1st track day - Tips and Procedures?

[kmpowell]

Chaps

I shall be taking my T350 on her(and mine!) first Trackday in 2 weeks time, so i could do with a bit of a do's and dont's checklist, seeing as the Tiv is unlike most other turn up and rag it cars!

I of course understand the rev counter and temperature rules..... but what about tyre pressures, warming and cooling of tyres, cooling of brakes, warm down laps, max temps etc etc etc Is there anything specific to the Tiv that I need to note and follow to the letter?

BTW, the track is Castle Combe which I am very familiar with

Thanks
Kevin

[ibizarich]

I was going to say pay for 20 minutes tuition, it's money well spent. But, if you have driven the track many times already, I guess it's not worth it. I had a full day tuition in my T350. The instructor just had me ease off and take the last lap reasonably slow to cool down the engine. If they black flag the track, just pull it into the garage/car park and leave it ticking over for a couple of minutes instead.

I didn't have a major problem with brakes overheating. I did 20 minutes or so on the track, then came off and had a break for about 20 mins. Then repeated then all day. By the very end of the day the brakes had faded considerably. A full track day really takes its toll on them. I learned not to try and brake as late as the guys in the GT3's with 5K's worth of ceramic brakes though!

Keep an eye on your petrol gauge. I was down to 2L before I noticed! It goes so fast. I drove like I was driving miss daisy to the petrol station a few miles from the track

What rules do you mean regarding rev counter and temperature etc?


>> Edited by ibizarich on Sunday 5th February 18:25

>> Edited by ibizarich on Sunday 5th February 19:53

[kmpowell]

ibizarich said:

What rules do you mean regarding rev counter and temperature etc?

Thanks for the advice Rich, especially about the fuel! In regards to temperature I was referring to the ambient temperature cooling the oil on the way round, so I won't be exceeding the 3k if it falls below 60 dgrees (which is quite possible in this recent weather).

Having driven Castle Coombe I am ok with the track, surroundings and proceedures, I was thinking about things directly to do with the T350 e.g. tyre pressures, what should i start with?

BTW this wont be a heavy track day. It's an open pit lane, so I had planned to do non competitive 5 lap bursts, one warm up, 3 driving, one cool down. Is that ok in the Tiv?

Thanks again

[hwassall]

Took mine on our first track day on the TVR Monster back in September and it really was a revelation. Definitely get some tuition if you can, it really helped sort out the braking and turn in points for me, just seen you are familiar with the track so ignore this sentence... I left the tire pressure at 24psi for the day and the car felt really nicely balanced through the corners. I was amazed at just how fast you can corner in the car and how much power you can put down to drive out of them. Other than that, I just needed to remember not to put the handbrake on after you come off track to avoid warping the disks.

Cheers,
Howard

>> Edited by hwassall on Sunday 5th February 18:56

>> Edited by hwassall on Sunday 5th February 18:57

[greenv8s]

Don't use your handbrake when the brakes are hot after a session, it will warp the discs. Leave the car in gear on level ground or parked across the slope.

After every session, feel how hot the tyres are getting, check how much tread you have left, and check the tyre pressures all round. They will be higher than normal because of the heat, but if they're more than 4-6 psi higher then either let air out to lower the pressure (and remember to reinflate before the drive home) or simply take it a bit more gently so the tyres don't get as hot. After it has cooled down check the oil level, brake fluid level and brake pad thickness.

You'll use a lot of fuel so keep an eye on the level. Don't have a big lunch, and remember that straight after lunch and late afternoon are particularly dangerous times because your concentration will be lower.

[ibizarich]

I left my tyre pressure at 24Psi too. Good tip about the handbrake, I remember the instructor telling me that.

He also said, as mentioned above, that all the accidents happen after lunch and towards the end of the day. Everyone'e concentration goes. 5 minutes after telling me a Lotus Esprit and an Impreza(I think) had an unplanned meeting and made a big mess. Black flag, brought back on a trailer..track day over. Lucky there was only 40 minutes left.

Does your insurance policy include track-day insurance?

[targarama]

The T350 is great on the track. Leave the tyres at 24psi, make sure the oil stays topped up and just drive it. Brakes should be OK unless you're trying too hard.

IMO the TVR is a 'turn up and thrash it' car for trackdays. Nothing to adjust/tinker with, just get out there and enjoy it. (Of course you should/will make sure its warmed up - I doubt you'll be overheating the oil at this time of year but watch it doesn't go too high - 80 -90 is hot enough really).

Enjoy.

[yi8tvr]

Dont worry to much about temps this time of year. I run 27psi in winter cold. DONT brim the fuel tank on track days 3/4 MAX.

[Daftlad]

yi8tvr said:

Dont worry to much about temps this time of year. I run 27psi in winter cold. DONT brim the fuel tank on track days 3/4 MAX.

I would worry about both tyre and fluid temps. Cold day 1-2 psi tyre drop should allow the tyres to get to temperature. Oil temp steady up to 60 deg C and then 80+ before using the last 25% of the revs.

[targarama]

Daftlad said:

yi8tvr said: Dont worry to much about temps this time of year. I run 27psi in winter cold. DONT brim the fuel tank on track days 3/4 MAX. I would worry about both tyre and fluid temps. Cold day 1-2 psi tyre drop should allow the tyres to get to temperature. Oil temp steady up to 60 deg C and then 80+ before using the last 25% of the revs.

Good point about dropping tyre pressures in cold weather. I tend to only do my trackdays in warm weather, the wuss that I am.

[kmpowell]

Thanks chaps, all excellent stuff! Much appreciated!

[Mustang Baz]

Kevin - some good guidance can also be found here;

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=184364&r=2255733&hm=38660#2255733

[ehasler]

greenv8s said:

Don't use your handbrake when the brakes are hot after a session, it will warp the discs. Leave the car in gear on level ground or parked across the slope.

Something else to bear in mind is that some people may not rememeber that they've left their car in gear without the handbrake on, so be careful walking in front of cars in case they lurch at you