General maintenance Newbie to track day what to think about

In the UK there are three types of track days Novice, General Track Day and Specific car type. There are other types of events but they are outside of the scope of this document.

This article is about the first two.

General comments

1. Normal Car insurance does not cover you on the track (you need to purchase track day insurance but it is not compulsory)
2. Many breakdown services wont pick you up from a track if you have been racing
3. On the track if you hit or are hit buy another car you can't claim on there insurance, you can only insure your damage if you have a policy
4. If you have an accident a lot of tracks require you to come in and see the ambulance team to give you the once over
5. Drive within your capabilities, start slow and build up speed
6. Be aware you concentrate very hard when out on track so make sure for you and your car you come in, to start with 20 minutes should be more than enough time out on track before coming in for a break.
7. Most tracks have noise limits if your car is noisier than the limit you wont be allowed out on the track and there is no refund. You do get the chance to try and fix it (and they are very helpful) but if you cant keep the noise down you have to go home.
8. On MSVT Tracks if you don't follow the rules you may (and it has to be bad) be sent home and in extreme cases banned from all there tracks
9. You are required to do a sighting lap, the lead car will show you the best way around the track and you get a chance to see the whole track before it goes live.
10. There are runoffs on most tracks but be aware these are for worst case instances and you should not drive on the grass or shingle banks except in an emergancy

Novice track days

These are a good way to get out on track with other learner drivers (on the track) and normally you will get 20 minutes on the track and then 40 minute break.
You will need a crash helmet and appropriate clothing (no shorts or skirts)

Safety Briefing
On the day and also on line you will get a briefing on the track and how the day will go please pay attention to this as it will help you understand what is going on if you are new to it all.


General Track days.

On all the tracks I have been on they operate and open pit lane, in essence this means cars can go out on track whenever they want the only exception's to this is when the max number of cars has been reached you then have to wait for somebody to come in before you can go out.


Basic Track Day setup rules.

Tires and Wheels

1. It is important to warm you tires up before pushing the car
2. Set you tire pressure before you go out for the first time and then after they have got warmed up reset them as you can easily get 3 - 5 psi extra and as a result the car handling can change
3. If you do regular track days you should transfer tires from front to back but also to opposite side so front left will go to rear right
4. Do not over tighten your wheel nuts as this can cause nasty things to happen. Ideal setting is 120Nm

Brakes

1. Along with tires these keep you safe so its important you check you pads before starting to ensure you have good amount of pad left for the day
2. When you come into the pits from the track do not apply your hand brake, use your gearbox to lock the car in place or use something under the tires to stop you moving. This is because if you have very hot pads and discs it is possible when they cool down (together) they get stuck on.
3. You should take you last lap round the track slower than the rest to allow the brakes and pads and the car in general to gently start cooling down.

Fuel Consumption

1. You are going to consume more petrol than on the road, keep an eye on the petrol gauge as you can find yourself short of fuel at the wrong time.
2. Fuel is normally available at the circuit but is more expensive and has limited openings, check out local garage to top up at lunch time or see if its worth taking more yourself
3. I am aware of one operator who will tow you in (if you run out of petrol) but makes you give a donation to the local air ambulance to remind you to keep an eye on the tank - Its only one but its in your own interest to keep an eye on how much you have.

Fluids

Before going out on track ensure all your fluids are at the correct level.

1. being on the track creates heat so its important cooling fluid is full.
2. Braking hard needs full brake fluid
3. Engines get very hot so its important you have the correct amount of engine oil on board

Do you need to bring any hardware with you

1. Make sure you bring your jack and brace and have a spare wheel just in case
2. Tire temp gauge and pump to lower and increase PSI as required

Flags / Lights on the track

The circuit is controlled with different flags/Light boards to control you and other users when there may be a problem or danger on the track (in front or behind you).

1. Green flag - This means it all clean now and you can resume you track day
2. Blue flag - if you see this it means there is a faster car coming up behind you please let it pass
3. Yellow flag - Slow down, don't overtake and be aware there is something up ahead of you
4. Red flag - Slow down and come back into the pit lane, be aware you may have breakdown / ambulance traffic going the wrong way round the track (to get to the accident quickly)
5. Yellow and Red flag - be aware track grip is compromised, this can be for obvious things like rain or leaves but also for things like spilt oil / coolant that has been treated but still affecting the track
6. Chequered flag - its lunch time or track is closing come back in
7. Black flag - come back in because there is something wrong with your car and or your driving is causing issues.

How to behave on the track

1. Overtaking on most tracks is on the left hand side only (there are some where its right hand side but your briefing will advise you accordingly)
2. Overtaking is normally on the straight or wide bends with consent but not in braking zone or tight corners / chicane
3. If you see a blue flag pull over to right hand side and let the faster car pass you
4. Do not overtake cars in front of you if there is a Yellow or Red flag shown
5. Remember we have all paid the same amount of money so there are no SPECIAL people but be kind and pull over to let faster cars overtake and if you are letting somebody overtake or in a cool down lap then indicate so its clear to cars behind you that you are going slow.
6. If you spin off the track and its safe to join again slow down and return to pits to allow the adrenaline to leave you (otherwise you may end up making rash calls)
7. If you hit a wall or another vehicle but car is still working, come back in and report to track team.
8. Don't presume a car that was going slow last time is going to be slow this time as many cars have multiple drivers
9. Track conditions can change with the weather so again do not presume the track will support fast speed like it did before (like at lunch time) if there have been a accident or weather changes.