Trackday Advice Required

[Guest]

I am considering taking part in an open pitlane trackday at Croft next month, but I am a trackday novice - do the assembled sages have any advice for someone like me running a 'mere' NA car? I have just had a 6000 mile service done, and have had the discs and pad replaced last year (~ 3000 miles ago), and also belts done last year and just retensioned. So, I am under the illusion that other than checking oil, petrol and tyre pressures the car is ready to go - whether I am is another matter.
Cheers,

Graham

 

[Guest]

Hi Graham,

I hope you'll enjoy it. Having taken part in many track days, and also organised a fair few in my time, I have the following advice for you:

Car care:

Your car sounds as prepared as it can be fore the trackday. As you already mentioned. Check oil, water and tyre pressures before you go out on track, and regularly throughout the day.

Don't fill your fuel tank up completely. 3/4 of a tank is fine. You can always refuel. If you do fill it to the brim, you can have overflow with the fuel being pushed out of the filler under heavy cornering.

When you are finishing a session on track, have a slow lap. Race cars don't just do it for the adulation of the crowds (althoug hthat is nice) you need to let the car cool off a bit before you stop it. As far as possible, don't use the brakes on the cooling down lap. Drive around slowly and use the gears to slow down as much as possible.

When you come into the paddock and stop, DO NOT apply the handbrake. The brakes will be hot, and if you put the handbrake on, they will not be able to cool down evenly, so you can warp your disks. Just leave it in 1st gear. It won't go anywhere.

Driving:

Take it at your own pace. Don't feel pressured into driving faster than you're happy with. There will be some very fast drivers there, and people with a lot of track driving experience. If you try to keep up with them, you're likely to crash.

There are no prizes for being the quickest car out there. The only prize you want to take home is your car in the same shape as you arrived in it in.

Start the day like you were just driving on the road. Then gradually build up speed throughout the day. If conditions change (like it starts to rain) back right off and start your learning process again. Lines often change when the circuit gets wet, and also a race circuit can get a lot more slippery in the wet than the road would.

Be courteous. There will be a briefing at the start of the day where the rules will be spelled out. In genreal, cars will be allowed to overtake on the left only (although it sometimes varies). If you see a car coming up behind you, let him pass. Remember that some cars don't have much power, so they can't just floor it on the straights to get past. They are quicker round the circuit (otherwise they wouldn't have caught you up), so indicate, pull over and ease off the gas a bit until they get past. You'll get a cheery wave as they pass you, and they'll think you're a great bloke. If you floor it and don't let them pass, you'll get a different sign and they'll think you're something that rhymes with banker []

If there is a car in front of you who isn't getting out of your way and is holding you up, don't try to be a racing driver and outbrake him into a corner, or pass him on a corner. Just drop back, let him get ahead, and then push on again. When you come into the pits you can have a quiet word with the driver, or if you don't have any joy there, speak to the organiser and they will have a word.

If you can get access to the Motorsport News guide (used to be called the Aurosport guide, and a lot of people still refer to it as such) have a read through the section on Croft. It'll give you a few ideas about what to expect from the various corners.

Most important of all. Enjoy yourself. Croft is a great circuit.

Cheers

James

 

[Sundeep]

graham

also have a look at the track days section

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tt.asp?forumid=59

for hints and tips

btw, good post there james !

regards

 

[Peter Empson]

Hi Graham,
It sounds like you've already done all the obvious things, all I'd do is check your wheel nuts for tightness and make sure you've got some oil with you as the car's bound to use a bit. Oh and make sure you've got a few mm of tread on the tyres if you're driving home too []

Make sure you've got a towing eye and some electrical tape to cover your lights if required. Oh and dont forget driving license and long sleeved shirts/no shorts!

Personaly i'd take it very easy for the first couple of laps and come in and check your tyre pressures regularly, you'll really want to drop them so that when they're hot they're at the same pressure as they normaly are when cold (probably 34psi?), which should be fine for your first day. I think Andrew recommended this many years ago and its always worked for me.
Your brakes may overheat a little if they're standard (also depending on the fluid used), so try to do only a few laps at a time till your confidence grows, as you get more experience you can brake later and harder and should find that there will be less temperature build up anyway.
Best regards,
Peter.

Edited to say I was beaten to be the first reply, so apologies for any repitition!

 

[Guest]

Thanks very much for the swift replies - between you, Peter and James, you have covered quite a bit. Thanks for the effort. I have to admit my biggest concern, other than getting in everybody else's way, is that I'll end up bending my P&J and hence am a little nervous about my first trackday. I'll just have to try and relax into it and not get carried away. Perhaps I'll put some Handel on the CD player to calm me down!!! However, from what I've read here and elsewhere my concern should be once I've done this trackday how am I going to be able to afford to feed my new addiction?!

 

[Hilux]

Do a web search and try and get/download some in car videos and watch closely, works for me on strange circuits as they are not so strange when you start out..

I have many but not for Croft I`m afraid

 

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: GCHinton

I have to admit my biggest concern, other than getting in everybody else's way, is that I'll end up bending my P&J and hence am a little nervous

The only way that you'll bend it is if you drive above your own limits. It may be a race track but its not a race so just drive smoothly and safely, you'll gradually get quicker as the day progresses. Do pay for a sesion with an instructor, this will reap so many rewards.

My only reservation is the fact that its an open pit lane day. I normally wouldnt recommend this for a first track day purely becuase there will be such a huge speed differential between yourself and maybe a full on race driver who is there having a sneaky practice. A sessioned day with all the novices, intermediates and Schumachers grouped seperately is far less intimidating IMHO

 

[Guest]

Croft is quite a nice track with some nice technical features, I managed to go grass cutting through the Jim Clark Esses and had a spin at one of the hair pins, no harm done! I would highly recomend tuition if available, taking the right lines will smooth out the track and give you confidence.

Open pit is not as bad as some people make out, you get the chance to go out when the track goes quiet and you don't have to stick to 20 or 30 minute sessions. I have often found that some times, timed sessions can go on too long, you end up suffering over heated tyres making the last couple of laps a bit hairy and not so much fun.

Enjoy! I've completed about seven trackdays in my trusty old 2.5 N/A, hopefully I'll be back on track later this year (finances permiting!).

 

[sawood12]

I'm off to Donnington for my first forey on a track next weekend. I'm actually going on a session that happens in the morning before the full track day begins where a train of drivers go round the track in a snake. Every three or four cars will have a pro driver in the passenger seat giving hints to the driver about lines and braking point so gradually over a series of laps the snake gets faster and faster. Apparently even though you are following other drivers you still end up going at some pace by the end of the session. There are a couple of these sessions after a de-brief following the first outing. This only costs £29 and if you decide to stay on and do the full track day after you get a this money off the cost of the track day. I've done a reasonable amount of karting but realise this is a completely different kettle of fish so this seems like a perfect introduction to track days.

 

[Fen]

Is that something the 968 forum oranised, Scott? If so it works out quite well. I'd agree on open pit lane - you can choose when to go out and more importantly you can choose when to come in so if you feel you've had enough you stop as you don't have to consider how long before you get back out again. I often only do 6 or 7 laps then come in, fiddle with the car, then go out again.

 

[sawood12]

Yes it is the thing the 968 guys are attending. They've not actually organised it, it's a private company that basically hires the track and sells the slots. Alot of the 968 guys are going and so are a bunch of my work collegues most of whom have Porsches but not all. I haven't got all the details at hand but i'll publish them a later date as I think this company does this sort of thing at all the major race tracks up and down the country. I did look for it over on the 968 forum but the 968 moderator seems to be ultra efficient in deleting threads that are only a couple of weeks old.

 

[Fen]

The one I did was with Tracksport, but the "novice session" was organised for the 968 forum by Stu and tacked on at the start of the track day proper. I haven't been on the 968 forum for a good few weeks now so I don't know if it is the same thing, but it sounds like it is. It was a good day when I did it and the novice session was a good way to get a first few laps of a track I didn't know (Oulton), but on its own it left several people wanting more.

 

[Melv]

Don't run book pressures on your '44 -you will find the back a bit squirrelly to say the least -try 34F 36 R or so and ckeck them two or three times after a session -then enjoy!! They should stabuilise. Oh, and don't forget to put the pressures up next day when the tyres have completely cooled down. My first Porker and track day was in a 944S2. Superb car and could really hang the tail out!!(Don't try this at home....)

Open pit -you do as little or as much per session as you want, but certainly would not suggest more than 15-20mins. Ensure you do a whole lap at a slower pace before coming in WITHOUT touching the brakes (also gives you a chance to practice the lines!!) and keep your foot off the brake when you pit -difficult at Croft, I think there is a slight slope.

Have fun!!!

 

[sawood12]

The advice several people have given about not using handbrakes sounds sensible but does it apply to the 944 that has seperate drum brakes for the hand brake? Using the handbrake means the calipers are not gripping the disks so the rear disks should be able to cool down with the handbrake on?

 

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: GCHinton

Perhaps I'll put some Handel on the CD player to calm me down!!!

Would this make your car Handel better?


I'm so, so sorry.
Nurse! My medication please...

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson

Would this make your car Handel better?


I'm so, so sorry.
Nurse! My medication please...

This makes me really annoyed, not because Peter's taking the Michael, but because I didn't think of it first!
Oh well, I suppose if I really enjoy the day at Croft it won't be long before I'm Bach [] ouch!
But isn't it good that I can enjoy a trackday in the same car that I go Chopin in?!
I'll stop now before I'm banned from the forum...

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: Hilux

Do a web search and try and get/download some in car videos and watch closely, works for me on strange circuits as they are not so strange when you start out..

I have many but not for Croft I`m afraid

I've found a few on the Bookatrack website. Seems fairly instructive and certainly has whetted my appetite for the day itself.
I have followed the advice of many offered here and have booked myself an instructor. I think that the format of the day is following the breifing session, during which Specialist Cars will give all cars a once-over (checking wheel nuts etc.), there will be six laps following an instructor's car. We will then all come in and at that point pick up our individual instructors. Therefore, I will get the benefit of the instruction early in the day. Later on there is the opportunity to drive some of Specialist Cars cars (accompanied by an instructor, of course) and also the opportunity to be driven round the circuit by a race driver in a race car - spare underpants are not provided! So, all-in-all a pretty mouthwatering day and a little more than the ususal track day.

Graham

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: Melv

Don't run book pressures on your '44 -you will find the back a bit squirrelly to say the least -try 34F 36 R or so and ckeck them two or three times after a session -then enjoy!!

I found that 30psi all round (hot) gave me the best grip on my 944 at Donnington. 34 and 36 sounds a bit high to me for the track. Of course, it'll vary with tyre make and size, but when I had 32psi in the rear at the start of the day, I just couldn't keep the back from overtaking the front.