5 Reasons Why You Don’t Want To Be A Subaru BRZ GT300 Race-Day Tech

So you have dreams of being a Subaru race-day tech? You might want to think again. It seems like a glamorous job being around the race circuit, race cars and those hot ladies at the track. But it’s a different life that can be fun, but it can also be a grind.

Subaru Global interviewed one of their BRZ GT300 race techs to get a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the job. His name is Sasaki Shotaro, he’s 32 years old, and he lives in Japan. This job isn’t as easy or as glamorous as it looks. R&D Sports manages the team for Subaru and they race in the super-competitive SUPER GT Series in Japan.

Shotaro says the rigors of being a Subaru race-day tech can out-way the benefits if you don’t have a passion for your career. To get the Subaru BRZ GT300 machine ready to race is a daunting task in itself. The BRZ sports coupe has to be ready to race in a fixed time, and the work cycle of the week leading up to the SUPER GT race is always a battle against time. It means long hours and little sleep.

And on race day, the pits are not a fun place to be. The techs have to wear heavy fire-resistant protective suits that don’t breathe and a full-face helmet and gloves for protection. It’s hot on the pit road and techs have to work fast when the cars come in for a tire change and refueling. It can be over 100 degrees under the scorching sun beating on the tarmac and techs sweat profusely inside the heavy gear.

It’s a high-stress, high-pressure job when the BRZ comes in for refueling. Sasaki Shotaro has to make sure the fuel tank gets filled, but he can’t spill any on the pit road because excess fuel can ignite with the high temperatures and cause the car to catch fire.

On top of everything else, the BRZ race-day techs are under the gun to get the car out of the pit as fast as possible. Lost seconds can be the difference between winning the race and coming in second. So if you have dreams of being a Subaru race-day tech, it’s high-stress, hot, long hours, little sleep, and there’s no margin for error. But when the Subaru BRZ GT300 wins, it’s all worth it.

Photo credit: Subaru Motorsports