Pit Crew / Service
Be part of the racing team and enjoy the race from the inside. It is usually free to join us as a pit crew at most events. Some venues might require minor waiver forms and you might need a valid license to ride along.
Rally service
During a stage rally, there are scheduled times for service that needs to be performed in a limited amount of time (usually ranging from 20 to 40 minutes). There are a number of routine checks that have to be performed (see our checklist below) and sometimes some more important repair or fixes that need to be addressed. The video below shows all the operations that the service crew might have to perform.
Our car prep spreadsheet is shown below (feel free to make a copy for your own use):
To keep track of the progress at service and make sure no item has been overlook we use a service board:
Here is an older and longer version of the pit crew training video:
Quick index of what is in the video:
- 0:05 Pit crew introduction
- 3:40 Presentation of our Rally Cars
- 10:44 Tools and parts
- 24:53 QuickJack operation
- 32:13 Short service
- 36:31 Generator operation
- 38:18 Wheel change
- 41:51 Long service
- 43:25 Brakes
- 48:35 Coilovers/Suspension
- 56:38 Trailer
- 58:19 Winch
Here is a list of tools we carry on board the rally car:
Pliers (locking, cutting, needle, joint)
Li-Ion Impact wrench: Ryobi One+ or Craftsman are popular choices (avoid Harbor Freight), Milwalkee is great if you can afford it
Ratchet with sockets 10,12,17,18,19mm + flat wrenches 10/12mm
Screw driver with various attachments
Zip ties
Duct tape (the strong stuff)
Allen keys
Metallic brush
Jack ($25): Low profile double ram bottle jack (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BFNCOK)
Tow strap ($12): http://www.harborfreight.com/2800-lb-capacity-2-in-x-20-ft-heavy-duty-tow-strap-61943.html
Torque wrench ($11): http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html
Stowable 4-way lug wrench ($10) : http://www.harborfreight.com/14-inch-stowable-four-way-lug-wrench-95932.html
Emergency tire inflator: Ryobi tire inflator (same battery as impact)
Spares
Inevitably things will break during rallies even with the best possible prep. It is necessary to carry spares with you so that the car can be fixed at service. Here is a list of spares we carry with us:
wheels/tires
brake rotors/pads/calipers
cv axles front/rear (complete and/or boots)
ball joints
swaybar end links
control arms/spindles/knuckles/trailing arms (4 corners)
suspension (4 corners)
driveshaft
differential
clutch/transmission (if multi-day rally)
radiator
hoses (vacuum, fuel line, brake lines...)
fuses/relays/light bulbs/electrical wire
Check with Wali at https://jdmracingmotors.com/en/ for great deals on spare packages.
Some videos about our trailer and toolbox organization (more recent videos on top):
Pit crew Hall of Fame
Here is a list of people who helped us as pit crew:
Fred Duell (Suby Solutions) - Crew Chief at Black River Stages 2016, ESPR 2016, Perce Neige 2017/2018/2019/2020, CTTC 2017/2021, Rally Defi 2017, STPR 2018/2019, NEFR 2018/2019/2022, Tall Pines 2019,/2021
Zack Taylor - Perce Neige 2017/2018/2020/2022, Rally Defi 2017, STPR 2018/2019, NEFR 2018/2019, Crew Chief Lanark 2019, Tall Pines 2019, CTTC 2021, Defi 2022, Charlevoix 2022
Joe Sanguinetti - ESPR 2016, CTTC 2017/2021, STPR 2018, NEFR 2018
Gabe Jacobsohn - CTTC 2017, Rally Defi 2017
Todd Kemp Richardson - Rally Defi 2017, RallyX
Dan Downey (Downey Dirty Racing) - LeMons Thompson 2016, ESPR 2016
Jonathan Vanderhuge - Rallysprints
Dan Colburn - BRS 2016
Joey Levesque - BRS 2016
Stephen Levesque - BRS 2016
Kevin Brolin - ESPR 2016
Mike Driver - ESPR 2015
Devin O'Connor - ESPR 2015
Casey Pease - AutoX
Ian Cook - ESPR 2016
Morris Levy - RallyX
Michael Morbois - Perce Neige 2018/ 2022, NEFR 2022
Jen Brown - Perce Neige 2018, Lanark 2019, STPR 2019, Tall Pines 2019
Jeff Denmeade - STPR 2018
Colin Duel (Suby Solutions) - NEFR 2018, NEFR 2019/2022, Rallysprints, CTTC 2017/2021
Phil Cherok - Rallysprint, NEFR 2018, Perce Neige 2020
Maggie Anne - Rallysprint, NEFR 2018, Perce Neige 2020
Elijah Hammarlund: Lanark 2019, NEFR 2019/2022, Tall Pines 2019, Perce Neige 2020
Cory Copeland: NEFR 2019, STPR 2019
Ashley Taylor: CTTC 2021
Amy Dilks: Tall Pines 2021, Crew chief at Charlevoix 2022
Pavlo Zakalyk: Tall Pines 2021, Perce Neige 2022, Defi 2022, Charlevoix 2022
Ian Bates: Tall Pines 2021
Razick Razai: CTTC 2021, Perce Neige 2022, NEFR 2022
Austin O'Brien: NEFR 2022
Kevin O'Brien: NEFR 2022
Patrick Dunne: NEFR 2022
Leah Brisset: Defi 2022, Charlevoix 2022
Joel Cardozo: Defi 2022, Charlevoix 2022
Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy : Charlevoix 2022
Martin Lavallee: Charlevoix 2022