Highwayman
New member
Given that quite a few people have signed up to the Bedford track day in March (including me), and are asking questions about a variety of things, I thought I'd dig out an old guide that I produced a few years ago. It might not be 100% accurate, but will hopefully be of use to some of the novices, and at least a helpful reminder for those who've been before [
].
The guide aims to help you to prepare your car and suggests a few things for when you attend the day itself. Hopefully you will find the information useful!
What do you need to attend a track day?
- A roadworthy car (you don't have to show an MoT certificate) "" See separate guide
- A valid full driving licence (you will have to show this (both parts, if you have one of the photo ones) before you will be allowed on track
- A crash helmet (although these are usually available to hire on the day from the organisers at additional cost)
- A towing eye (this might seem trivial at this stage, but go and check that you have one, and if not, source one in plenty of time before the event and make sure that you take it with you)
Insurance
You don't have to have insurance to use your car on track, but clearly a standard motor insurance policy will not cover you in the event of an accident on track. There are three options open to you:
1. Don't bother and risk it !
2. Take out a special policy to cover you for the single event (about £50-150 depending upon the car and value)
3. Take out a motor insurance policy that does cover you for track use
Clearly, option 3 is probably only an option for those considering doing a number of events in a year, but this option will probably pay for itself within a couple of events when compared to option 2.
Preparing the Car
Preparing your car is vital to ensure that you get the most out of the event, without having to worry too much about what could go wrong. This guide will purposely not dwell on the tuning of the car to get increased power for the track, as this is something that should come with time, once you have a clearer idea of what you want from the car. Rather, the guide sets out some basic things to do before any track use.
First and foremost before you take your car on track, you need to be confident that it is in a generally good roadworthy condition. If you have a niggly problem with anything that affects its day-to-day operation, then I would suggest that you get it sorted before the event. If you turn up and break down on the first lap, there are no refunds.
Assuming the above, there are certain things that benefit from some extra attention on the run up to a track day:
1. Check all fluid levels and top up if required (take some top up fluids with you on the day, just in case)
2. If your brake fluid hasn't been changed in a while, get it changed with some good quality DoT 4.1 or DoT 5.1 fluid, as it will be heated to levels that it won't have known about before, and you do not want it to fail!
3. Make sure that your brake discs and pads are in good condition. If not, have them replaced, but make sure that you give them time to bed in before going out on track.
4. Make sure that your suspension is in good condition, and that there aren't any knocks or bangs indicating worn bushes or mounts. Track use will make these significantly worse, so get them replaced before the day if you can.
5. Make sure that your tyres have a decent amount of tread on them, but preferably aren't new. You will wear them down significantly on track, so make sure that you have enough to get you home legally at the end of the day.
6. Check all of your hose clamps are tight, particularly the boost ones for those with turbos
7. Check that all your wheel nuts are nice and tight, that the tyre pressures are OK, and that you haven't got any foreign objects poking out from between the tread
8. Clear out any unnecessary "˜stuff' from the pockets, glove box, etc., as you don't want it flying around whilst you are trying to enjoy yourself
9. You might also like to apply RainX to your windows in the event of rain being forecast. It helps to keep them much clearer at high speeds.
Attending the Track Day
Having booked yourself onto a track day, and prepared your car for the day, it's time to review what will happen on the day itself. Needless to say, you will be champing at the bit to get out on track, but there are some last minutes checks to do before you leave home, and a few formalities to follow when you arrive at the track.
Before You Leave Home
There are a number of things to make sure that you don't forget on the day, otherwise you may not be able to take part. Assuming that you have followed the car preparation guide above, the car should be pretty much there, but I would still suggest checking the following things:
- Fluid levels
- Tyre pressures
- Wheel nuts
- Tow Hook is present
- Unnecessary clutter removed
In addition, you need to make sure that you have your driving licence (both parts for photo ones) and are wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs (shorts or short sleeves will not be allowed on track)
On Arrival at the Track
Firstly, try to ensure that you arrive in plenty of time for registration. There is often a queue for this, and the sooner you arrive and register, the longer you will have to do the final prep on your car, and have a chat with the other drivers . Once registered (including any additional drivers or passengers), make sure that you know where the safety briefing is being held, and at what time. If you miss this, you will not be allowed on track!
You may also have a noise test to carry out (depends upon the track). If required, attend the noise test and follow the instructions given to you about what to do with the slip of paper. As a rule, its unlikely that a road car will fail a static noise test, but those with 3" exhausts, headwork and large turbos might have fun if the limit is set much below 98dB. In reality, the test will normally only throw out race-prepped cars or highly tuned Skylines/Scoobies/Evos.
Assuming that you have registered and passed the noise test, you will probably have to attend the safety briefing next. This will take place in a closed off room and is mandatory for all drivers and passengers. Listen to the briefing carefully, and take note of what is being said, as failure to follow the rules will probably see you being told-off later in the day, and at worst thrown off the track with no refund. Once the briefing has finished, you will usually be given a wrist band to prove your attendance, which must be shown every time you want to go out on the track (passengers included).
Going out on Track
OK, you are now very close to be allowed out on track"¦ Dependant upon the organiser/circuit/format, you may now have a number of familiarisation laps. These are designed to give you a feel for the circuit at normal road speed, and are very useful to help you understand which corners are going to be "˜interesting' when you pick up the pace. If the circuit is wet, they will also be vital in telling you where the standing water is, and which corners are the slipperiest! The laps are sometimes behind a pace car, sometimes just subject to a speed limit, and sometimes can be taken as a passenger in a school car with an instructor driving.
Once the familiarisation session is over, the fun begins! If it is OPL format, there will probably be a large queue form at the pit exit, and you can join this at any time you like. If the day is being run in sessions, it is just a case of waiting for your session to commence (watch the time, and make sure that you are lined up in the pit ready to go when your session is due to start).
Once on track, take the first few laps easy and get to know the circuit before lifting the pace. It is also a good idea to make sure that the car feels OK, and if in any doubt, come back into the pits and check it. For the first session of the day, this is particularly pertinent, and a quick check of everything after this is a good idea. Go at your own pace, but make sure that you are aware of what is going on around you, particularly regarding faster cars than you! There will be strict rules about overtaking (not in the corners), but this relies on trusting others and slower cars making way for the faster ones. This is particularly important for OPL days, as there will be all sorts of skill levels and cars out on track at once (I had a JP1 track car on my first track day, and he was so quick, you hardly had time to register him before he sailed by!)
I don't proposed to cover all of the aspects of driving on track (flags, etc.), as these will be covered in the safety briefings, but if you do have to stop on track, just stay in your car until the rescue marshals get to you (unless you think it's on fire, in which case, get out and get behind the barriers as quickly as you can!). Well run track days will have excellent marshalling, and you will be recovered or moved off the track very quickly in my experience (which includes the above!)
At the End of the Day
Once you have enjoyed yourself, there are just a couple of things to remember for the drive home:
1. Check your fluids, tyre pressures & wheel nuts again, as they may not be what they were several hard driving hours ago!
2. Bear in mind that you will be driving on the public highway on your way home. This is not a race track, so don't treat it as such. TBH, you will probably be absolutely shattered, but the adrenaline can still be pumping, and motorway speeds can seem slow after a day at 100mph+!
All that's left to say is enjoy yourself, don't do anything stupid, and see you on track soon!
Phil
].The guide aims to help you to prepare your car and suggests a few things for when you attend the day itself. Hopefully you will find the information useful!
What do you need to attend a track day?
- A roadworthy car (you don't have to show an MoT certificate) "" See separate guide
- A valid full driving licence (you will have to show this (both parts, if you have one of the photo ones) before you will be allowed on track
- A crash helmet (although these are usually available to hire on the day from the organisers at additional cost)
- A towing eye (this might seem trivial at this stage, but go and check that you have one, and if not, source one in plenty of time before the event and make sure that you take it with you)
Insurance
You don't have to have insurance to use your car on track, but clearly a standard motor insurance policy will not cover you in the event of an accident on track. There are three options open to you:
1. Don't bother and risk it
!2. Take out a special policy to cover you for the single event (about £50-150 depending upon the car and value)
3. Take out a motor insurance policy that does cover you for track use
Clearly, option 3 is probably only an option for those considering doing a number of events in a year, but this option will probably pay for itself within a couple of events when compared to option 2.
Preparing the Car
Preparing your car is vital to ensure that you get the most out of the event, without having to worry too much about what could go wrong. This guide will purposely not dwell on the tuning of the car to get increased power for the track, as this is something that should come with time, once you have a clearer idea of what you want from the car. Rather, the guide sets out some basic things to do before any track use.
First and foremost before you take your car on track, you need to be confident that it is in a generally good roadworthy condition. If you have a niggly problem with anything that affects its day-to-day operation, then I would suggest that you get it sorted before the event. If you turn up and break down on the first lap, there are no refunds.
Assuming the above, there are certain things that benefit from some extra attention on the run up to a track day:
1. Check all fluid levels and top up if required (take some top up fluids with you on the day, just in case)
2. If your brake fluid hasn't been changed in a while, get it changed with some good quality DoT 4.1 or DoT 5.1 fluid, as it will be heated to levels that it won't have known about before, and you do not want it to fail!
3. Make sure that your brake discs and pads are in good condition. If not, have them replaced, but make sure that you give them time to bed in before going out on track.
4. Make sure that your suspension is in good condition, and that there aren't any knocks or bangs indicating worn bushes or mounts. Track use will make these significantly worse, so get them replaced before the day if you can.
5. Make sure that your tyres have a decent amount of tread on them, but preferably aren't new. You will wear them down significantly on track, so make sure that you have enough to get you home legally at the end of the day.
6. Check all of your hose clamps are tight, particularly the boost ones for those with turbos
7. Check that all your wheel nuts are nice and tight, that the tyre pressures are OK, and that you haven't got any foreign objects poking out from between the tread
8. Clear out any unnecessary "˜stuff' from the pockets, glove box, etc., as you don't want it flying around whilst you are trying to enjoy yourself
9. You might also like to apply RainX to your windows in the event of rain being forecast. It helps to keep them much clearer at high speeds.
Attending the Track Day
Having booked yourself onto a track day, and prepared your car for the day, it's time to review what will happen on the day itself. Needless to say, you will be champing at the bit to get out on track, but there are some last minutes checks to do before you leave home, and a few formalities to follow when you arrive at the track.
Before You Leave Home
There are a number of things to make sure that you don't forget on the day, otherwise you may not be able to take part. Assuming that you have followed the car preparation guide above, the car should be pretty much there, but I would still suggest checking the following things:
- Fluid levels
- Tyre pressures
- Wheel nuts
- Tow Hook is present
- Unnecessary clutter removed
In addition, you need to make sure that you have your driving licence (both parts for photo ones) and are wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs (shorts or short sleeves will not be allowed on track)
On Arrival at the Track
Firstly, try to ensure that you arrive in plenty of time for registration. There is often a queue for this, and the sooner you arrive and register, the longer you will have to do the final prep on your car, and have a chat with the other drivers
. Once registered (including any additional drivers or passengers), make sure that you know where the safety briefing is being held, and at what time. If you miss this, you will not be allowed on track!You may also have a noise test to carry out (depends upon the track). If required, attend the noise test and follow the instructions given to you about what to do with the slip of paper. As a rule, its unlikely that a road car will fail a static noise test, but those with 3" exhausts, headwork and large turbos might have fun if the limit is set much below 98dB. In reality, the test will normally only throw out race-prepped cars or highly tuned Skylines/Scoobies/Evos.
Assuming that you have registered and passed the noise test, you will probably have to attend the safety briefing next. This will take place in a closed off room and is mandatory for all drivers and passengers. Listen to the briefing carefully, and take note of what is being said, as failure to follow the rules will probably see you being told-off later in the day, and at worst thrown off the track with no refund. Once the briefing has finished, you will usually be given a wrist band to prove your attendance, which must be shown every time you want to go out on the track (passengers included).
Going out on Track
OK, you are now very close to be allowed out on track"¦ Dependant upon the organiser/circuit/format, you may now have a number of familiarisation laps. These are designed to give you a feel for the circuit at normal road speed, and are very useful to help you understand which corners are going to be "˜interesting' when you pick up the pace. If the circuit is wet, they will also be vital in telling you where the standing water is, and which corners are the slipperiest! The laps are sometimes behind a pace car, sometimes just subject to a speed limit, and sometimes can be taken as a passenger in a school car with an instructor driving.
Once the familiarisation session is over, the fun begins! If it is OPL format, there will probably be a large queue form at the pit exit, and you can join this at any time you like. If the day is being run in sessions, it is just a case of waiting for your session to commence (watch the time, and make sure that you are lined up in the pit ready to go when your session is due to start).
Once on track, take the first few laps easy and get to know the circuit before lifting the pace. It is also a good idea to make sure that the car feels OK, and if in any doubt, come back into the pits and check it. For the first session of the day, this is particularly pertinent, and a quick check of everything after this is a good idea. Go at your own pace, but make sure that you are aware of what is going on around you, particularly regarding faster cars than you! There will be strict rules about overtaking (not in the corners), but this relies on trusting others and slower cars making way for the faster ones. This is particularly important for OPL days, as there will be all sorts of skill levels and cars out on track at once (I had a JP1 track car on my first track day, and he was so quick, you hardly had time to register him before he sailed by!)
I don't proposed to cover all of the aspects of driving on track (flags, etc.), as these will be covered in the safety briefings, but if you do have to stop on track, just stay in your car until the rescue marshals get to you (unless you think it's on fire, in which case, get out and get behind the barriers as quickly as you can!). Well run track days will have excellent marshalling, and you will be recovered or moved off the track very quickly in my experience (which includes the above!)
At the End of the Day
Once you have enjoyed yourself, there are just a couple of things to remember for the drive home:
1. Check your fluids, tyre pressures & wheel nuts again, as they may not be what they were several hard driving hours ago!
2. Bear in mind that you will be driving on the public highway on your way home. This is not a race track, so don't treat it as such. TBH, you will probably be absolutely shattered, but the adrenaline can still be pumping, and motorway speeds can seem slow after a day at 100mph+!
All that's left to say is enjoy yourself, don't do anything stupid, and see you on track soon!
Phil
