Trackday newbie: preparation
Discussion
Hi all
Looks like, if we can both get the time off, my mate and I will be partaking in a track day at Cadwell park on Thursday.
This particular session is advertised as a 'novice' session.
Anyway, I've got the car (mx5 sc), and just took delivery of a helmet today, I've also had a day at the car limits airfield. So, any hints or tips for a newbie? Car preparation, or indeed anything I can do to get the most out of the day?
Looks like, if we can both get the time off, my mate and I will be partaking in a track day at Cadwell park on Thursday.
This particular session is advertised as a 'novice' session.
Anyway, I've got the car (mx5 sc), and just took delivery of a helmet today, I've also had a day at the car limits airfield. So, any hints or tips for a newbie? Car preparation, or indeed anything I can do to get the most out of the day?
Thanks for the tips chaps. My brake fluid and discs/ pads are less than 2000 miles old having recently overhauled it pre fitting the SC.
Great tip on fuel as mine is mapped for v power so I don't want to be running on 95 at all. Will there be somewhere for me to store a jerry can, if so I could take 20 litres with me?
Do I need to do anything to the car in terms of taping up glass or adding markings for the tow eye?
Great tip on the last session, it's expected we will do 7 x 20 min sessions, so I'm already worried I will be tiring by then.
Great tip on fuel as mine is mapped for v power so I don't want to be running on 95 at all. Will there be somewhere for me to store a jerry can, if so I could take 20 litres with me?
Do I need to do anything to the car in terms of taping up glass or adding markings for the tow eye?
Great tip on the last session, it's expected we will do 7 x 20 min sessions, so I'm already worried I will be tiring by then.
sgreenham said:
I've only just seen this thread. I'll see you there on Thursday for my first track day too. Quite nervous but really looking forward to it. Some good tips mentioned above which is great. As for fuel I think I'll be nipping to the Shell garage in Horncastle if I need some more. As mentioned above it doesn't seem like there is anyway to leave stuff like a jerry can. It's a MSV novice day, does anybody know how much the tuition is likely to cost?
Ah cool. What'll you be driving? Look out for the pair of idiots. Mine is a scruffy silver mx5 and my mate is in his SC mk2 Elise. QBee said:
The current forecast for Thursday is for a wet morning. Be bloody careful - the grass slopes away in most places and the barriers are hard.
Last time I went to Cadwell it was wet both on arrival and for the first 15 minutes of track time. I have done around 25 track days now - I stayed off the track until it was dry.
Last time I went out on a wet track I touched the brakes at 90 mph at the end of the main straight at Snetterton (I am normally doing 120 there in the dry), lost the back end, and did three and a half revolutions before ending up on the grass. I was lucky not to hit anything, the MGB 10 minutes later wasn't so lucky and smashed both ends of the car, but if it had been Cadwell Park I would have had a big crash too.
FWIW the track surface does dry quickly, but stays a bit damp for longer under the trees at the first bit of the circuit, Hall Bends, the Hairpin and Barn Corner. And the barriers there are very close.
You have all day, and the forecast is better later, so take your time....please!
Will do. I really appreciate the advice of someone who has been there and done it. My mates Elise is £25k's worth of car, and whilst mine is realistically a couple of grands worth, I've put way to much blood, sweat and time into the mechanicals to risk binning it! Last time I went to Cadwell it was wet both on arrival and for the first 15 minutes of track time. I have done around 25 track days now - I stayed off the track until it was dry.
Last time I went out on a wet track I touched the brakes at 90 mph at the end of the main straight at Snetterton (I am normally doing 120 there in the dry), lost the back end, and did three and a half revolutions before ending up on the grass. I was lucky not to hit anything, the MGB 10 minutes later wasn't so lucky and smashed both ends of the car, but if it had been Cadwell Park I would have had a big crash too.
FWIW the track surface does dry quickly, but stays a bit damp for longer under the trees at the first bit of the circuit, Hall Bends, the Hairpin and Barn Corner. And the barriers there are very close.
You have all day, and the forecast is better later, so take your time....please!
We will both be taking it steady, and won't be going out if it's wet I don't think.
Morning all
Thanks for all the advice, yesterdays trackdays, from my PoV was AWESOME. I really enjoyed the day and learnt a lot as the day went on.
The day started with a "follow-the-leader" session where the track supplied BMW X5 took us for a sighting session. Also, as an MSV novice day, I can't say enough about how good they were. They had 2 or three "advice" classroom sessions between track sessions and that really helped me to understand the circuit and get tips for certain corners.
I booked a tuition session as some advised and it was great. It really changed the day for me. I took better lines and learnt where to use the throttle and where NOT to use the brakes.
I even managed to meet a fellow PH'er in a nice shiny AMG, who despite suggesting here he would "take it steady", showed himself to be a decent driver as he hustled along nicely and I just couldn't catch up!
Thanks for all the advice, yesterdays trackdays, from my PoV was AWESOME. I really enjoyed the day and learnt a lot as the day went on.
The day started with a "follow-the-leader" session where the track supplied BMW X5 took us for a sighting session. Also, as an MSV novice day, I can't say enough about how good they were. They had 2 or three "advice" classroom sessions between track sessions and that really helped me to understand the circuit and get tips for certain corners.
I booked a tuition session as some advised and it was great. It really changed the day for me. I took better lines and learnt where to use the throttle and where NOT to use the brakes.
I even managed to meet a fellow PH'er in a nice shiny AMG, who despite suggesting here he would "take it steady", showed himself to be a decent driver as he hustled along nicely and I just couldn't catch up!
CrutyRammers said:
At the risk of hijacking the OP's thread...I've been following it closely as I'm doing my first trackday in the Rush on tuesday week, at Oulton. Any specific advice for that circuit other than the (very helpful) general stuff which has been posted above? I've been as a specatator/pit crew a couple of times but never on the track.
Is that an MSV day? The guy who did my tuition session was called mike and he said he was chief instructor at oulton. He was excellent, maybe see if you can request some tuition from him?
He helped me with lines, throttle balance and the real apex's. He had me taking an entirely different line to everyone at one corner as he said it was better for me and my car. He races mx5's competitively and really knew his stuff.
He then sat in the car with me after the run for 10 minutes or so explaining everything to me.
sgreenham said:
Eltax91 your friend in the Elise might like to see this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH6F2x3Tooo
Cheers mate. 
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