diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 986ee9e5ed00d..29d616121be12 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ install:
   - ./hack/build-go.sh
 
 script:
-  - KUBE_TIMEOUT='-timeout 60s' ./hack/test-go.sh
+  - KUBE_RACE="-race" KUBE_COVER="-cover -covermode=atomic" KUBE_TIMEOUT='-timeout 60s' ./hack/test-go.sh
   - PATH=$HOME/gopath/bin:./third_party/etcd:$PATH ./hack/test-cmd.sh
   - PATH=$HOME/gopath/bin:./third_party/etcd:$PATH ./hack/test-integration.sh
 
diff --git a/hack/test-go.sh b/hack/test-go.sh
index f04af50915ee8..960568b092af8 100755
--- a/hack/test-go.sh
+++ b/hack/test-go.sh
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ kube::test::find_pkgs() {
 }
 
 # -covermode=atomic becomes default with -race in Go >=1.3
-KUBE_COVER="" #${KUBE_COVER:--cover -covermode=atomic}
 KUBE_TIMEOUT=${KUBE_TIMEOUT:--timeout 120s}
-KUBE_RACE="" #${KUBE_RACE:--race}
+KUBE_COVER=${KUBE_COVER:-} # use KUBE_COVER="-cover -covermode=atomic" for full coverage
+KUBE_RACE=${KUBE_RACE:-}   # use KUBE_RACE="-race" to enable race testing
 
 kube::test::usage() {
   kube::log::usage_from_stdin <<EOF
diff --git a/hack/test-integration.sh b/hack/test-integration.sh
index 7fe29c38783e7..395dc1a237eb6 100755
--- a/hack/test-integration.sh
+++ b/hack/test-integration.sh
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ kube::etcd::start
 
 kube::log::status "Running integration test cases"
 KUBE_GOFLAGS="-tags 'integration no-docker' " \
+  KUBE_RACE="-race" \
   "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/test-go.sh" test/integration
 
 kube::log::status "Running integration test scenario"
diff --git a/pkg/client/record/event.go b/pkg/client/record/event.go
index 0cd6a3df403dd..91b93cdc48de4 100644
--- a/pkg/client/record/event.go
+++ b/pkg/client/record/event.go
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 )
 
+// retryEventSleep is the time between record failures to retry.  Available for test alteration.
+var retryEventSleep = 1 * time.Second
+
 // EventRecorder knows how to store events (client.Client implements it.)
 // EventRecorder must respect the namespace that will be embedded in 'event'.
 // It is assumed that EventRecorder will return the same sorts of errors as
@@ -41,6 +44,7 @@ type EventRecorder interface {
 // StartRecording starts sending events to recorder. Call once while initializing
 // your binary. Subsequent calls will be ignored. The return value can be ignored
 // or used to stop recording, if desired.
+// TODO: make me an object with parameterizable queue length and retry interval
 func StartRecording(recorder EventRecorder, source api.EventSource) watch.Interface {
 	return GetEvents(func(event *api.Event) {
 		// Make a copy before modification, because there could be multiple listeners.
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@ func StartRecording(recorder EventRecorder, source api.EventSource) watch.Interf
 				break
 			}
 			glog.Errorf("Unable to write event: '%v' (will retry in 1 second)", err)
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+			time.Sleep(retryEventSleep)
 		}
 	})
 }
diff --git a/pkg/client/record/event_test.go b/pkg/client/record/event_test.go
index 8383424a509f4..0d64ebaa7a640 100644
--- a/pkg/client/record/event_test.go
+++ b/pkg/client/record/event_test.go
@@ -14,22 +14,26 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package record_test
+package record
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api/errors"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client"
-	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client/record"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/util"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	retryEventSleep = 1 * time.Microsecond
+}
+
 type testEventRecorder struct {
 	OnEvent func(e *api.Event) (*api.Event, error)
 }
@@ -142,16 +146,16 @@ func TestEventf(t *testing.T) {
 				return event, nil
 			},
 		}
-		recorder := record.StartRecording(&testEvents, api.EventSource{Component: "eventTest"})
-		logger := record.StartLogging(t.Logf) // Prove that it is useful
-		logger2 := record.StartLogging(func(formatter string, args ...interface{}) {
+		recorder := StartRecording(&testEvents, api.EventSource{Component: "eventTest"})
+		logger := StartLogging(t.Logf) // Prove that it is useful
+		logger2 := StartLogging(func(formatter string, args ...interface{}) {
 			if e, a := item.expectLog, fmt.Sprintf(formatter, args...); e != a {
 				t.Errorf("Expected '%v', got '%v'", e, a)
 			}
 			called <- struct{}{}
 		})
 
-		record.Eventf(item.obj, item.status, item.reason, item.messageFmt, item.elements...)
+		Eventf(item.obj, item.status, item.reason, item.messageFmt, item.elements...)
 
 		<-called
 		<-called
@@ -204,7 +208,7 @@ func TestWriteEventError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 
-	defer record.StartRecording(
+	defer StartRecording(
 		&testEventRecorder{
 			OnEvent: func(event *api.Event) (*api.Event, error) {
 				if event.Message == "finished" {
@@ -227,9 +231,9 @@ func TestWriteEventError(t *testing.T) {
 	).Stop()
 
 	for caseName := range table {
-		record.Event(ref, "Status", "Reason", caseName)
+		Event(ref, "Status", "Reason", caseName)
 	}
-	record.Event(ref, "Status", "Reason", "finished")
+	Event(ref, "Status", "Reason", "finished")
 	<-done
 
 	for caseName, item := range table {
diff --git a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go
index 2e9b73b345303..0cdd866056d85 100644
--- a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go
+++ b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ func SaveNamespaceInfo(path string, ns *NamespaceInfo) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// extracted for test speed
+var (
+	updatePollInterval = 5 * time.Second
+	updatePollTimeout  = 300 * time.Second
+)
+
 // Update performs a rolling update of a collection of pods.
 // 'name' points to a replication controller.
 // 'client' is used for updating pods.
@@ -149,7 +155,7 @@ func Update(ctx api.Context, name string, client client.Interface, updatePeriod
 		}
 		time.Sleep(updatePeriod)
 	}
-	return wait.Poll(time.Second*5, time.Second*300, func() (bool, error) {
+	return wait.Poll(updatePollInterval, updatePollTimeout, func() (bool, error) {
 		podList, err := client.Pods(api.Namespace(ctx)).List(s)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, err
diff --git a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go
index 196ec4270945c..1e0d3287b795b 100644
--- a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client"
@@ -35,6 +36,10 @@ func validateAction(expectedAction, actualAction client.FakeAction, t *testing.T
 	}
 }
 
+func init() {
+	updatePollInterval = 1 * time.Millisecond
+}
+
 func TestUpdateWithPods(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := client.Fake{
 		PodsList: api.PodList{
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
index 1576a90a2c622..80c226f5e02ef 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ func (f *ConfigFactory) CreateFromKeys(predicateKeys, priorityKeys util.StringSe
 	podBackoff := podBackoff{
 		perPodBackoff: map[string]*backoffEntry{},
 		clock:         realClock{},
+
+		defaultDuration: 1 * time.Second,
+		maxDuration:     60 * time.Second,
 	}
 
 	return &scheduler.Config{
@@ -245,9 +248,11 @@ type backoffEntry struct {
 }
 
 type podBackoff struct {
-	perPodBackoff map[string]*backoffEntry
-	lock          sync.Mutex
-	clock         clock
+	perPodBackoff   map[string]*backoffEntry
+	lock            sync.Mutex
+	clock           clock
+	defaultDuration time.Duration
+	maxDuration     time.Duration
 }
 
 func (p *podBackoff) getEntry(podID string) *backoffEntry {
@@ -255,7 +260,7 @@ func (p *podBackoff) getEntry(podID string) *backoffEntry {
 	defer p.lock.Unlock()
 	entry, ok := p.perPodBackoff[podID]
 	if !ok {
-		entry = &backoffEntry{backoff: 1 * time.Second}
+		entry = &backoffEntry{backoff: p.defaultDuration}
 		p.perPodBackoff[podID] = entry
 	}
 	entry.lastUpdate = p.clock.Now()
@@ -266,8 +271,8 @@ func (p *podBackoff) getBackoff(podID string) time.Duration {
 	entry := p.getEntry(podID)
 	duration := entry.backoff
 	entry.backoff *= 2
-	if entry.backoff > 60*time.Second {
-		entry.backoff = 60 * time.Second
+	if entry.backoff > p.maxDuration {
+		entry.backoff = p.maxDuration
 	}
 	glog.V(4).Infof("Backing off %s for pod %s", duration.String(), podID)
 	return duration
@@ -282,7 +287,7 @@ func (p *podBackoff) gc() {
 	defer p.lock.Unlock()
 	now := p.clock.Now()
 	for podID, entry := range p.perPodBackoff {
-		if now.Sub(entry.lastUpdate) > 60*time.Second {
+		if now.Sub(entry.lastUpdate) > p.maxDuration {
 			delete(p.perPodBackoff, podID)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go
index 6e3d30d75b56e..8e9b7c1ecd998 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go
@@ -118,8 +118,10 @@ func TestDefaultErrorFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	factory := NewConfigFactory(client.NewOrDie(&client.Config{Host: server.URL, Version: testapi.Version()}))
 	queue := cache.NewFIFO()
 	podBackoff := podBackoff{
-		perPodBackoff: map[string]*backoffEntry{},
-		clock:         &fakeClock{},
+		perPodBackoff:   map[string]*backoffEntry{},
+		clock:           &fakeClock{},
+		defaultDuration: 1 * time.Millisecond,
+		maxDuration:     1 * time.Second,
 	}
 	errFunc := factory.makeDefaultErrorFunc(&podBackoff, queue)
 
@@ -203,8 +205,10 @@ func TestBind(t *testing.T) {
 func TestBackoff(t *testing.T) {
 	clock := fakeClock{}
 	backoff := podBackoff{
-		perPodBackoff: map[string]*backoffEntry{},
-		clock:         &clock,
+		perPodBackoff:   map[string]*backoffEntry{},
+		clock:           &clock,
+		defaultDuration: 1 * time.Second,
+		maxDuration:     60 * time.Second,
 	}
 
 	tests := []struct {