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:

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

  • 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

  • Pavlo Zakalyk: Tall Pines 2021, Perce Neige 2022, Defi 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

  • Joel Cardozo: Defi 2022