First Timer's Guide - Car Days

Your car will almost certainly undergo stresses far greater than those experienced on the road:

• Ensure your brakes are in top condition - plenty of material on the pads/shoes and reasonably fresh brake fluid (old fluid boils more easily).
• Check the condition of your tyres, and that they are inflated according to the manufacturer's recommendation.
• If your shock absorbers are past their best the effect will be exaggerated on the track and will prevent you and your car performing at their best.
• Check your engine oil level. If your car uses any oil, take some with you.
• Remove from the car EVERYTHING you don't need to take with you, and take a bag to put everything else in whilst you are out on the track. There is nothing more distracting than to have pens, magazines, drinks cans and so on flying around inside the car.
• It is prudent to have a hand-held fire extinguisher in the car - make sure it is fastened securely but can be reached easily and quickly. You may find that some organisers insist on an extinguisher being carried

Familiarise yourself with the circuit as much as you can. Watch video from race meetings (in-car footage is really useful); computer games (such as TOCA on the Playstation) are surprisingly useful; at the very least get hold of a map of the circuit and learn it.

The race track will probably be an unfamiliar environment to you. If you have already learned your way around (at least to the level where you know whether the next corner goes left or right) you will have one less thing to think about.

Get your car preparation out of the way well before the event if you can, and GET LOTS OF SLEEP before the day. Adrenaline is great while you are driving but one of the side-effects is that you feel tired as it wears off. If you have been up into the early hours preparing your car you will be even more tired.

You will definitely need a crash helmet approved for motorsport use. Wear something that is comfortable, covers your arms and legs and that won't impede your movement. If you intend to drive at track days regularly a set of fire-resistant overalls approved for motorsport use is recommended.

Wear a pair of thin-soled shoes - racing boots are ideal, but trainers with worn-down soles work well. The thicker the soles, the less feel and control you will have (ever tried driving in wellies?).

As a minimum you should take with you:

• Your road licence. Circuits controlled by Brands Hatch (e.g. Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Cadwell Park) insist on it and you DEFINITELY won't be allowed on the circuit if you haven't got it, even if you have a racing licence. Get into the habit of taking it to all track days - that way you won't get caught out.
• A roll of duct tape or electrical tape (insulation tape). You will need to tape your lights up when you get to the circuit, and duct tape is a great get-you-home aid if you do end up with some part of your car which needs errr ... help ... to stay attached.
• A tyre pressure gauge and a footpump.With most road cars this is about the only adjustment available to you.
• A basic toolkit - but only if you know what to do with it! There is normally no shortage of tools, nor skilled/enthusiastic operators.

Some circuits have fuel available on site, and others have petrol stations within a few minutes of the circuit. Generally there is plenty of time to leave the circuit to fill up between sessions.

DO NOT fill your car to the brim with fuel - fill to around three-quarters. Sustained cornering forces can cause fuel to come out of the filler pipe onto the track - expensve for you and slippery for the car behind!

Before being let loose on the track you will need to:

• Register
• Attend a briefing

It is possible your group will be on the track very soon after the briefing, so try to arrive in plenty of time so you can prepare your car beforehand. Again , it is one less thing for you to worry about, making it clearer for you to cencentrate on what you are about to do.

Before you venture out onto the circuit you should:

• Check your tyre pressures
• Check your oil level
• Tape up your lights
• Remove everything unnecessary from the car

Make sure you listen carefully during the briefing. If you don't understand something, ask. The briefing will cover topics such as flag signals and where/how to overtake - make sure you are familiar with the rules, it will save embarrassment later!

It is quite likely that this will be a gentle, no-overtaking session. This might seem a bit tame, but it is done for a reason - to help you adjust to the higher speeds of a racing circuit and to learn the circuit.

Use the session wisely. Try to find the right lines through the corners - if it feels smooth at lower speeds it will probably be the correct line at higher speeds. Sometimes the Organisers will place cones at the side of the circuit to indicate the correct turn-in and clipping points. Look for conservative braking points for each corner; give yourself plenty of room from the car in front so you can concentrate on the track, not avoiding contact.

You will have read and heard this everywhere but it is true: START SLOWLY, BUILD UP GENTLY.

• If it feels fast, you are probably going too fast
• If it feels out of control, SLOW DOWN - you probably are
• Many Organisers ban overtaking in braking areas. This is a Good Thing. It means that you can concentrate on the corner - glancing in the mirror just before you turn into a corner takes your concentration away from the job in hand.
• Once you have found the right turn-in point and the right apex (clipping point) for a corner, stick to it. If you start missing the clipping point you are going faster than the car wants to. That means you will have to back off exiting the corner, or you are going to pay a visit to the gravel trap.
• If you start missing the apex of a corner there is a strong temptation to turn in earlier. Don't do this - it will just make the problem worse. Refer to the point above and slow down.
• Sliding the car around is fun but not necessarily the fastest way around the circuit. If the driving wheels are spinning or sliding you cannot apply any more power and therefore you cannot accelerate. Your tyre wear will be higher, too.
• A good way of learning the limits of your car under braking is to keep your conservative braking point but brake harder each time until you feel you've reached the limit of you and your car. Once you've reached this limit you can gradually move the braking point towards the corner. This is safer than learning the limit by braking hard AND later - it it all goes wrong you will have more time and more track in which to sort the problem out.
• Don't be tempted to make radical alterations to your car in between sessions, otherwise a visit to the gravel trap is on the cards. If you make any alterations to the car, take it easy on your first couple of laps until you know what the car is going to do.
• Always take it easy for the first lap or so - it lets the engine, tyres, brakes and (most importantly) your brain reach operating temperature.
• Once you feel you are going as fast as you can, get some instruction. No matter how good you think you are, you will always benefit.
• Don't be afraid to pull in before the end of the session. If you think the brakes, suspension or tyres are overheating it's probably a good idea to stop and let everything cool down.
• Circuit driving is physically and mentally tiring. Brain fade is a more common cause of track day accidents than brake fade, so if you feel tired don't worry about skipping a session and taking a rest - it's not an admission of defeat.
• Always remember that you are on a track day, not at a race meeting. It is non-competitive. If you are getting the urge to go faster it's probably time to speak to the Motor Sports Association (and the Bank Manager) about going racing.