diagnose an engine simply by holding a screw driver over the intake - no need for one of those big fancy red boxes with a TV screen on it. Uncle Bob could simply listen to the engine and with the experience of real grease under his fingernails he could have you back on the road for a few bucks, a cold beer and a have a nice day smile – those were the days!

Dirty Dan had plenty of company. Ben Chandler, The Wizard, would add a certain color to the festivities making sure everyone in Monroe had something to cheer for. Crazy Carl Zaretske would smash the gas on and off through the turns of the Evergreen Figure 8 track. Carl had his trademark driving style. Whomp, whomp, whomp – you could hear the throttle pedal go to the floor about 8 times in each and every turn. To Carl, being smooth was saved for flirting with female groupies in victory lane.





Crazy Carl Zaretske was instantly recognized with his maroon 57 Chevy and the hand painted No. 2 on the side. Crazy Carl would stomp the gas on and off through every turn as he muscled his way to the front.






Why would Dirty Dan, Uncle Bob and my Dad race so hard when the mythical golden door and corporate machine was not even on their radar? Was it the time in the shop away from real life? Maybe it was the relaxation of building a mechanical marvel – figure eight cars were pretty cool! In what other sport can you dress in tacky oil stained uniforms and be rewarded with a crazed crowd that cheers wildly at every wreck, fist fight and photo finish? Perhaps it’s the camaraderie? The junior writer from the Seattle Times would just say it was for the love of the sport - he had no idea - the night before he was covering a high school chess tournament. Being low man on the totem pole meant he did all the bottom of the barrel assignments. Journalism at it’s best!



Maybe we race as the universal goal of competing creates a common racers’ bond – a bond so powerful that Saturday night at the track is more important than friends, weddings, anniversaries and kids birthdays. Respect strengthens the holding power of the Saturday night ritual and even the toughest competitors and bitterest of rivals treasure the compelling power of the racing bond. Every true racer feels remorse - but wouldn’t think of showing any sign of emotion - when their enemy’s auto show perfect machine meets with an untimely concrete collision.

Racing is so unique that it has its own language – mess with us and we will fire a warning shot - fool with us and we will take off your head. True racers can spend an entire evening in the shop and speak volumes with out uttering even one audible word. In a racer’s shop, there is a poetry of information that is often spoken with a single head nod, a curled eyebrow or a subtle shoulder shrug. Clattering wrenches keep rhythm with the cycle of the week – Saturday night comes each and every weekend during racing season.

Drivers too have their own silent language. Chrome horns spank the child in front of them and hand gestures wave a thousand messages to those passing by. A subtle right turn leaves a tire mark on the competitor’s door – a rubber zero clearly communicates the opinion for the duration of the night. Those who push the window too hard are given a firm squeeze into the outside wall shortening one day and lengthening six nights.

From the comfort of the crushed velvet seat in my Dads’ van and the fabulous puddle in turn 1, I learned that we simply race for fun. True racers know that just having fun is reason enough to sacrifice normal behavior in exchange for another Saturday night fix. Since we are all still ten at heart, why look for the fickle and elusive golden door and corporate magic? If we want clean fun we just need to remember Dirty Dan - he had fun – he found gold right here at home.

Go Forward – Move Ahead
Jeff Butcher
JOES Racing Products, Inc
10/09/09
http://www.joesracing.com/

Roll Center Magic

Dialing in your Front Roll Center could be the magic difference that makes your car prevail in the center of the turn. But, is it really magic? I think that many times we over analyze Roll Center when really it is just another adjustment. We throw springs at the car and make shock changes. We adjust the bite and stagger on a whim. Changing the Front Roll Center at the track is crazy talk – or is it?

For perspective – we often move the Rear Roll Center in a care free trial and error fashion. If the car is loose it is common for teams to simply move the Rear Roll Center down by lowering the panhard bar or j bar an inch or two. Teams on TV or at your local Saturday night track move the Rear Roll Center just for fun and then move it back if the driver doesn’t like it. We move the Rear Roll Center up and down and really do it with out over thinking.

When it comes to the Front Roll Center - it seems we have to consult witch doctors from Zimbabwe before we can think about making a change at the track. The misconception is that if a team were to change the Front Roll Center at the track then an ancient taboo would curse the team for the entire season.

The Front Roll Center is a point in space that is derived from the LF and RF Instant Centers and thier relationship to the contact patch.

Really, Front Roll Center adjustments at the track are easy if performed with a little thought and reasonability. There is no mystery and while we are happy to move the Rear Roll Center all over the place we seem to be afraid of Front Roll Center adjustments at the track. In actuality, you could consider lowering the Front Roll Center at the track to rid the car of a nasty push just the same as you would raise the panhard bar or j-bar to cure the condition? Really - you can. Just do it. If the driver likes the change then your team has found some new speed – if not then undo the adjustment with the same amount of thought as you put into moving the j-bar/panhard bar.

To help us become okay with making Front Roll Center trackside changes it pays to have a basic understanding of Roll Center both front and rear. Rear Roll Center is easy to understand as there is a physical part such as a j-bar or panhard bar for us to see. The Rear Roll Center is easy to calculate. Rear Roll Center is the average of the inner and outer mounting point heights at the center of the left and right mounting locations. Rear Roll Center may be easy to understand but in the end we just move it to adjust the car and then move it back if the driver complains. So simple.

The Front Roll Center can be confusing because on paper there are a bunch of lines going every which way. When the car goes through dynamic roll the lines go crazy as the pivot points move quickly which can give racers a headache – static front roll center is hard enough to comprehend but the data gets insane when you roll the chassis. But – what if we simplify the way we think about Front Roll Center? What if we view Front Roll Center like we view Rear Roll Center?

To simplify the Front Roll Center thought process it helps to understand the creation of the so called magical point. Front Roll Center is a calculated point verses a physical place. To find it you must first locate the Instant Center both left and right.

The RF Instant Center is found by drawing a line through the center of the RF upper A-Arm ball joint extended out though the center of the A-Arm inner pivot point on the frame. Another line is drawn from the RF outer ball joint center though the lower control arm frame pivot. The lower control arm line is extended out until it meets the upper control arm line. Where these lines intersect is called the Instant Center. The LF Instant Center is found in the same way.

Instant Centers are much easier to visualize than Roll Centers. The Instant Center is simply the point where the upper control arm pivot point and the lower control arm pivot point lines intersect.

After the Instant Centers are located you can now find the Roll Center. From the RF Instant Center you draw a line back to the RF contact patch center. From the LF Instant Center you draw a line back to the LF contact patch center. Where these two imaginary lines cross is the Roll Center.

Car designers spend a ton of time figuring out mounting points and control arm lengths to come up with their idea of the optimal Roll Center. That said – Roll Center is just a point in space and there is little preventing you from moving the Roll Center around to find more speed. Sure, you shouldn’t go crazy but you can make reasonable and common sense adjustments quickly at the track.

For example – let’s say your car has a push and you tried raising the Rear Roll Center to free the car up. The driver didn’t like the change and now you want to try something else. You could adjust the bite, add stagger, soften the RF spring etc. OR – you could lower the Front Roll Center. You could just change the Front Roll Center by thinking out the variables just like you do at the rear. At the track, you could simply raise the RF A-arm inner pivot point. Raising the RF inner pivot would move the RF Instant Center down resulting in the Roll Center moving down and over to the left. The result is similar to having a softer RF spring through the timing of chassis roll.

Increasing the angle at the RF upper A-Arm raises the Front Roll Center and moves it to the right.

In order for the Front Roll Center track adjustment to be practical, it pays to worry less about the detail of the specific Roll Center location and focus on the Instant Center and your goal for the chassis adjustment. If you use a RF A-Arm frame mounting plate that is slotted for height adjustment you can use slugs to ensure you have repeatable and documentable changes. The idea is that you when move the rear roll center down a half inch you have something solid and repeatable to record in your set up book. For the Front Roll Center adjustment you can simply record that you moved the RF inner A-arm mounting point up a half inch with a slug. By understanding Roll Center and all the magic lines you can use your understanding to simplify the process at the track allowing for easy and practical changes. Changing a slug is pretty easy for a trial run and it is easy to repeat. If the driver doesn’t like the adjustment you can simply bolt the original slug back in and look for the next piece of hardware to move in your quest for more speed.

When would you try raising the RF A-arm pivot which results in a lower Roll Center? All adjustments are about timing. When and how does the car roll and what effect can we have on the timing of the chassis roll to make things occur at the right point in the corner? The ultimate goal of knowing the specific time in the corner to have the suspension move is the ultimate set up secret. If we truly knew how and when things move in the corner we would always have the fastest car! Since we don’t truly know - we gather all the information we can find from drivers, pyrometers, data acquisition or whatever and apply our experience to cut down the trial and error process. Even the guys on TV, that have unlimited access to money and engineering, are still in the position of using trial and error.

You can think about a trackside Roll Center adjustment if you wanted the car to experience stiffer front springs under braking yet have the front springs feel softer in the center of the turn. In the end – your decision making is just like the rear roll center process. When do you decide to move the rear j-bar up or down verses making a spring change? A Front Roll Center adjustment thought process is basically the same thing. Just move it!

We can easily move the upper pivot point of the front A-arms to reach a desired goal. Again, trial and error is part of the equation but the mystery of the Front Roll Center shouldn’t stop us. Moving the A-Arm pivots at the track is easy if you have the right hardware. Slotted A-plates and slugs work great.



Using and A-Arm slug to adjust your A-Arm inner pivot points gives you an easy and repeatable way to adjust your Front Roll Center right at the track.
You can move the lower points too, but you bring in rack location issues and bump steer corrections. If you take the time in your shop and know which rack spacers and lower pivot slugs to use at the track you could bolt in the new slugs quickly giving you more options. Your options need to consider camber change curves, static settings and bump steer effects. Changing the lower angles relieve you of camber curve considerations but are more time consuming so a focus on the upper A-Arms may be the best trackside compromise?


A slotted A-Arm plate allows you to use slugs to make Front Roll Center Adjustments at the track giving you another weapon in your adjustment arsenal.
Lowering the RF A-Arm inner pivot raises the Front Roll Center and moves it to the right. Negative Camber is added and may need to be reset.

Raising the RF A-Arm inner pivot lowers the Front Roll Center and moves it to the left. Negative camber is reduced and may need to be reset.

Lowering the LF A-Arm inner pivot raises the Front Roll Center and moves it to the left. Positive camber is reduced and may need to be reset.

Raising the LF A-Arm inner pivot lowers the Front Roll Center and moves it to the right. Positive camber is added and may need to be reset.


An adjustable ball joint uses shims to change the A-Arm angle for quick Front Roll Center adjustments right at the track. A-Arm height an angle adjustments can be made just at the ball joint or in conjunction with inner pivot slug adjustments.

To further illustrate the point, I think that Front Roll Center is a design parameter that involves plenty of engineering and thought. I also think that if you have a basic understanding of Roll Center geometry that you can short cut the thought process at the track and simply focus on the LF and RF Instant Centers. At the track – you can easily visualize the effect on the RF instant center if you raise the RF a-arm inner pivot ½”. At this point in time you car is already “engineered” and you can just make the adjustment. By focusing on the Instant Centers you can readily make repeatable adjustments without having to worry about a bunch of imaginary lines. You can understand Instant Centers and their location quickly and easily. The reality is that Front Roll Center is simply a derivative of the Instant Center locations. Instant Centers are simple even through dynamic roll. Why complicate your trackside thought process with imaginary lines? Save the heavy thinking for the engineering room. At the track - just give it a try!

By understanding the Front Roll Center parameters and the imaginary points you can simplify the process and easily document which slug you are using to adjust your a-arms up and down. Focusing on Instant Centers makes it possible at the track. With this simplified thought process you can add another weapon to your adjustment arsenal and make adjustments that gets you ahead of your competition.


Go Forward – Move Ahead
Jeff Butcher
JOES Racing Products
10/01/09
http://www.joesracing.com/