Put the weight in the back of the car. On a concave track this means that the center of gravity of the car falls a
greater distance. In other words, there is more potential energy to convert into kinetic energy.
The tradeoff is that your car will be less stable, but if you do everything else correctly, it's a favorable tradeoff.
Put the rear wheels near the back of the car. Even if you have to use the pre-cut grooves, you can do this. This makes
a car whose weight is in the back more stable. "Popping a wheelie" during a race does add excitement, but it won't make your
car run faster.
Car as long as rules allow. The longer your car, the farther back you can put the center of gravity.
Prepare your wheels. Sand away the mold projections left behind from the wheel casting process. Do this on the wheel
tread and on the wheel hub. Be careful not to fundamentally alter the shape of the wheel.
Failing to sand away the molding on the wheel tread can cause your car not to roll straight, which means you'll spend the
entire race rubbing the center guide rail.
Prepare your axles. Put each axle in a drill chuck so you can spin it at high RPMs. Use a small file to remove the
burrs on the underside of the "nail head".
Then use a strip of moistened fine grit sandpaper on the cylindrical part of the nail, where it will contact the wheel.
Finally, put some toothpaste, chrome polish, or jeweler's rouge on a small strip of cloth and polish the axle to a high gloss.
Align your axles carefully. Your axles should be square to the car body. If they are not, the wheels will spend too
much time rubbing against the axle heads and the car body. Additionally, your car may not roll straight and will therefore
spend too much time rubbing against the center guide.
Don't trust the pre-cut grooves in the block. Sometimes they aren't square. Drill out the grooves so your axles go in straight,
or if your rules allow, don't use the grooves at all. Do this drilling before you cut out the car body. It's easier to drill
a good hole into a square block of wood than into a car-shaped block of wood.
Make your car aerodynamic. This may make only a small difference, but every little bit helps.