Winter Storage Guide: How to Prepare Your Race Car for the Off-Season — Guide

17 June 2022

When the last checkered flag of the season falls, it's tempting to roll the car into the garage, throw a cover over it, and forget about it until spring. That's a mistake. Proper winter storage protects months of hard work, prevents costly surprises, and ensures your race car fires up ready to go when the new season begins. Here's how Wanderscheid Racing approaches the off-season, and how you can too.

Start With a Deep Clean

Before anything else, wash the car thoroughly. Dirt, brake dust, oil, and rubber deposits left sitting all winter can etch paint, corrode metal, and damage seals. Clean the chassis, wheels, and underbody, then let everything dry completely before storage. Trapped moisture is the enemy — it promotes rust on steel components and can degrade wiring and bearings.

This is also the ideal time for a close inspection. Look for cracked suspension bushings, leaking seals, worn brake pads, and any damage you may have been too busy to notice mid-season. Write down everything you find so it becomes your winter project list.

Fluids, Fuel, and the Engine

Fluid management is the heart of good storage practice. Old fuel degrades, absorbs moisture, and leaves gum deposits in the carburetor or injectors. Either drain the fuel system completely or fill the tank and add a quality fuel stabilizer, then run the engine briefly so the stabilized fuel circulates through the system.

Change the engine oil and filter before storage; used oil contains acids and contaminants that can pit bearings over the winter.
Top off coolant with the correct mix to prevent freeze damage, or drain it entirely if the car uses straight water for track use.
Check and top off brake fluid, gearbox oil, and differential oil.
For carbureted engines, consider fogging oil sprayed into the intake while the engine turns over to coat the cylinder walls.
Remove spark plugs and lightly oil the bores, then rotate the engine by hand a few times.

Tires, Suspension, and Getting the Car Off Its Wheels

Leaving a race car sitting on its tires for months causes flat spots, especially with the soft compounds we favor for competition. The best solution is to put the car on jack stands or a storage lift, taking weight off the tires entirely. If that's not possible, overinflate the tires by roughly 25% and move the car occasionally, or at least roll it a few inches every few weeks.

Protecting the Suspension and Bearings

With the wheels off the ground, cycle the suspension through its travel to keep seals lubricated. Spin each wheel to check for rough bearings — catching a wheel bearing issue now is far better than discovering it during the first practice session of the new year. Grease any zerk fittings per your maintenance schedule.

Battery, Electronics, and the Cockpit

Disconnect the battery and store it somewhere cool and dry, ideally on a maintenance charger or trickle charger to keep it healthy. Modern race cars often have data loggers, radios, and transponders — remove any removable electronics and store them indoors. Moisture and cold can damage displays and connectors.

Inside the cockpit, remove helmets, gloves, and any fabric items that could attract moisture or pests. A couple of moisture-absorbing desiccant packs placed in the interior and near the electronics go a long way. Critters love warm engine bays, so seal any obvious entry points and consider repellent deterrents around the storage area.

Cover Up, Check In, and Plan Ahead

Use a breathable car cover — never a plastic tarp, which traps condensation. Store the car in a dry, temperature-stable space if you can. Once it's tucked away, don't fully forget it: check on it monthly for signs of moisture, pests, or tire pressure loss.

Finally, use the downtime productively. Order the parts on your inspection list, schedule engine refreshes, and review your data logs from last season to set goals for the next one. A race car that comes out of winter storage clean, dry, and well-documented gives you a head start before the first green flag — and at Wanderscheid Racing, that head start is part of every championship plan.