diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a3e030d6..ce632987 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -28,6 +28,24 @@
             <artifactId>mockito-all</artifactId>
             <version>1.9.5</version>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>junit</groupId>
+            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
+            <version>4.12</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
+            <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
+            <version>6.11</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>junit</groupId>
+            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
+            <version>4.12</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
 
     </dependencies>
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java b/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java
index 14679424..7afe86b2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java
+++ b/src/main/java/seng302/Model/Race.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
     protected int scaleFactor;
 
     private int SLEEP_TIME = 100; //time in milliseconds to pause in a paced loop
-    protected int PRERACE_TIME = 5000; //time in milliseconds to pause during pre-race
+    protected int PRERACE_TIME = 15000; //time in milliseconds to pause during pre-race
     private boolean timerEnabled = true; //boolean to determine if timer is ran
 
     /**
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
         setControllerListeners();
         initialiseBoats();
         if (timerEnabled) countdownTimer();
-        simulateRace();
+        //simulateRace();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -100,37 +100,35 @@ public abstract class Race implements Runnable {
      * Countdown timer until race starts. Use PRERACE_TIME to set countdown duration.
      */
     protected void countdownTimer() {
-        long currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
-        long startTime = currentTime + PRERACE_TIME;
-        long minutes;
-        long currentTimeInSeconds;
-        long remainingSeconds;
-        long hours;
-        long timeLeft;
-        long timeLoopEnded;
+        new AnimationTimer() {
+            long currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+            long startTime = currentTime + (PRERACE_TIME/scaleFactor);
+            long minutes;
+            long currentTimeInSeconds;
+            long remainingSeconds;
+            long hours;
+            long timeLeft;
 
-        while (currentTime <= startTime) {
-            timeLeft = startTime - currentTime;
-            if (timeLeft == 0 && controller != null) {
-                updateTime("Race is starting...");
-            } else {
-                currentTimeInSeconds = timeLeft / 1000;
-                minutes = currentTimeInSeconds / 60;
-                remainingSeconds = currentTimeInSeconds % 60;
-                hours = minutes / 60;
-                minutes = minutes % 60;
-                if (controller != null) {
-                    updateTime(String.format("Race clock: -%02d:%02d:%02d", hours, minutes, remainingSeconds));
-                }
-            }
-            try {
-                timeLoopEnded = System.currentTimeMillis();
-                Thread.sleep(SLEEP_TIME - (timeLoopEnded - currentTime));
-            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-                e.printStackTrace();
+            @Override
+            public void handle(long arg0) {
+                    timeLeft = startTime - currentTime;
+                    if (timeLeft <= 0 && controller != null) {
+                        updateTime("Race is starting...");
+                        stop();
+                        simulateRace();
+                    } else {
+                        currentTimeInSeconds = (timeLeft*scaleFactor) / 1000;
+                        minutes = currentTimeInSeconds / 60;
+                        remainingSeconds = currentTimeInSeconds % 60;
+                        hours = minutes / 60;
+                        minutes = minutes % 60;
+                        if (controller != null) {
+                            updateTime(String.format("Race clock: -%02d:%02d:%02d", hours, minutes, remainingSeconds));
+                        }
+                    }
+                    currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
             }
-            currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
-        }
+        }.start();
     }
 
     /**