Pro Driver and Owner Talk to Teens About Driving

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 28 -- Pro Driver Chip Herr wants teenagers to focus. "Any form of car racing has its dangerous side. Couple that with some of the tricky sections of the Raceway at Laguna Seca and you have the ingredients of an interesting contest. The drivers have to pay attention to what they're doing every second," said Chip Herr, award-winning driver. Chip will be driving the Air Force Reserve Car during the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Race, part of the Monterey Sports Car Championships on Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16 in Monterey, California.

"Not paying attention is one of the biggest mistakes new drivers

-- frankly, usually teenage drivers -- make. They take driving a car for granted and then start adding on distractions, like talking on cells," said Herr. "Sure, we drive around the track at more than 150 mph with just inches between us. But that's our job. We've trained and practiced hundreds of hours to be able to do that. Most teens haven't. The most important advice I can give new drivers is to be aware of what they and the people driving around them are doing. "

Herr, who will be driving a modified Ford Focus in Monterey, is adamant about never drinking and driving and he is against impromptu street racing. "The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) organizes a number of amateur racing events. Only jerks subject innocent drivers and pedestrians to their little speed games on city streets."

Chip Herr drives for Techsport Racing, owned by legendary mechanic Andy Brown. Brown, who modified the Air Force Reserve Ford Focus, started working on rally and touring cars in 1985 in his native England. He came to the United States about five years ago, planning to stay for three months, and he's still here.

"Touring car racing -- especially on a course over city streets -- is exciting, but it's a grueling 50 minutes of non-stop speed. Forget pit stops. There's no time. We've got minutes to make our move, meaning our car has to be perfect before the race starts," said Andy Brown. "Teenagers also benefit from paying attention to the vehicles they're driving. It's amazing that people keep driving when the temperature gauge hits red. There's prevention and then there's damage control."

  Andy's Teen Maintenance Tips are:

   * Cars don't run on air.  Make sure you have enough gas before taking
     off.

   * Check the oil.  Before the engine heats up, open the hood, find the dip
     stick, clean it off, insert it and then check the oil level.  If you
     have to get oil, spring for the best.  It does make a difference.

   * Change it every 5,000.  Oil should be changed at least every 5,000
     miles, and the filter should be changed as well.  Use thick weights for
     hot climates and thin for cold weather.

   * Take it to a garage.  Cars should not be losing oil, unless you've
     racked up over a 100,000 miles.  Then you might see some smoke coming
     out of the tailpipe, an indication that oil is burning.  That doesn't
     mean you should junk the car, but you should keep an eye on that oil
     level.

   * Check tire pressure.  The correct tire pressure is written a number of
     places in a car:  the manual, the inside of the driver's door and the
     inside cover of the gas tank.  Check the tire pressure when they are
     cool, essentially before you start driving.  Remember, tires expand and
     contract, so it's the at rest pressure that's important.  Checking
     pressure before a trip or at least once a month is plenty.  Properly
     inflated tires wear longer and make stopping easier.

   * If it's hot, stop!  Driving a "hot" car means you're ruining it.  If
     the temperature of the engine hits the red zone, immediately pull off
     the road and stop.  If you cannot immediately stop, turn on the heater
     to full blast, and this will cool off the engine, but don't keep
     driving.  Stop as soon as possible.  Wait at least 20 minutes for the
     car to cool down before starting to check under the hood.  You probably
     need to add water and/or coolant, but be very careful when removing the
     radiator cap.  The liquid can be scalding hot.

Andy Brown and Chip Herr are proud to be part of the Air Force Reserve Touring Car team. In addition to handling roughly 30 percent of the work of the U.S. Air Force, members of the Air Force Reserve fulfill a vital role in American life.

Stationed locally, these men and women serve globally. They are the Hurricane Hunters, who fly into the center of these fierce storms to take meteorological readings. They are the aerial fire fighters, who help control forest and wild fires. They are members of aero-medical teams, who handle evacuations and transportation of critical care cases. And, they comprise para-rescue teams that handle search and rescue missions.