first time on track

[treeroy]

hello, I am doing my first track day tomorrow, I'm sure I will be fine and there is obviously briefings, but any helpful tips / things I should know before hand?

[seiben]

What car and which track, out of interest?

My typical advice would be:

• Check all fluids are topped up and brakes are in decent nick. Keep an eye on fluids and tyre pressures during the day.
• Pay attention to the briefing (particularly overtaking rules - which side to overtake on etc)
• Keep an eye on your mirrors. If a 'slow' car is behind you for more than a couple of corners, let them pass - they're likely a faster driver and you might learn something following their lines!
• Check wheelnuts are torqued up during the day
• Sit back for the first half hour or so of track time and let the initial rush pass
• Personal preference, but keep stints down to 10-15 mins max. It's kinder on the car and you'll feel less fatigued by the afternoon when the track is usually much quieter

But most of all, enjoy it! You'll have a load of fun

[Steve H]

Book tuition for mid-morning if possible.

[anonymous-user]

Start slowly and build up.

[anonymous-user]

All very good advice.

Steve H said:

Book tuition for mid-morning if possible.

Completely agree.

Do the sighting laps, go out yourself once or twice to get a feel for things, then get tuition.

In all likelihood it will transform your track driving and you'll have the car doing things way beyond what you thought it was capable of from your first couple of outings.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Don't try to drive too hard. On/off is slow, smooth and steady is fast.

[treeroy]

Thank you for all the advice. I took it and got an instructor to go out with me for 20mins - best £25 I have ever spent!! I was all over the place on the track before that, and afterwards, I was bossing it and WAY faster than before. I bumped into the instructor as I was leaving and he said he was very impressed with my lines as I was miles better than how I'd been driving when he was in the car...! Hopefully the advice also carries over to any future track days at different circuits.

Also as for advice about 15-20 minute stints - it was a novice track day where it's more controlled, and you get 7 sessions of 20 minutes each hour. I think that's a good thing as it is quite exhausting! Also think the car deserved the rest judging by the steaming brakes...

seiben said:

What car and which track, out of interest?

Fiesta ST and it was Cadwell Park. Definitely not ideal track to start out with, then again maybe it's good to be thrown in the deep end, I reckon if you can manage a narrow twisty motorbike circuit then I can manage safely with others.

My ST really impressed me, I have always driven it spiritedly and thought it was a good car but it kind of blew me away. Think she probably wants some new front tyres though.

I am definitely gonna do more trackdays and only slightly annoyed it's taken me 4 years of driving to try a track day. Wish I had done one in my MX-5 when I had that.