Proper Engine Warm-Up

By Mike Palermo, Jr.

It always makes me cringe to be sitting on the grid, with 5 minutes remaining 'till the race, and hear engines fire up. People that race with me may think this is a strange statement for me to make, since on cold days, I often fire up at that time, myself. The difference is that from the time the engine catches, I count off 30 seconds and shut down for at least 1 minute before idling for another 30 seconds. This way, I usually run for two or three 30 second periods allowing the heads and cylinders to spread the heat around enough to help prevent carb icing and take the chill off of the oil. If it is really cold, I'll drive around the paddock for awhile before reporting to the grid. This way you get enough cooling air to the heads and cylinders to prevent warping them or your valves.

Good racing!!!

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