Track days and track day enthusiasts are a fascinating cultural phenomenon. It’s a fascinating combination of all types of automotive and motorsport fanatics. From the guys that take themselves way too seriously, to the dudes that are almost too casual about the whole ordeal.
Choosing track days is almost like picking from a box of chocolates – you never know quite exactly what you’re going to get. There’s a broad spectrum of what you could expect:
Organization: How tight of a ship does the provider run? Will everything run on time?
Tech / Inspection: From detailed inspections to “self-tech”, yeah nobody self-fails their self tech…
Camping / Accommodation: This is more track-specific, but from camping / sleeping at the track, in the garages, or resorting to a nearby motel.
Participants: From race teams with massive toy haulers and enclosed trailers, to budget track day warriors who drove their street car out to their first track day – and everything in between.
Rules / Process: Number of run groups, passing rules per run group, level of instruction, and informal racing events (HPDE, Time Trial, spec classes).
Amidst all this possible variation, there are things you can do and things you certainly should not do during track days. Here’s our trackday checklist of do’s and don’ts:
Know your Host
You can’t know exactly what you’re getting into, but most track day providers will give you good information about the kind of events they run. Be aware that most of these descriptions are more aspirational than true reality. Regardless, reading through a track day provider’s website and materials can help you get to know your host. Check out past event photos to get a sense of the crowd and types of cars that were present.
Prepare Yourself
Do your research on the track, watch videos of other drivers doing some laps in the same car (or a car with similar power / weight). Look for good braking zones, turn-in, and apex points. Observe the track for any sketchy spots and memorize them. Some tracks have notorious turns, some have even taken people’s lives – make sure to do your homework. We like to watch some videos the day before or morning of a track day at a new track, also print out a track map and take notes throughout the day. As you become more proficient, try different lines and track your lap times to see what works best for your car and set up.
Also, make sure to attend all the driver’s meetings and understand how the day will run. The experience of running in the wrong run group can be quite unpleasant, so keep close track of the schedule and announcements.
Prepare your Car
Speaking of car and set up, make sure your car is ready for a track day. The basics include: fluids that are fresh and clean (coolant, engine oil, transmission and differential oil, hydraulics – brake and clutch fluid), sufficient brake pad and rotor material (check the wear indicators), and good tires (ideally at minimum some summer performance tires). Know how to turn your traction control off and adjust your seating position so you have good leverage on the steering wheel (a good guideline is your wrists should be able to rest on the top of the steering wheel with your arms stretched out completely), and can easily reach the pedals.
Tune / Adjust your Car
Bring some sort of device to check and adjust tire pressure. You will likely need to lower your cold tire pressure, for most tires – your target is around 30-32psi hot pressure – this is the pressure where you’ll have optimum grip. So your cold pressure will need to be about 24-26psi (consider about 15-20% increase in pressure at track temperature vs cold). For a long weekend, you may want to bleed your brakes – though likely unnecessary. Lastly, familiarize yourself with any suspension adjustments and experiment throughout the day with different set ups. As you become more proficient, compare these adjustments with lap times and keep notes.
Don’t bring a Broken Car
This on paper is obvious, but what this really means is to ensure your car is running reliably before the event. A track day is quite possibly the worst setting to work on a car – tons of distraction from awesome car noises, groups of people, and constant announcements and movement. Don’t rely on tech inspection to determine what is wrong with your car, you should be intimately familiar with how to check fluids, oils, brakes, and tires (wear and pressure). Things like oil spills and break downs can cause sessions to be stopped (to remove your car from the track), which causes everyone to lose track time. Don’t be that guy, make sure your car is working well and that you have enough gas in the tank.
Have Fun
Most importantly, enjoy the day. Learn a lot, go fast, push yourself, and keep safety in mind. You’ll feel the connection between man and machine at its peak- right at that point where you are breaking through your mental boundaries and reaching the car’s mechanical limits. Some people call it “being in the zone”… but you’ll know it, one of the best sensations known to mankind.