Good thread - I'll try to add to it, especially since I am looking at doing another DE next month so I need to refresh myself too. Some of this will re-iterate what was already said, but some if it cannot be stressed enough so if I repeat what others have posted then make it a sticky note in your mind. It is in no particular order, and I'll try not to touch to much on driving techniques as everyone develops their own. And if anyone wants to correct, add, or otherwise, feel free... This will have to be done in two parts as I am very wordy at the moment, some of it may be geared more for beginners, but I remember when I first started so here goes.
For safety issues - make sure everything on your car is without a doubt fixed, maintained, or whatever in a proper way. If there is any doubt, do something to make it better. A track is not the place to have something go wrong due to negligent repair procedures. Think about this. If you are running high speeds on a track, do you want to worry about whether or not that bailing wire is going to hold? Was that nut torqued to the proper spec? Is that mickey mouse electrical fix going to cause a fire? The last thing you want is something to go wrong that you could have prevented. And not only do I not want something on my car to go wrong that cold have been prevented with more diligence, but no one else does either if you cause a preventable incident. Nor would I want someone else's negligent repair to put a damper in my day.
I typically run with the P-car club for driving events or schools. They have it set up with some of the local outfits that will many times offer a very discounted rate on an inspection of the car. If there is any doubt in your mind, take it there and get a second glance. Preventing a catastrophe is worth the price of having someone else look it over if you don't feel confident, and sometimes worth the second check anyway just in case you missed something.
I almost lost an opportunity for a track day because I got in a hurry. Someone called wondering when I was going to be home from the garage because said person was hungry and wanted dinner. Okay - just a couple more things left, bolts the wheels on, and I'm done. Well, I left the wheel lock key on one of the lug nuts after I torqued the wheels. Not good. Not only did I lose the lock key, I had to go to the dealer and was lucky enough they let me borrow the master set. I had to switch over my lug nuts so I could get the wheels off if I needed. Moral of the story - never get in a hurry when it comes to prepping a car for a track day. It could have been worse if I forgot to do something else.
Prepping a car does not just mean checking to see if it has oil, etc. Go over every critical nut and bolt on the car - suspension, wheel bolts/lugs, all the stuff listed by the others. Anything and everything critical. Some people may say this is overkill. I say it is better than being killed.
Give yourself plenty of time before the event to prep the car. I maintain my cars fairly religiously, and give myself a minimum of two weeks before the event to go over all the critical items. If you find a tie rod boot torn, you have time to order it and replace it. All the final things are once-overed again the weekend before, and then I have a few days o get all the things around that I need to take. Where is my helmet? Are all my tools in the pit box? Then you have a day or so to relax mentally and physically. You'll appreciate it when the event arrives.
Listen to your car. It will tell you amazing things. Are you getting a shudder in the front end under braking? If so, better go look. Many times I would have something tell me before it became worse, thereby allowing me to prevent a possible disaster or repairs that could have been a lot lighter on the wallet if caught early enough. So when something starts acting funny, it may be telling you that it needs attention.
Torque the lug bolts/studs. Torque them after each run, or before the next run. I have had many occasions that although the bolt/stud was torqued to proper specs, there always is one that can and will back off. Now one thing I could ask of others with more experience - if this does happen continually, should the torque be increased to a reasonable amount more to help prevent this?
Also - check the tires pressures after each run. Where I run, we can easily pick up seven pounds or more of air pressure because of the heat as the day advances. A good indication of a tire problem is one that suddenly drops in pressure. Not likely to happen, but you never know. Most tracks are clean from debris for the most part, but that doesn't mean always.
Brake pads - always carry an extra set. I went through a set of pads in two days - down to metal halfway through the second day. I had at least half pad when I started that day but as you get faster and begin using your brakes more effectively, you will find out how long they really don't last. Some cars will go through pads relatively quickly, some will not - And the heavier the car, the more pad you will use each time out. Did your brake light come on and you found you needed to add fluid? Good sign the pads are getting a little on the thin side.
Now being that I go out with the P-car club, there are generally a bunch of instructors that drive P-cars. To be truthful - often the instructors will damn near drive anything with wheels and they are all competent, otherwise they wouldn't be an instructor. A couple things I have found though. RWD cars have their line, AWD cars have their line, FWD cars have their line, and P-cars have their own line. If you can, try and find an instructor who drives a car as similar to your car as you can. It doesn't have to be identical down to the exact suspension setup, but usually same make helps because "in general" many cars of the same make will have the same characteristics.
Remember Captain Morgan! This means, when you are going to be passed by a car, point them by 'AND' LIFT YOUR RIGHT FOOT! That person that is passing you may not be able to out power you down the straight, but be realistic - if that person is going to pass you, they are faster, so do everyone a favor and let them go by which many times will mean lifting off the throttle if you have a high HP/torque car so they can.
For safety issues - make sure everything on your car is without a doubt fixed, maintained, or whatever in a proper way. If there is any doubt, do something to make it better. A track is not the place to have something go wrong due to negligent repair procedures. Think about this. If you are running high speeds on a track, do you want to worry about whether or not that bailing wire is going to hold? Was that nut torqued to the proper spec? Is that mickey mouse electrical fix going to cause a fire? The last thing you want is something to go wrong that you could have prevented. And not only do I not want something on my car to go wrong that cold have been prevented with more diligence, but no one else does either if you cause a preventable incident. Nor would I want someone else's negligent repair to put a damper in my day.
I typically run with the P-car club for driving events or schools. They have it set up with some of the local outfits that will many times offer a very discounted rate on an inspection of the car. If there is any doubt in your mind, take it there and get a second glance. Preventing a catastrophe is worth the price of having someone else look it over if you don't feel confident, and sometimes worth the second check anyway just in case you missed something.
I almost lost an opportunity for a track day because I got in a hurry. Someone called wondering when I was going to be home from the garage because said person was hungry and wanted dinner. Okay - just a couple more things left, bolts the wheels on, and I'm done. Well, I left the wheel lock key on one of the lug nuts after I torqued the wheels. Not good. Not only did I lose the lock key, I had to go to the dealer and was lucky enough they let me borrow the master set. I had to switch over my lug nuts so I could get the wheels off if I needed. Moral of the story - never get in a hurry when it comes to prepping a car for a track day. It could have been worse if I forgot to do something else.
Prepping a car does not just mean checking to see if it has oil, etc. Go over every critical nut and bolt on the car - suspension, wheel bolts/lugs, all the stuff listed by the others. Anything and everything critical. Some people may say this is overkill. I say it is better than being killed.
Give yourself plenty of time before the event to prep the car. I maintain my cars fairly religiously, and give myself a minimum of two weeks before the event to go over all the critical items. If you find a tie rod boot torn, you have time to order it and replace it. All the final things are once-overed again the weekend before, and then I have a few days o get all the things around that I need to take. Where is my helmet? Are all my tools in the pit box? Then you have a day or so to relax mentally and physically. You'll appreciate it when the event arrives.
Listen to your car. It will tell you amazing things. Are you getting a shudder in the front end under braking? If so, better go look. Many times I would have something tell me before it became worse, thereby allowing me to prevent a possible disaster or repairs that could have been a lot lighter on the wallet if caught early enough. So when something starts acting funny, it may be telling you that it needs attention.
Torque the lug bolts/studs. Torque them after each run, or before the next run. I have had many occasions that although the bolt/stud was torqued to proper specs, there always is one that can and will back off. Now one thing I could ask of others with more experience - if this does happen continually, should the torque be increased to a reasonable amount more to help prevent this?
Also - check the tires pressures after each run. Where I run, we can easily pick up seven pounds or more of air pressure because of the heat as the day advances. A good indication of a tire problem is one that suddenly drops in pressure. Not likely to happen, but you never know. Most tracks are clean from debris for the most part, but that doesn't mean always.
Brake pads - always carry an extra set. I went through a set of pads in two days - down to metal halfway through the second day. I had at least half pad when I started that day but as you get faster and begin using your brakes more effectively, you will find out how long they really don't last. Some cars will go through pads relatively quickly, some will not - And the heavier the car, the more pad you will use each time out. Did your brake light come on and you found you needed to add fluid? Good sign the pads are getting a little on the thin side.
Now being that I go out with the P-car club, there are generally a bunch of instructors that drive P-cars. To be truthful - often the instructors will damn near drive anything with wheels and they are all competent, otherwise they wouldn't be an instructor. A couple things I have found though. RWD cars have their line, AWD cars have their line, FWD cars have their line, and P-cars have their own line. If you can, try and find an instructor who drives a car as similar to your car as you can. It doesn't have to be identical down to the exact suspension setup, but usually same make helps because "in general" many cars of the same make will have the same characteristics.
Remember Captain Morgan! This means, when you are going to be passed by a car, point them by 'AND' LIFT YOUR RIGHT FOOT! That person that is passing you may not be able to out power you down the straight, but be realistic - if that person is going to pass you, they are faster, so do everyone a favor and let them go by which many times will mean lifting off the throttle if you have a high HP/torque car so they can.
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