Some tech inspection tips...
I volunteered Saturday morning and was helping with tech inspection. I thought I would pass on what I learned for those that want to do this next year. What people seemed to have the most trouble with was:
1) Properly securing the battery. If it is in the OEM position, it still has to be FASTENED DOWN. If the original mounting sucks or the battery doesn't quite fit and the battery can slide in the OEM bracket, it doesn't matter. It was so bad that (at my not so serious suggestion) they started awarding a few bonus points to cars that came through with a battery mount 'situation' that didn't need to be improved. Putting it in a box somewhere else on the car is fine, but the battery has to be secured to the car INDEPENDENT of the box lid. That is to say, putting a bungie on the lid to hold down a battery on a track sn't adequate. (Another idea was to drill a hole and put a lag bolt through the battery for those that didn't have it secured properly to mount it to the car....)
2) Properly securing the fire extinguisher. Many seemed to have purchased a fire extinguisher from Home Depot with a cheesy little plastic holder and we weren't accepting. They'd accept some extra cable ties wrapped around to secure it, because you want it secure, but still be able to get it out if needed. I was surprised on this and #1. I guess after all the track events it has been drilled into my head that things shouldn't be able to rattle and move around in a car on the track...
3) Replacing 50/50 coolant with ONLY water. Make sure if you look at the coolant that it doesn't still look green. You'll be asked to drain and fill it again.
It was a hoot to watch, though, and my brother and I are talking of fielding a car next year. My parents have a couple potential contenders...
