Track Day Beginners Guide
OK, so you are interested in doing a track day but aren't sure how to go about it, well here are some tips that will hopefully
get you on your way.
Do I need special clothing to do a track Day?
What are the rules of track days?
Do I need a dedicated Track Car?
What do I need to do to prepare my car for a track day?
What if I have an accident, should I get insurance?
What do I need to bring?
I have a Fiat 126 and I think I'll be too slow?
I have a McLaren F1 and I think I'll be too fast?
Can I take passengers?
Should I do an Airfield or Circuit?
Are there any Noise restrictions?
How much track time will I get?
General advice
Do I need special clothing to do a track Day?
Firstly you will need a helmet, you can normally hire them from track day companies on the day but they can be purchased for
around £40 and upwards. A motorcycle shop is a good place to look as they should have a big range in stock. Make sure that
the helmet is a good tight fit and get some advice from the shop.
You do not need fireproof overalls but if you are going to
do it regularly then it may well be a worthwhile investment, you can pick up a basic suit for around £80. If you don't have a
suit then you will need to make sure you have long sleeves and trousers so that your arms and legs are covered up.
That is all you need but you may want gloves, drivers boots, fireproof balaclava etc etc
Remember something warm (and waterproof!) because track day venues can be pretty open and exposed places. This is
especially true of airfield days. The wind will be strongest (and coldest) in these places. Get a woolly hat and a
brolly - otherwise you'll be doing all your spectating from the car park.
What are the rules of track days?
There are a few rules that you must abide by, they are all covered in the briefing that will be given before anyone is
allowed on the track.
Firstly the day is non-competitive, no racing or timing will be tolerated at all. Overtaking is normally
by consent only and normally on the left, i.e. the person you are overtaking needs to move to the right of the track and allow you
to pass on the left. You need to keep an eye on your mirrors for cars approaching, you don't need to dive out of their way
but let them past on the next straight is normally the best thing to do, indicate that you are letting them past and ease off
the throttle a bit. It is a good idea to check your mirrors on the straight so you can see where other people are. Remember that
it doesn't matter if you drive a Ferrari and have just been caught by a Fiat 126, if you have been caught up then they are
faster than you and you need to let them past, Egos should be left at home!!
Basic flags are used as well, the yellow flag means
slow down as there may be danger on the track and don't overtake, there may be a car that has spun for example. The red flag
means that the session has been stopped and you should proceed slowly to the pits, there may be a car that has spun off into
the kitty litter and needs to be retrieved. The blue flag means that someone faster has caught you up and you need to let them
past. The Chequered flag means the session has ended and you should enter the pits at the end of that lap, you should use this
to let your car cool down, especially if you have a turbo charged car. The Black flag means that you should slow down and return
to the pits at the end of that lap, there are two reasons for this being shown to you, firstly your car may have a fault that you
are not aware of, e.g. fuel leaking, tyres on fire! The other reason means that you may have been driving dangerously and need to
be more careful otherwise you may cause an accident. You will normally have one warning from a black flag, if you get shown it
again you probably won't be allowed back out on the track.
If you go out on Sighting laps (ie following the organiser slowly round the track) remember they are just that. Don't
go mad, and don't just follow the car in front. Give yourself a gap and study the circuit.
Other than that all you should do is build up slowly, if you try and go flat out straight away then you are probably
going to spin off! Take it easy to start with, get to know the track and the lines and get faster as the day goes on.
Do I need a dedicated Track Car?
Not at all, you don't need a Caterham or a Porsche or a TVR or an Elise or a Ferrari to enjoy track days, remember that they
are non competitive days and you won't be shunned because you arrive in a Fiat 126! Track days are not about how shiny your
£50,000 sports car is they are about enjoying yourself and driving fast without fear of dreaded cameras!
What do I need to do to prepare my car for a track day?
You need to make sure that your car is in a "road worthy" condition and has a valid MOT. You need to check your fluids are
all topped up, check your oil, water, power steering etc before you go to the track. You should also check your oil during
the day, after lunch when the car has cooled a bit is probably the best time, older cars especially as they may well burn
oil. If you bring spare oil or tools it is a good idea to leave them in the paddock as you don't want items flying round the car,
clearing out your boot is a good idea as is making sure jacks and spare wheels are secure.
Brakes are obviously very important, it depends on what car you have but generally standard road brakes may not be up to the
job. This doesn't mean that you need to spend thousands on 4 pot calipers etc you will probably be fine with some uprated pads
and perhaps some uprated discs. Personally on our track XR4x4 we use Mintex 1144's with standard discs and the brakes are
fantastic and they never overheat, however in my twin turbo the 1144's were not enough to slow the car down from higher speeds.
The other thing to note is that the pads will wear out a lot quicker so make sure the pads are nice and thick before going to a
track day, it may be worth taking a spare set of pads with you just in case! Our car gets through a set of brake pads in about 2-3
track days. Remember not to use the hand brake when you park, just leave the car in 1st gear, as you could end up warping the rear
discs.
Tyres are going to wear out quicker as well, it will depend on how you drive, if you slide round every corner then they
are going to wear out quicker than if you are smooth round the corners (not as much fun though!!!) You need to make sure that your
tyres will still be legal to drive home on! A spare set of wheels is a good idea if you plan to do a lot of track days. We used
Yokohama A539's on our track car a set of 5 lasted about 10 track days of hard driving! If you do all your breaking in a straight
line and drive the car smoothly then your tyres will last longer.
Empty your glove box and door bins too. You don't want that empty bottle of lucozade getting stuck under your brake
peddle!! Remember - if you can think of something that might cause a problem, then the betting is that it has
happened to someone, somewhere at sometime. By eliminating the obvious, you're more likely to have an enjoyable day.
Get a fire extinguisher. They can cost as little as 20. Even a small one might buy enough time for the support
vehicles to save your pride and joy.
If using ordinary seatbelts, pull them tight and lock them off. This will make you much more stable in your seat and
make cornering easier.
Another important thing is to make sure your wipers are in good condition and that your washer fluid is topped up as it
may well rain!
Always "listen" to what your car is telling you. If it doesn't feel right then it probably isn't. Come into the pits
and check. Don't be afraid to come in early, even if you're on a sessioned track day. If all is well, you will be allowed to
rejoin the session for its remainder.
What if I have an accident, should I get insurance?
Firstly accidents are very rare, they are normally caused by people trying to go fast too quickly, take your time and learn the circuit
before going flat out. If you do happen to swap ends, and sooner or later it will happen, don't keep the throttle buried to the floor,
press the clutch in and lightly press the brake pedal so as the car stops spining you don't carry the momentum onwards! Generally
the car will spin 180 degrees so you don't want to roll backwards into anything! Circuits are designed with run off areas and a
car spinning on the tarmac will slow down very quickly. If you do go off onto the grass make sure there is a very large gap before
rejoining the track and remember that you won't have full grip if you have just driven across wet grass! If a car spins in front
of you slow right down and do not attempt to pass until they no longer moving.
Dangerous driving will not be tolerated by the organisers, if you drive dangerously or aggressively towards others
then you will probably be sent home for the safety of everyone else!
Whilst it is not a requirement for you to have insurance but it may well be a good idea if you have a McLaren F1.
Most road policies will not automatically cover you for track use, though the odd few may as it is non-competitive. A few places to
get insurance try http://www.competition-car-insurance.co.uk/ or http://www.autotorque.co.uk/ The cost starts at around £50.
If you are new to track days or new to a circuit it would be worth getting some instruction, sessions are around £20 and can
be very useful.
What do I need to bring?
Other than your helmet you may want to bring some oil, a few tools, some warm clothing, you may need your driving licence to some
events. Circuit driving is quite hard work and you need to make sure you drink plenty of water. Most circuits and airfields will
have some sort of food facility to get a cup of tea and a burger.
I have a Fiat 126 and I think I'll be too slow?
The whole point of a track day is to drive at your own pace, keep an eye on your mirrors and be courteous and let people past
and there will be no problems. Sessions are normally grouped by experience so you shouldn't be grouped with all the R500 Caterhams!
I have a McLaren F1 and I think I'll be too fast?
Firstly if you have an F1 then please let me have a go, oh go on!!!! As stated above cars are generally grouped together by
experience and what sort of car but just because you have a fast car does not mean you will be fast round the track. Suspension
and tyres and experience are the main factors in how fast a car is, it's all about how much speed you can carry out of the corner
rather than how fast your car can accelerate.
Can I take passengers?
Most companies allow you can take a passenger in the front of the car, they usually have to be over 16 and will always have to
wear a crash helmet. Some companies may make an extra charge for passengers.
Should I do an Airfield or Circuit?
In my opinion it doesn't matter too much which you do first time so long as you build up slowly. At Airfields there generally
are no barriers to hit but there are often cones to mark out the circuit. Obviously hitting a cone is going to do less damage
than armco but on circuits there is normally a good amount of run off area. Airfields do have the advantage of being lot cheaper
though!
Are there any Noise restrictions?
Yes! If you have a standard exhaust then it is unlikely that your car will be too loud! If you are concerned then you can hire
a noise meter from http://www.bookatrack.com for £9 including p&p both ways. Goodwood is one of the quietist circuits having a
limit of 98dB, most airfields tend to be louder, whilst Donington / Anglesey / Oulton Park all have limits of around 105dB which
is pretty loud! The noise level is measured at 3/4 of maximum rpm, normally about 4500 rpm. Some circuits also have static meters
around the track. If your car is too noisy then you can buy additional silencers that slot into your tailpipe for around £100,
note most circuits do not sell them, you would need to purchase it beforehand.
How much track time will I get?
There are two types of events, sessioned events and open pit lane events. Sessioned events are normally 3 groups having a 20
minute session per hour. If the event is 9 - 5 with an hour for lunch that means you will have 7 sessions, but normally due
to various stoppages for cars to be removed from the kitty litter you will more likely only get 6 sessions in, which still means
2 hours on the track! On average we manage about 160 track miles on an event like this. Sometimes there will be 4 groups having
a 15 minute session every hour.
Open pit lanes means you can go out onto the circuit whenever you want. This has advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes
the pit lane can become crowded if there are a lot of cars but these days are usually restricted to a small number of cars in
total to start with and are therefore a bit more expensive. The obvious advantage is you can get loads of track time! At Oulton
Park we managed 230 miles on the track!! You need to let the car cool down though, keep to 15 minute sessions with plenty time
for tyres and brakes (and yourself!) to cool down between sessions.
General advice
lunch times. Don't load up on pies. You will suffer in the
afternoon. Even if you're normally the sort to have one pint if you're
driving you must not drink any alcohol during lunch on a track day. The
organisers will not tolerate it, and for good reason. Everything happens
much faster than you will be used to on the road. You need to be as sharp as
you can be!
Don't underestimate how tiring a track day is. Whether you fancy yourself as
an Olympian, or if your idea of exercise is walking to the shop for your
fags, the effort in driving for extended periods at speed will surprise you.
There is a reason that F1 drivers are among the fittest sports men out
there. Be aware of it and take breaks. This is also true if you're doing a
lot of passengering.
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Copyright © 2000-2001 Robert King All Rights Reserved.