Latest Articles
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Project Racer - Part 7: Recipe for Racing
By Annie Sam
Being a fast road racer requires five main ingredients; 2 cups drivers skill, 1 cup killer suspension, ½ cup of grip, a dash of reliability, and of course, 2 tablespoons of horsepower. Now that you’ve learned the basics of racing, and driving through following the progress of Project Racer, let’s turn our attention to the next ingredient - horsepower. Though a detailed buildup of a Performance Touring race car could be found detailed in various other project vehicles on this site, what automotive project – project racer included - is complete without the mention of upgrading a racecar? After all, as project racer, I couldn’t race without building a racecar, now could I?
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24 Hours of LeMons Thunderhill Arse-Freeze-Apalooza '09
By Annie Sam
In this segment, I will detour you from our regularly scheduled program to bring you a little adventure known as the 24 Hours of LeMons from the perspective of Project Racer at their most recent event which took place, the LeMons Thunderhill Arse-Freeze-Apalooza '09. Like the other 158 crazies that showed up to this event, having this race take place the weekend before Thanksgiving didn't stop us from trekking nine hours across the state to participate in this event.
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by Annie Sam
Ah the sweet scent of victory. Or is it burning coolant? A smell reminiscent of warm apple cider, yet a scent which can make your heart sink to the bottom of your stomach by the imminent doom it foretells. Black smoke, white smoke, the distinct smell of hot oil and burning coolant; these are the tell tale signs of your car communicating to you that something's gone wrong, and in my case very wrong. | | 
By Annie Sam
As I was instructing a beginner session at Willow Springs, I discovered several common mistakes that beginner drivers would make. So, I decided to add a little extra to this month's article point these out and hopefully help new drivers correct them before you head out to the track. | | 
By Annie Sam
Tires. Such a small portion of the car, yet it is the most important part of your vehicle. Why? Because it is the only part of the car that comes in contact with the road – or at least the only thing that's supposed to come in contact with the road. So critical is having the proper tire pressure for performance and safety at speed, we'll devote this next article on how to correctly set pressure for your car for optimal handling and safety. | |
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By Annie Sam
Now that you've experienced the drag strip, and solo 2, let's move onto road racing - or more accuratey called, hotlapping, since you're not actually "racing". The most beginner-friendly and Nissan friendly road racing organization I have come across is the National Auto Sport Association, otherwise known as NASA. Through NASA, you can participate in their driving school called High Performance Driving Events, also known as HPDE.
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By Annie Sam
Now that you've immersed yourself into the world of racing – starting with drag racing, you'll probably feel more comfortable in other forms of automotive competitions such as road racing and auto crossing. For those of you who are ready for road racing, you can jump right to the racetrack. For the rest of us who aren't, let me give you a brief run through of what auto crossing is like.
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By Annie Sam
Maneuvering nimbly through the grocery store parking lot with your kick-ass suspension set up has also probably lost its thrill by this point, leaving you wanting more. But, where do you go? How do you start? Now that you've finally decided to get off that bench and into the drivers seat, let's introduce you to the world of racing, real racing.
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By Annie Sam
We all have daydreams and wishes to be behind the wheel of our pride and joy, of whipping it in and out of turns, pushing our car to its fullest potential. Yet to many of us, it has all been nothing more than mere wishful thinking. Why can't that be you in the driver's seat? Here is your chance to become more than just a bench racer. If you've got what it takes to become a competitive road racer, this series should start you off in the right direction.
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