Track day tips for newbies

[james.c]

Sorry - I know there are loads of posts on track days this but it all seems a bit fragmented!

e.g. https://www.google.co.uk/?#q=site:lotus7.club+first+trackday

Is there a decent checklist / tips for track day newbies (with basically no working knowledge of the car!) in all that noise? Please point me in that direction if there is! If there isn't, perhaps we could even pull something together and get it up in the Guides section. 

I'm booked in for the BookaTrack day at Rockingham on 22nd April (give me a shout if you'll be there!). Not my first choice but amazing how hard it is to find a weekend around family life!.

My main questions / concerns at the moment are below. I know that's a lot of questions but obviously just answer anything you can help with (and / or point me in the direction of another post!). I'll obviously try and get to a club meet-up over the next few months to see if there are people who can help me out.

1. Helmet
I know that these can be hired but I assume it's much better to get a decent one fitted (assuming you plan to do a few...which I'm sure I will!). There seem to be a fair few posts around and I'm guessing I'll just find a local motorcycle place (Peterborough probably closest for me) and go and get some advice / fitted for something decent.

2. Racing Overalls
It seems like you just need to have arms and legs covered. Do most people bother to buy decent racing overalls? Obviously there is a safety element here but I guess my concern is more about not looking like a tw*t! Don't really want to turn up trying to look like a total pro and then set the slowest lap time of the day (an embarrassment compounded by the fact I'll be in a 620!). What's the norm here?

3. Aeroscreen
Endless debates on this one (in general) of course. Is it worth jumping straight in with an aeroscreen for a first trackday or just see how I get on and think about think for next time? What's my best option for getting an aeroscreen? Caterham parts website?
https://caterhamparts.co.uk/windscreens-aeroscreens/3006-composite-windscreen-deflector-kit-s3.html (I'd need something for an SV rather than this I assume). Perhaps there are better / cheaper alternatives?

4. Garage
At the moment I haven't bothered paying extra for a garage. I know basically nothing about cars so I'm hardly qualified to be tinkering around with the car on the day. My limit will be putting fuel in it. Am I missing something here?

5. Tires
I've only done 250 miles in the car so far (and, as above, my knowledge of cars is highly limited!). Would doubt I'll have done 1000 miles on the car before the track day so I assume that they'll be fine to get home in. I could change a wheel (I would hope!) but no idea how to change a tire. What do most people do? Learn how to change tires?! And / or have a spare set of wheels so you turn up more prepared? 

6. Basic spanner / fluid checks 
I have a few tools (I got that 200 piece set from Halfords that's been on offer!) and have a torque wrench. That makes me feel like I know what I'm doing....but I haven't got a clue. Is it likely that someone will be around on the day to help me with a basic "spanner test"? Equaly importantly would be checking various fluid levels. At 1000 (ish) miles I'd hope things would be ok but it would be great to get some pointers! I've worked out how to check the oil on the 620 but that's my limit at the moment!

7. Comms
Again - lots of posts about this and I probably just need to do a bit more research. If you are booked to go out with an instructor (which I am as most people say this is a no brainer for a first track day) is it helpful to have some kind of radio communication or can you get away with screaming at each other through the helmets?!

8. Noise
I'm assuming / hoping that the rear exhaust on the 620s will mean that I'm ok for the noise test. People do seem to have some anxiety around this test. I've emailed Greg @ Bookatrack. I bought the car through them (and it's their track day) so I'm hoping I'll have some sympathy if there are problems here!

9. Pissing with rain
Other than just going sideways more, what happens if it's pissing with rain? I assume at some point the track can get closed. But if it's just a shower what do people do? Just drive faster? Stick a roof or a half-hood on? I'm 6 foot 4 and can't begin to imagine how I would actually get into a car with any type of roof on!

10.  Roll bar
I've got the track-day roll bar on the car (hoping to do some club track days at some point and aware that these are required). At 6 foot 4 is there a minimum distance from top of helmet to top of bar and does this get checked on the day?

11. Spectators
As I'm only a few miles down the road from Rockingham the family might like to come and watch. Is it easy enough for them to rock up at most tracks. Is there sometimes a charge to get in or is this track specific and something to check directly with Rockingham / Bookatrack?

12. Any other obvious tips would be welcome!

Thanks all. I appreciate that lots of this I could probably figure out with enough Googling and trawling through the club archives but I was just struggling a bit. Unless something exists already it might be fun to return the favour by putting a decent PDF together that we could improve over time. You could go on forever but something simple for trackday newbies would be great!
Thanks,
J

[Jonathan Kay]

Some trackdays are used for fettling racing cars.

1. Beware: these can be much less fun.
2. They need garages/ rebuilds etc.

Racing overalls

Not needed. Think what you'll wear if it's cold, hot or wet.

Garage

Most manage fine without.

Comms

Most manage with talking and hand signals. Some will put a hand on the wheel...

Noise

Any chance of getting a static test done before the day?

Roll bar

Yes, clearance is a known problem.

Tools and wheels

The car and components are much more highly stressed than on the road, at least when I'm driving. Things may come loose and fall off. I take a jack and a footwell full of tools. And top-up liquids. But there'll be a lot of people who are likely to be very helpful. 

I have a spare wheel and would be stuck if that went as well. (A bit like John Arlott and corkscrews.)

Spectators and visitors

Free everywhere that I've been.

Have fun.

Jonathan

 

[Jonathan Kay]

General stuff

1. Learn the flags in advance.
2. Learn the track in advance. (Apparently there are computer games...)
3. Take your time. A day's a long time and getting tired is a very bad idea. Drive a few laps and then have break and a think. But of course this depends a bit on the format of the day. It often gets a lot less busy during the afternoon... 
4. ​Drink enough fluid.
5. Talk to other people and beg some passenger laps. I find it hard to see why everyone else is neater and faster while I'm driving.

I take out insurance with a very big excess on a policy distinct from that for road use. Opinions differ on this. You can find recent quotes with and without road use here.

Have fun.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Kay]

A Guide would be a great idea. You've spotted the best approach to searching. Shaun has assembled some documents.

Jonathan

[james.c]

Thanks very much for your replies. Really helpful. A simple guide would be fun to pull together later in the year!

[monsterchub]

 

Hi James.c,

Well I will try and answer some of your queries based on my experiences.

Rockinham is a nice track to get started on, just be careful of the first big corner past the start/finish line, take it to fast and on the wrong line and it will push you up onto the top edge wall (scary)

Helmet. Buy a good make that fits your head well, and make sure its a full face version.

Overalls. Not essential, but for your owm safety I'd buy a set. Everyone looks like a twat wearing them unless you happed to be Lewis Hamilton!

Aero screen. Will get you faster lap times, but for the first few sprints just get used to how the car handles.

Garage. The main reason I hire a garage is incase it pisses down (hard to forecast what our bloody weather will be doing)

Tires. Your tires that are on your car at the moment should be fine,(dont forget to drop the pressures slightly) but if its a really hot day you could trash a set, having said that April will be freezing !! Some people bring a spare set of wheels with different compound tires. Will you be driving to and from the event?

Spanner checks/fluid checks. Probably the most important thing make sure the wheel nuts are torqued correctly and check every so often during the day. Dont worry too much about tools theres plenty of others who would lend you theirs if you needed any. Bring spare oil, coolant and spare fuel (if theres none available on site) Check the oil on the dipstick every so often as well

Comms. The instructor should have all the radio equipment needed, (if not learn sign language)

Noise. Your car should pass this test without any problems, although if it was too loud you wouldnt be shown any favours I can assure you.(take some exhaust packing along)

Rain. (probably) Forget putting a roof on, just wait for it to stop and when the event resumes, hold back and let the tin-tops dry out the circuit a bit before joining in again!

Roll bar. Dont think theres any minimum distance on headroom although at 6'4" with a cage plus helmet on, you could have a stiff neck  by the end of the day!

Spectators. Usually can get in free of charge, just dont encourage them to wander onto the track.

If you get the bug (which you probably will) think about investing in a trailer.

And dont be embarrassest when a garri - boy driving a 3 wheeler comes past you

Everybody has to start somewhere!! Just Enjoy !!!

[Nigel Fox]

It's likely your first laps will be in convoy behind an instructor. Be ready early, try and be first in the queue and you will see his lines, ten cars back  and you wont..

After the instructor pulls off, relax and let people pass you as you feel your way round.

get an instructor in your car at any opportunity.

Aim to make steady improvement throughout the day without taking unnecessary risks.

[andy99998]

On the point of aeroscreens, I would for sure, they are easy to take on and off once you get used to it, I got 7 chips in my windscreen at my last track day....it's an extreme and freak example and plenty of people have been just fine, but i would now rather take it out of the equation altogether, plus it feels so much quicker and exciting :-D

 

Helmets, I would get your own..you can wear it home with the aeroscreens then...but no need for overalls, although I wear driving shoes and gloves.

 

Hope that helps :-)

[Dave Rayner]

My only addition to the above is buy yourself the best helmet you can afford, after all how much do you value your head? Above all, enjoy the day  

[Drumster]

On a lighter note:

Shiny side up and keep it on the black stuff 

[Tony Whitley]

Note that bike helmets and car helmets are different, though how much that matters for track days I'm not sure.

[Shaun_E]

The club is currently putting together a new track-day section for the website and this is exactly the sort of information we hope to provide.

My advice would include:

1. Getting a helmet that fits properly is more important than spending a fortune. I would go for a motorsport helmet but they do tend to be more expensive than bike helmets (they attract VAT for a start). Some tracks mandate motorsport helmets in their T&Cs but I don't think they ever check. If you ever get the motorsport bug you'll need an MSA compliant helmet then.
2. MSA recommendation is for helmet to be minimum 50 mm below height of roll-bar but this isn't mandatory on track-days. For club events you will need an FIA/MSA/track-day rollbar.
3. Ensure oil and coolant levels are kept topped up and that wheel nuts are tightened correctly
4. Get instruction as early as you can, especially on a track you've not been to before
5. Come in before you get tired - especially important on the last session of the day when people start to get careless

[JNC]

I haven't seen any mention before on here but Haynes manuals do a Track Day manual by Mike Breslin not a bad read 

[p.mole1]

 

 

I did my first car track day this year,

Get a comfortable Helmet, don't bother with overalls just make sure you have warm clothes. I bought a

cheap pair of Karting shoes. Ensure your car is in good mechanical order, don't bother fiddling with suspension or tyres,you don't need an aero screen.

Start at the back then you don't have worry about being overtaken. I did my first Track day at Cadwell with a slow 1.4, crap tyres Avon ZT5 no grip! tired saggy dampers and had a great time. I have finally managed to post a photo!

[Jonathan Kay]

:-)

Jonathan

[aerobod - near CYYC]

I don't think it can be over emphasised about checking the wheel nut tightness frequently. If I have to do a tyre swap from the normal road tyres I use in the rain to slicks and vice-versa, the wheel nuts will lose about 20Nm of torque in a 20 minute session due to having to swap the wheels when the hubs are not fully cooled down. I always check the torque after each session out.

This summer a turbo Beetle owner lost a wheel in the paddock on return from a session, luckily no damage done as he was moving at less than walking pace when the front wheel just went "clunk" and sat in the wheel arch and he lost all drive. We found his 5 wheel bolts over a 500 metre trail, starting on the pit entry lane.

Two summers ago an S2000 owner wasn't as lucky when he lost a wheel at about 130kmh on a short straight, luckily no one injured, but substantial car damage when he had an off and came close to rolling the car when he hit the grass, the wheel nuts were distributed around the track when a debris inspection was done. The owner was also highly embarrassed about shutting down proceedings for 30 mins or so while his car was recovered and the track checked.

[james.c]

Thanks all for comments so far. I'm planning to head over to GPR Direct and try a few bits on. Will probably get a helmet and a race suit. The latter just so that my clothes don't absolutely stink after the day! I assume it might be ok in a tintop but would think it might be worth it in anything open!

I'm fairly clueless with cars but I do own a torque wrench so can manage checking the torque on the wheel nuts (I hope!). 

[Ian B]

I'm pretty sure there used to be a "Beginners Guide to Trackdays" in the 7FAQ Wiki on the old site.

Doesn't seem to have made it into the guides section on here though 

[JNC]

[ECR]

As silly as it sounds, make a note of how to exit the track when you first circulate. On my first trackday my first session was a bit stressful (it's normal to be nervous at first) and when I decided that I had had enough, I had to do 2 more laps before I could spot the exit coming up. the extra stress was not needed !

Unless you have found a good computer programme to teach you the geography of the track, you will be spending most of your time looking forward to see where the track goes next. Be aware that you MUST keep an eye on your mirrors ....

Have fun .....

[cr500dom]

Theres a whole load of us who do regular trackdays at Snetterton in Caterhams, you are always welcome to tag along.

1st day, and less than 100 miles on the ar ?

Id be checking the service and warranty requirements with bookatrack first.

Id be wanting at least an oil change before taking that on circuit.

In a 620 you wont need an aeroscreen for now, that`ll have more than enough power.

Garage is useful especially if its wet, means you can store all your gear too.

do your belts up tight, especially the lap belts and add some tywraps or elastic bands to stop the ends of the belts flapping in your face

Sit in the car, belts on, helmet on, engine off and just relax and clear your head for a couple of minutes (This is good before each session I find)

Get at the front of the queue for the sighting laps

Get some instruction early too

build up slowly, take lots of breaks and only do 10-15 minute sessions.

 

I always take it steady for a couple of laps too, just to get some heat into the tyres and let everything come up to temperature gradually before getting quicker.

Always do a cooldown lap as well before coming in, it is much kinder to the car, and allows you to wind down too. High gear, low load, fans and heater blower on etc and swift pace rather than pressing on.

Just relax, and most of all enjoy it !!!

 

[Bizzielizzie13]

James

 

Some good advice here, why not come to the next Lincolnshire meeting & talk to the others several of our members have very extensive experience!

David  

[mike150]

First ever trackday in a 620 

my advice is, let the tyres and fluids warm for at least a lap before pushing on and at the end of the session do the slowing lap very slowly to allow everything to cool before you stop in the garage at all the latent heat is not good for anything.

[Roger Ford]

do the slowing lap very slowly to allow everything to cool before you stop in the garage as all the latent heat is not good for anything.

I guess that explains why so many people don't seem to understand that the chequered flag on test sessions / trackdays means "slightly less than one lap left".

Why is "latent heat" worse than heat when you're driving? Things that are very hot aren't going to get hotter. I suppose there will be some transfer from very hot things to less hot things, but can you give me an example of when that might be harmful?

[Drumster]

For those of you that bother with the handbrake, don't!

After a session leave it gear when parked with the handbrake off otherwise you may find that the pads stick to the discs.