i have never been to a track day!

[maintenance mike]

i would love to take my mr2 to a track day, but wouldnt know where to start with it all. has anyone got any advise? or any good tips to get me started?

[jleroux]

maintenance mike said:

i would love to take my mr2 to a track day, but wouldnt know where to start with it all. has anyone got any advise? or any good tips to get me started?

What sort of MR2? Plenty of friendly and helpful faces over on the IMOC or MR2Mk1club forums. Otherwise just go through the following process:-

1) Pick a venue. Normally done based on location for your first track day but worth considering travelling further to the "safer" venues such as Bedford, Donington, Anglesey, Rockingham rather than the more enclosed circuits such as Goodwood, Oulton and Cadwell Park.

2) Choose between open pit lane (OPL) and a sessioned event. OPL gives greater flexibility and means you can relax without clock-watching but does mean you're mixing it with all-comers. Sessioned events are more formally structured and you're only out on track with people of similar experience/performance. Flipside is that your track time can be limited if you encounter any issues (either with your car, yourself or red flags in general). If you don't want to compromise then there's a few OPL 'novice only' events which cater for this market perfectly.

3) Find a friend or colleage who can go with you and share the nerves/experience. Better still post on a forum and meet up with a like-minded person who's also interested in the same date/venue (single make forums are good for this).

4) Book the event - read the information from the track day organiser (TDO) closely and ensure you and your car are fully prepared. This means checking your car is quiet enough, has sufficient tyres and brakes to complete a full day and that the fluids are all topped up. Bear in mind that 1 track mile = 10 road miles and plan accordingly (including any service intervals). Also make sure you arrive in plenty of time for the main drivers briefing where the'll be going through all the do's and don'ts of the day.

5) Pre-book some tuition. Ideally 2 sessions (one early on and one in the afternoon once you're up to speed). This will shortcut the learning curve considerably and generally costs £20-30 per session. No matter how competent a driver you think you are - I can guarantee you will save at least that amount in tyre wear alone! Any sensible novice will budget the instruction costs into their first 5 or 6 track days at least.

Finally, be prepared to get hooked. Track driving is incredibly addictive and not cheap - regardless of the vehicle you're using.

[LuckyP]

maintenance mike said:

i would love to take my mr2 to a track day, but wouldnt know where to start with it all. has anyone got any advise? or any good tips to get me started?

Some spot on advise from Jonny there....and yes you'll get hooked. That's why I'd say go have some fun getting equipted with:

1) Nice helmet
2) Nice gloves
3) Nice shoes

The are all really important on track (really can't stress the benefits of gloves and shoes) and when you are waiting for a track day to loom on the horizon, they are a great reminder, siting in your front room, of the fun you are going to have.

Oh....seems a bit sad that post after reading. Sorry

[Munter]

I second the tuition. My friends and I went to bedford. I had a tuition session in my mx5, and that allowed me to catch up with them in a 350z. The only reason was I'd been shown the line to take. Plus it gave me somehting to work towards. Going as fast as I could on line. Harder than it seems!

[maintenance mike]

cheers for the advise, its an mr2 gt t-bar. ill get hunting for a track then. what sort of price should i look at paying?

[darronwall]

try bruntingthorpe for an excellent first track day experience,i cant think of a better place for a first timer

[petermansell]

darronwall said:

try bruntingthorpe for an excellent first track day experience,i cant think of a better place for a first timer

+ 1

[legaleagleboy]

don't forget to do some stuff to the car - at the very least:

a) change the brake fluid for some decent high temp stuff eg ATE Blue or if you can afford it Castrol SRF
b) spend a bit on some new brake pads -- check the forums for what guys with your car would recommend (my guess: best for front would prob be Pagid RS14 or could go EBC Yellows for cheapness -- rears could stick with OEM for now)