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| Issue 165 (August 2009) |
Words: Derek Buono |
We've all read the articles that remind you what to bring to the track. "Bring a charger, bring your car..." blah, blah. The pits are just that in most places...the pits. If they weren't they'd be called a lounge or something cooler. But just because you're in the pits doesn't mean you can't "church it up" with a few items you might not have thought about. We gathered a list of 15 things that will make your life in the pits less of a pit.
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1. Music-silence is something that many don't like to hear, but the annoying drone of RC cars and the people around them sometimes gets annoying. More so when the guy next to you thinks he can sing. You can't, so zip it. Music is something that can relax you and get you focused on setting up your car. Everybody has an Ipod these days and getting a good Ipod docking system will allow your jams to be heard loud and clear if you need it. We picked up this sweet Kicker iK500 and it's small enough to fit and the pit bag, but big enough to out power 12 nitro cars.
2. Video Games -even though we are racing cars all day, things can get boring at big races. Some people choose to bring TVs to play video games, but we think bring a PSP is a better idea. You can watch movies, play music, and link up wirelessly and play some Call of Duty at the track with other racers.
3. Fridge-You'd like a $4 water and a $3 soda? No thanks. There are lots of little "office fridges" out there that will keep a frosty soda or five cool and not take up half of your trunk. The fridge might run you $30 bucks, but the money you save buying drinks will be worth it. Plus who has two thumbs and a fridge in their pits? This guy!
4. Blender-We threw this in there for Skinny. After he wanted to build an expensive LIPO blender we looked up the Coleman camping blender and thought that the ability to make blended drinks at the track was a good idea. Until you run out of ice...who makes a LIPO icemaker? Skinny will!
5. Comfortable Chair-Lots of tracks are nice enough to provide you with a chair, but many don't and lots of times you're pitting outside. Don't' get one of those stupid folding vinyl chairs that have places for cups and a footrest. This isn't a dump parade or a picnic at the park. You need a good chair to provide you with not only comfort, but the right position for working in the pits all day. Spend some time and money on a good chair. You feet, back and ass will thank you later.
6. Table-This is another one of those items that you might not need at some tracks. Skinny made a killer table out of a stainless setup from Ikea, but in reality not everybody needs a 300-pound table with mood lights, a blender and a mill on it. Spend some time and find a good-quality folding table. Those cute ones that look like picnic benches are junk and can barely support the 4 year old they show in the pics. Get a good plastic one. They are lighter than wood and water/fuel proof so they will last and not rot or warp.
7. Vertical storage-At tracks where pit table are provided you usually get a few feet of pit space. So to avoid spilling into the pit of the guy next to you having some simple shelves to get things off the table are one of those things few people think about. Go to a Lowe's and check out the dish rack spacers and holders. These things are made to add levels in your cabinets but provide you with another place to put your charger and batteries. Keeps the pit looking organized and gives you more space.
8. A nice pit mat-You wouldn't work out in dirt field so when on your table a pit mat is key. You can get an awesome UPGrade RC rubber mat, or even one of the towel ones. They help keep screws from rolling away or blending into the table. It's also easier to clean off the mat after a race.
9. USB for a cell-I've got 9 things that all need to be charged and one that many forget is their cell phone. Sure you can go out to the car, but lots of power supplies these days have USB adapters built in allowing you to plug right in and not worry about your phone going dead.
10. WIFI Internet card-Our track has wireless but you can't access it. At tracks in the middle of nowhere Internet connections can be hard to find, but lots of places can be internet ready with just a WIFI card from one of the cell providers. You could be cool and hook that up to a router and provide a few friends with service, but we think just having a connection for yourself will help you find setup in formation, or that latest video on youtube.
11. Air compressor-An air compressor is good for many things, and cleaning off your RC car is one of them. All classes from off-road to indoor carpet get dirty in some form or another. You can practice blowing balloons all day to clean it off, or you can use an air compressor and blow off dust, dirt, or simple green. It makes cleaning cars much easier and cleaner is faster.
12. Grill-RC racing is a lot like tailgating so why not embrace it by bringing a grill to the track. For about $5 a head you can grill up some great food and save money. Space isn't a big issue either because even the small propane or charcoal grills are capable of grilling.
13. 12v to 120 power inverter-Off road tracks are lucky to have power, so sometimes having an power inverter allows you to use some of those amenities that we mentioned above. You can fans, computers, chargers, and lots of other low amp equipment. Check the rating on the inverter so you don't catch your car on fire.
14. Fan-tracks can be hot and a fan not only keeps you cool, it blows your foul smell down to the next racer and gives you a competitive edge. And when not sending smell-signals down to your rivals it can be used to cool off motors and batteries.
15. EZ Up-The sun gives us life and it also burns the crap out of your skin. Protect your skin, and if you don't care about that keeping your electronics and equipment out of the sun makes them work better and last longer.
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