Education

An indisputable fact of American life: our enduring love affair with our vehicles, some defining this as our freedom of mobility. Freedom becomes the active word.

Another fact of American life is our shortage of people to repair these 233 million vehicles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' forecasts that repair shops nationwide face an annual shortage of about 35,000 auto technicians through 2010.

“My customer asked me how much he’d have to spend for a pair of shocks,” said a repair shop owner. “I told him there are ‘good, better and best’ prices, but I install only the good and, preferably, the best. Labor is the same.”

His customer agreed that the minimal cost difference did not justify opting for less than the best. What price is peace of mind? It’s a factor that plays a big part when investing in auto repairs. Once a component is installed you’re likely never to see it unless it fails.

Here are a few tips from professional suspension specialists at NASCAR for the average motorists when dealing with this important but often misunderstood component.

“If there’s a lot of body movement, it’s hard to control the car in turns and it moves a lot when you’re stopping, you’ve got a problem,” says a seasoned NASCAR veteran “You need to replace them right away. You pretty much have what you have, so when they’re used up you need to replace them.”  

There are many quality aftermarket shock absorbers to choose from, when it’s time for replacements.  

In-car cameras have added a new dimension to watching automobile racing on TV. TV cameras, firmly secured at locations around the track, follow drivers’ maneuvering for position and other drama that makes automobile racing the most popular spectator sport. Action in the pits gets its share of air time during NASCAR events, too.

Noises, we’ve all heard them coming from under the hood at one time or another in our cars and trucks. But a NASCAR Engine Specialist’s ears are filled with the roar of engines every weekend. He’s in charge of taking care of the engines and making sure they run smoothly after they get to the racetrack.

An engine failure during a race eliminates any chances of winning. So, as you can imagine, he plays an integral role on the race team.

A NASCAR Car Chief makes his living communicating. It’s his job to make sure all the changes that Crew Chief wants made are finished, and he must be accurate and exact on instructions to various members of the crew at the track.  

Drive-offs at the pump are becoming more and more of a problem these days for gas stations everywhere.

High gas prices will do that to a person; surely you can sympathize …

Perhaps Sunoco could hook up a discount for avid NASCAR fans?

Until then, and before you go breaking any laws, stop and do your research on how to be more fuel efficient and get better gas mileage.

We called on a professional NASCAR catch-can man for help.

Of course, during a race, NASCAR drivers fly through an abundance of fuel because cars can average 190 mph. 

NASCAR tire changers know the importance of tightening lugs nuts.

Some learn their lesson the hard way. Two years ago before the Daytona 500 when Tony Stewart radioed the pits complaining of a loose wheel after what he thought would be a routine tire change.

“Yeah, I got a lecture,” said the tire changer, who forgot to tighten a lug nut creating a vibration in Tony’s car. “If this happens to a motorist, it could cause an accident, so be aware.”

You might say the buck—and the car—stops with the professional NASCAR Brake Specialist.

He is responsible for making sure that a Sprint Cup car, capable of racing at 200 miles per hour, stops when necessary. Brake pads, rotors, calipers…he works on it all, and when the driver’s foot comes down on the brake pedal, the car does what it’s supposed to do.

Halloween is the time of year for squeals, squeaks, screeches and things that go bump in the night, but when these eerie and haunted sounds come from your car, it’s time for maintenance. Noise is to the vehicle what pain is to the body: a warning. According to the Car Care Council, the following strange and scary noises are clues that trouble is brewing within your car and that it should be checked out by an automotive repair technician.