get your car outside in the street or in a car park and get familar with it.
obviously don't go crazy and bash it around and stuff, but I would never consider turning up to a race meeting with brand new stuff that has never turned a wheel, my stuff always used to get an installation run in the street to make sure everything functions as expected.
EDIT - don't forget to bring a TESCO carrier bag to help your friend collect the million peices his car will be in
