T-minus 5 days until my first track day! BRO!

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
05/07/2018 at 17:19 • Filed to: None

This upcoming Saturday I am driving in my first ever track day. I have spent a few years doing 10+ autocross events each season and slowly preparing my Miata to do full on track days. Now that I have the proper roll bar, properly mounted 6 point safety harness, a nice racing seat, and the right helmet, I am finally ready. While the organization I am running with only requires the helmet and roll bar, there is no possible way for me to fit in the car with a stock seat and still pass a broomstick test. Now there probably won’t be a guy with a broomstick checking people but that is a pretty necessary safety item since the roll bar is pretty damn pointless otherwise.

Anyways, I am planning to drive the Miata to work this week most days just to continue shaking the car down for any faults and to just be comfortable with driving it. Partly my reason for driving 600+ miles this weekend in a highly spirited manner was to get me in the zone for the track day. I am in the beginner group with an instructor all day and not even allowed to do any passing in the first two sessions so I am sure to be fine. It will certainly be a slow start to my track day hobby, but I am very excited to start somewhere.

The track day is taking place at Streets of Willow Springs in Rosamond, CA. It is about an hour from home which is nice and close for a Saturday morning bright and early. I am sure to get way more seat time than any autocross and since it was SpeedVentures who is running the event, it was only about $160 for the day, instruction included! I am imagining that will be short sessions and not too many of them since most track days are $300+ that I have seen, but it shall be fun nonetheless. In the mean time, I am also practicing Streets of Willow in Grand Turismo 6, although of course that is just for some ideas of what it looks like and for fun. I end up in the dirt a lot more in that game than I hope to in real life!!

DISCUSSION (13)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/07/2018 at 17:23

have fun :)

listen to the instructors

dont die :)

WRXforScience > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/07/2018 at 19:07

Bring fluids (oil especially), a chair, water, and sunscreen. Autocross is great at teaching car control so you’ll probably pick up the track stuff quickly. Autocross guys (I’m one) tend to turn in too early and are too aggressive with inputs (steering especially).

You have to look much farther to actually be looking ahead and you’ll probably be a little uncomfortably with the higher speed sections (took me two or three tack days to get comfortable using 4th gear).

Bring extra brake pads and at least one extra wheel and tire especially if you plan on driving to and from the track. Miata aren’t too hard on consumables but still having spares let’s you push harder for longer without worrying. Check oil, track time tends to burn some even if you don’t in the canyons or at autox.

MM54 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/07/2018 at 19:40

Consider me jealous, have fun!

Poor_Sh > WRXforScience
05/07/2018 at 20:54

It’s stuff like this that scares me away from even the novice track days. I just don’t have the basic skills it seems are necessary to prepare, nor do I have storage for extra wheels/tires/tools/fluids... is there like a “How to go to a novice track day” training?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Poor_Sh
05/07/2018 at 20:59

It really is not that complicated for a single track day. Just showing up with a working car and not hitting anything and you should be fine. Slow, but fine. Having spares and making preparations is just a precaution based on experience I imagine. I planned to bring oil, coolant, and a pair of old brake pads, and some tools. Since it’s my first event and I am in the novice class, I am not going to be driving very hard. Since its not far from home, I am not super concerned about anything. I am not being stranded very far from home and I have the rest of the weekend to solve a crisis. More importantly, I have two cars so I know I will get to work on Monday no matter what.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/07/2018 at 21:01

I consider my chance of dying every time I get on the highway in Los Angeles to be considerably greater. At least here there might be some semblance of order and safety. Plus I am wearing a helmet. I wish I could wear a helmet during my daily commute without looking like a nutjob.

Poor_Sh > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/07/2018 at 21:20

Haha even worse. Nearest track is 1.5+ hours away, and I only have the one car. I’ll figure it out eventually I hope.

WRXforScience > Poor_Sh
05/07/2018 at 23:13

Don’t Panic.

Your local clubs will help, there are dozens of guys who love to help people get started in the hobby near you right now.

Start with an autocross, or a HPDE event. You want new fluids (brake, transmission, oil (at least not close to a change), and diff), but really your first event as long as they’e been changed in the last year you should be okay, except for brake fluid.

You need to upgrade brake fluid and pads. This is a safety issue and is not negotiable. But brakes and a helmet are really the only non-negotiable track items, and most clubs have loaner helmets.

There is no better way to learn car control than autox. And you can do a number of autox events without any preparation beyond removing any loose items.

Wrong Wheel is an experienced autocrosser, so he knows about spending a day outside driving. You gotta take care of yourself, if you don’t eat and drink you’ll have issues. I live in Texas and it gets hot. The sun is brutal. California is similar, and summer is going to be hot everywhere.

Best thing to do is just to ask. There are forums for everything and any event you sign up for will have someone who is more than willing to help you out.

Find a local HPDE that has both in-car instruction and classroom (nearly all require new people to do both), sign up and they’ll email you to tell you to:

1. check to make sure nothing is broken, loose, or leaking

2. check that your fluids are new or in good shape and full and to bring some extra oil and possibly DI water for your radiator (oil is usually enough)

3. recommend track brake pads and highly recommend new high temp brake fluid

4. tell you to make sure your tires are less than half worn

5. bring water (or some places provide it) and don’t forget the sunscreen

6. full tank of gas (my BRZ gets about 6mpg at the track and over 30mpg on the highway).

7. tell you it’s a good idea to bring some basic tools and spares (at least one full size wheel with similar tires to what you are running, a change of brake pads, and everything you need to change a wheel and brake pads)

If you are driving to and from the event, being able to drive your car home is the goal. Drive within your limits, have fun, and try not to brake anything you can’t replace or fix at the track.

If you trailer your car you don’t have to worry too much, but you still don’t really want to brake stuff.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > WRXforScience
05/08/2018 at 10:39

That bit about drinking water is super important. It’s easy to forget in all the excitement and then end up peeing brown at the end of the day. Super bad for you and will tire you out quick. I usually down 3+ liters of water during a day out in the sun and still end up not well hydrated.

WRXforScience > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/08/2018 at 11:35

I have a gallon jug that I freeze the night before and drink the day of the event. I usually drink a couple of regular water bottles and/or some Gatorade as well. It is hard to drink too much during a hot trackday.

Here in Texas, I’ve had days when I drank the whole gallon and still didn’t have to pee. Our local autocrosses are very well run, so we’re done racing by 3:30pm (even with 150+ drivers). Most trackdays go until about 5pm, so a day at the track is even longer outside. I love being prepared enough to last through the final session while half the field packed up early to give me lots of open track.

Poor_Sh > WRXforScience
05/08/2018 at 19:11

Thanks for the write-up. I have done Auto-X a few times a year for 3 years so I can prep a bit, and know what to expect at an all day car event. But, it’s much closer to me and I have friends who can help if need be. Those friends don’t go to the track either. I feel like I can be capable of the stuff you mention, but it’s just going to take some time. Especially the confidence to do that to my daily.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > WRXforScience
05/08/2018 at 20:37

Yeah, can’t hurt to be overprepared. Good idea on the gatorade, its hard to absorb much water if you sweat everything out and dont replace any electrolytes. Thankfully its only supposed to get into the 80s so at least it won’t be too too hot. I am sure to be cooking with the top down all day but at least there is no course working like autocross so it will be a little better on that front.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Poor_Sh
05/08/2018 at 20:39

Not tracking my daily was my number one reason for buying another car. While I still daily both cars anyways, its just a peace of mind thing. There are certainly other benefits but the track day thing was my primary motivator. Plus in a real pinch, I am sure my STi would be fun on the track too. But that car is much more expensive on consumables and way too clean for dedicated track duty.