What do NHRA Pro Stock Racers do in the Offseason? Testing with Alex Laughlin

When it comes to racing, technically, there’s an offseason. However, it would seem as if some of the teams that wish to remain competitive use that term rather loosely.

The offseason might seem like a time where teams take a break. Perhaps they kick their feet up and have a drink. Maybe there is a little bit more time to relax. However, when it comes to Alex Laughlin and the guys who make his race car run, they aren’t taking the time completely off. Instead, Elite Motorsports is spending as much time as they can to get ready for the upcoming season. Believe it or not, the 2020 NHRA season kicks off in just a couple of weeks.

So, with the first race being the second weekend in February, what’s on tap for Laughlin and company? In this one, we get to learn a little bit more about what exactly the offseason entails. It’s a little bit more complicated than laying back in a hammock and grabbing a margarita on a beach in Mexico. That’s for sure.

As it turns out, Alex has been putting in the work. On a typical day of practice, he says that about 6 to 8 runs will be able to be accomplished. With these runs, data is gathered to tell the team a little bit more about the car. With this info, they can tweak anything and everything that the car is doing. When spread out over a week of testing, they should be able to have a pretty good idea of what the car is going to do when it’s actually time to compete.

By following along with the video below, we get an up-close and personal of what the crew has to do to compete. Lots of people get the idea that race teams just inject money then show up on race day. In reality, there is a lot more that makes this world go round.