Before your car undergoes a Tech Inspection you should take out everything loose from the interior and trunk. You are not allowed to have anything in the car that could move around during a race. Many drivers also remove the jack, tools and spare tire from the trunk to reduce weight. This has a small, positive effect on braking, handling and acceleration. You also need to be sure that your battery is well secured and that your wheel bearings have no play.

There is a great, free performance modification that you can do to a street car – increasing tire pressure. Stop at a gas station or bring a portable pump or compressor and start your tires at about 42 psi all around (note this is very subjective, very light cars or cars with large rims/short sidewall will probably be much less). The high pressure will keep the tires from rolling onto their sidewalls in the turns. Keep experimenting with tire pressure until you find a good combination for the track, your car and your driving style. Identifying yourself as a novice and asking other racers what they are running is fine, just be sure they are running a similar car to yours, eg. front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive. Remember, it's easier to let air out than to add it so start high and reduce in small amounts.

If you feel the need to spend some cash to get ready for the event, my two biggest picks are good tires and a harness. These items will definitely take time off your laps! Ask local racers or check out some of the many Web sites such as http://www.nasaforums.com/ where you can pick the brains of other Autocrossers – even a few National Champions!