First trackday...advice?
Discussion
As above. The wear shouldnt be too bad. Just make sure you give all fluids, brakes etc a good check over the week before and the day before. Just in case something needs replacing.
Enjoy it, dont try chasing times, or other cars and go at your own pace.
My biggest bit of advice, grab an instructor and get them to go out with you to learn the lines. Will be more help than adding parts.
Enjoy it, dont try chasing times, or other cars and go at your own pace.
My biggest bit of advice, grab an instructor and get them to go out with you to learn the lines. Will be more help than adding parts.
magooagain said:
Toolkit,towing eyes front and back,foot pump/compressor,spare fluids,trolly jack.rags,some sort of tape.
And a decent tyre pressure gauge - not the one in the cheap electric compressor you bought for £18 in a Halfords sale that goes up to 120psi when you need no more than 40.http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/tyre-pre...
Enjoy your first day, it will be loads of fun.
The best advice I can give is once you've had a few outings and at that moment you think you're on the ball and really motoring, going for it - slow down and relax a bit. Drive at 7/10's not at 10/10's
Many a good track day has been spoilt because drivers get carried away and end up in the litter/wall/whatever with damage to their car.
The best advice I can give is once you've had a few outings and at that moment you think you're on the ball and really motoring, going for it - slow down and relax a bit. Drive at 7/10's not at 10/10's
Many a good track day has been spoilt because drivers get carried away and end up in the litter/wall/whatever with damage to their car.
Put your gear, helmet and licence in the car the night before. Also money for fuel and food (which is a little pricey on circuit). Forget any one of those in the rush to get going in the morning and you won't be doing a lot of driving.
RELAX and enjoy yourself, and, as another poster has said, don't chase times, do get instruction, and have fun. And be at 90%, not 110%, as the tyre walls and armco will write your car off and end your day. Don't drive like a cock, you will get black flagged, and do watch your mirrors and obey the overtaking rules. And don't drive the straights at 100% - your car needs a chance to recover.
Blag rides in the nice machinery on track if you can. I had laps as passenger in a Holden VXR, a Porsche, an MR2 and a Nova on the last one I did.......and the 63 bhp Nova was the scariest, as the driver was an expert and I swear the car had no brake pedal!!
RELAX and enjoy yourself, and, as another poster has said, don't chase times, do get instruction, and have fun. And be at 90%, not 110%, as the tyre walls and armco will write your car off and end your day. Don't drive like a cock, you will get black flagged, and do watch your mirrors and obey the overtaking rules. And don't drive the straights at 100% - your car needs a chance to recover.
Blag rides in the nice machinery on track if you can. I had laps as passenger in a Holden VXR, a Porsche, an MR2 and a Nova on the last one I did.......and the 63 bhp Nova was the scariest, as the driver was an expert and I swear the car had no brake pedal!!
Strip and clean your front brakes prior to going, the Brembos clog up something awful if left. Should be done every 6k miles roughly anyway.
Tyre pressures, using road tyres you'll want to add a few psi to the fronts to stop them rolling over as much.
Inspect your tyres before and after being out on track to check there's no unusual wear.
Don't do more than a hand full of hot laps at a time, if you're on the standard discs and pads then they will fade if used hard over those laps though depends a lot on the track (Cadwell they rarely fade for me, Oulton always).
Wear long sleeves and trousers, some organisers seem a bit slack on this some not so but just in case it gives you a bit of protection from flying glass and or burns/fire.
Don't try to be fast, try to be smooth. Plan as far ahead as you feel you can thinking about what gear you might need to be in and where to brake, take it slowly at first and build up your speed as you feel comfortable. Instruction could be helpful, personally I didn't find that though that's not to say my driving is perfect at all more that I'd already done a few track days anyway and did a lot of sim racing.
If you have any car specific questions pm me, more than happy to try and help
Tyre pressures, using road tyres you'll want to add a few psi to the fronts to stop them rolling over as much.
Inspect your tyres before and after being out on track to check there's no unusual wear.
Don't do more than a hand full of hot laps at a time, if you're on the standard discs and pads then they will fade if used hard over those laps though depends a lot on the track (Cadwell they rarely fade for me, Oulton always).
Wear long sleeves and trousers, some organisers seem a bit slack on this some not so but just in case it gives you a bit of protection from flying glass and or burns/fire.
Don't try to be fast, try to be smooth. Plan as far ahead as you feel you can thinking about what gear you might need to be in and where to brake, take it slowly at first and build up your speed as you feel comfortable. Instruction could be helpful, personally I didn't find that though that's not to say my driving is perfect at all more that I'd already done a few track days anyway and did a lot of sim racing.
If you have any car specific questions pm me, more than happy to try and help
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff