Chassis setup is not holding you back, it’s you.
“What is your toe setup” “What is the best tire width?” “What angle kit should I get?” As a seasoned veteran of the motorsport world, I’ve been on the receiving end of these well-meaning yet misguided questions for two decades, and frankly, it’s time for a gear shift in perspective. While car setup undeniably influences performance, its importance has been drastically overstated by casual motorsport enthusiasts. Probably because it’s far easier to look for fault in the machine, then look for fault in oneself. Moreover, such thinking unfairly downplays the crucial role of driver skill in determining on-track success, particularly in drifting.
Let’s face it, we are all bound by constraints of time and money. Whether you have more of one and less of the other, there’s a limit to what you can invest in this grassroots passion while juggling career, family, and life itself. It’s disheartening to picture enthusiasts like you spending countless hours debating ride height adjustments or replicating Ken Gushi’s FD setup when that time could be invested in garage maintenance, studying driving techniques, or clocking in seat time — whether it’s on the track or in the simulator.
The details of assembly and reliability will make a far greater impact on driving performance then the details of chassis setup.
It’s concerning to see drivers who seldom make it to the track overcomplicate things by incessantly tweaking their car setups, never understanding the effects of each adjustment and perpetually being behind the wheel of a vastly different vehicle every track day. Not only does this approach undermine your skill development, it also leads to unwise spending on modifications, often under the misguided notion that cost equates to quality, or worse “aftermarket = upgrade”. This constant tweaking creates opportunities for machine failure. More bolts to forget to tighten, new untested parts to validate, and more late nights in the garage avoiding the sleep we so desperately need to perform on track. Instead of installing a new part, or tweaking an aspect of setup…spend that time with a flashlight inspecting the drivetrain or improving the fit and finish of your body work. The details of assembly and reliability will make a far greater impact on driving performance then the details of chassis setup.
“What should my dampers be set at?” “What tire width should I run?” “What should my alignment settings be?” If you find yourself frequently posing these questions, I have a straightforward answer for you: it doesn’t matter. Choose a mid-range setup and get on track. The path to becoming a high performance driver comes directly, and only, from study and practice of driving any setup to its limit. Until you’re able to find the limit of the machine, the machine’s limits are inconsequential.
This discourse should not be misconstrued as a call to abandon car setup entirely — far from it. Car setup indeed plays a crucial role, but it’s consistency, rather than intricacy, that beginner and even intermediate drivers should prioritize. Make just one adjustment each time you hit the track to discern its impact. This hands-on approach is infinitely more beneficial than mindlessly adhering to internet hearsay.
Until you’re able to find the limit of the machine, the machine’s limits are inconsequential.
Above all, allocate your resources wisely. Invest in event fees, consumables (tires, brake pads, etc), and preventative maintenance, instead of wasting time and money on relentless car adjustments and fancy parts. The key to advancing your driving skills lies in consistency, proper preparation, and, most importantly, spending more time behind the wheel. Remember, the heart of motorsport beats not in the garage, but on the track.
