Beginners Guide to Trackdays

[archenemy.co.uk]

Currently on semi slick yoko tyres - should I take a spare set of road tyres on rims?

I'm of the mind that says you should walk before you run, driving on a track is way different to a road, why not learn what the car can do on road tyres before putting the slicks on. Most people there will have road tyres. You'd be best to learn how to drive on road tyres then the slicks IMO, its harder to drive fast on the road tyres as they don't have so much grip, they make things like straight line braking, slow in fast out, weight transfer and good lines more important and therefore you'll learn faster. Leave the slicks at home for a few times out. Also if you come off you'll be going slower

PMSL

Nice one guys...

What do you do with all the stuff you have to take with you? - surely you dont leave it in the car?

I obviously dont want it going missing... lol

Take EVERYTHING out of the car

nothing ever goes missing

[Mr OCD]

I'm of the mind that says you should walk before you run, driving on a track is way different to a road, why not learn what the car can do on road tyres before putting the slicks on. Most people there will have road tyres. You'd be best to learn how to drive on road tyres then the slicks IMO, its harder to drive fast on the road tyres as they don't have so much grip, they make things like straight line braking, slow in fast out, weight transfer and good lines more important and therefore you'll learn faster. Leave the slicks at home for a few times out. Also if you come off you'll be going slower



Take EVERYTHING out of the car

nothing ever goes missing

To be fair this isnt the first time I have been on track... I have done a few driving experience days but this is the first time in my own car. I know there is no comparison between the two but even so I consider myself a pretty good fast road driver. At least thats what people tell me... I use the semi slicks on the road anyway so technically they are my road tyres

But I do have a set of Z32 wheels with Falken FK451's on them to use if needed...

I will take everything I can think of then and take it out of the car

[Math]

just wondering, how many of the SX guys have baffled sumps? is it worth it idf you only do 5 or so a year? or is it worthing just making sure the oil is topped up and even a little over the maximum?

[ryannico]

Nice thread...informative...I always fascinate car racing but never have the chance to try. This is maybe because i needed a braking system and exhaust system upgrade. I badly needed nissan brake shoe and drum, the linings begin to deteriorate after many miles of vigorous use.

[JP]

never put the handbrake on after coming in from a track session.

Quick question: does this apply for cars that have had upgraded rear brakes installed that use the drum brakes for the handbrake as opposed to the standard 200SX brake setups that use the disc for both rear brakes & handbrake?
e.g. R33 GTST or R34GTR rear brake assemblies.

Also, I've made up a bit of a "to-do" list of things from reading this thread that can apply to most people which you can feel free to edit accordingly:

****List of Equipment for a Trackday****

The weekend before:

1) Change wheels/tyres if necessary
2) New brake fluid (Dot 5.1)
3) Race pads (Ferrodo DS2500's)
4) Bed new pads in as instructed on the box
5) Buy spare gerry-cans (for full day: 2 at least for running petrol, 3 for E85)
6) Prepare trailer & test the car can be hoisted onto it. Test drive.
7) Buy helmet & gloves & thin-soled race-shoes (not runners/shoes)
8) Buy high-carb energy foods for the day
9) Line somebody up to go with you that can drive your car home if necessary
10) Buy a camera & mount if you want to record things
11) Buy a harness (if necessary)
12) Find license


Before you leave the house in the morning or the night before:

1) Run less boost (adjust actuator/boost-controller accordingly)
2) Fill up the gerry-cans & put INTO car!
3) Put helmet & clothes you'll use on-track INTO car! (Long sleeved T-shirt)
4) Bring 2L bottle of water minimum
5) Set up camera & mount
6) Set up harness
7) Put license into the car
8) Remove bumper/arch-liners if it's a hot day
9) Bring money/paperwork necessary for entry to & use during the day
10) Top up oil to max & put any spare into the car
11) Check coolant levels (from cold obviously! )


On your way there:

1) Check tyre pressures & add a few PSI than normal for even tyre-wear
2) Fill up the tank to it's max


Just before heading on-track:

1) Make sure the car is warmed up
2) Fasten harness
3) Rid your car of excess weight
4) Switch on the camera!!!


Before heading home:

1) Change pads back to road pads
2) Change wheels back to road wheels/tyres


On your way home:

1) Check tyre pressures, adjust for the road accordingly
2) Refuel at nearest opportunity

[Richy_Boy]

You don't do things by half there jp

If you're running DS2500's then it's not necessary to change back to road pads as they ARE road pads I've driven home on DS3000's without any problems (bar the squealing) and run DS2500's all the time front and back.

You change the brake fluid for every track day?

You really remove you archliners and bumper in hot weather? I doubt that makes any difference as the bumper tunnels the air into the IC/Rad anyway and the holes in the bottom corners of the (standard) bumper channel air towards the brakes.

Anyway, each to their own I guess

For the drum handbrake question, I'd still try not to as the whole hub/drum will be fooking hot. As they're std. handbrake pads they might not get on so well being swuashed into hot metal?

My tip for doing track days:

1) Make sure your car is safe, check tyres and brakes have enough on them to last AND get you home (if not bring spares).

2) Run what boost you want, but the higher the boost the more chance of your engine going pop. Generally 0.8bar > 1bar is safe on a stage 1/2 car with a FMIC. 0.8bar without one is safer.

3) Fill your car with fuel, there's usually a petrol station selling SUL around the corner of the track (and you'll want to give you are a breather anyway)

4) Have fun.

Never been one for rules..

Rich

[JUZ]

1. Get up
2. Go to track
3. Enjoy
4. Go home



Just me then.....

[Vova]

How about checking oil, coolant, clutch fluid .

[PIG]

I can never understand all this adding a few more psi to the tyres?? with the race cars I help with we only do this if it rains because the tyres dont get to the right temp so the tyre pressure doesnt go up enough and if its a dry day we let some out so that when the pressure increases the tyre still has full contact with the track.
The more pressure you put in the less contact you will have on the track once the tyres are warm.
I run my mx5 at 26psi on track on a hot day and when I come in they are 32psi sometimes higher, on the road I run at 29psi so if I left it at that for the track I would be running at around 35psi maybe more!

[SM]

You add the pressure IF your wearing the shoulders of the tyre, this isnt as bad on stiffer or lighter cars, but on cars that roll it is.

[Vova]

It depends though, tire pressure is related to the load on the tire, i.e. car & drivers combined weight. Best way to find right tire pressure is using a heat probe (no IR thing, a real probe) and doing runs, trial and error procedure.

It's better though to (marginally) overinflate then underinflate because the air keeps the sidewall stiff but as before, only by 3/4 PSI.

[JP]

You don't do things by half there jp

Lol! Nope! Sure look at the spec of my car! Oh yeah, I designed the guide for if you use your car as a daily too as I do.

You change the brake fluid for every track day?

I based that on Jez's post about not going on-track with old brake fluid:

Don't go out with old brake fluid - I've seen at least 1 car in the armco cos the fluid boiled and the driver ended up with no brakes at all - much worse than fade.

Does this still apply if you're using Dot 5.1 I wonder & how regular are you supposed to do brake-fluid changes anyway?

You really remove you archliners and bumper in hot weather? I doubt that makes any difference as the bumper tunnels the air into the IC/Rad anyway and the holes in the bottom corners of the (standard) bumper channel air towards the brakes.

Fair enough I suppose! Oh, don't forget if you use it as a daily doing this may save you going home with your bumper hanging off if you have an accident on-track!

[GRFsx]

I am thinking of doing my 1st track day soon and will use JP's guide as a checklist.

[JP]

Would you believe I've applied this:

9) Line somebody up to go with you that can drive your car home if necessary

successfully at least once since I made that list in 2007 but more importantly I should really add in something about "make sure you've got a way home for your car if for some reason it won't make it onto a trailer under its own power"?!

[BLAKTOOTH]

Just thought I'd add my 2p.

Did an open pit day at Snetterton on the 23rd September with club MSV. I took my S14 and my mate was in his R35 GTR (modified gtr that is ).

Was an absolutely amazing day, the sun shone all day and the track was perfectly smooth and grippy.

With this being the first track day I have ever done and the first time my car's really been tested I took it a little easy. Having said that I learnt loads and was trying to push myself just not beyond my limits.

The car was great, once I'd learnt to heel toe (I'm by no means a master at this by the way) the car felt a lot smoother coming into the corners and with the T1R's up front and the K110 Hankooks out back it gripped considerably well.

Once I'd got used to the track layout and was more confident with my brakes (performance friction make the best brakes ever) I was picking up pace and doing ok. I've realised that smothness is key and although I was breaking a little early and my entry speed was a little slow I positioned the car well, carried good speed through the corner and managed to get good drive coming out. A very experienced driver in a 350Z was quite sideways trying to stay with me and we had a good chat afterwards as he was a friend of a friend.

So while I was impressed with myself and the 200 and a few people had also patted me on the back my friend James in his GTR was just amazing. The car is a missile (should be with 675bhp) and James is an excellent driver. There wasn't much on track that could get close to him apart from the lairy track focused Porsche thing. He took loads of people out in it and everyone was thoroughly amazed.

Next thing I'm going to do is fit stiffer springs and fit some sort of flat tray/splitter to my rather flimsy frp bumper. I'll put up some pics when I've sorted them out.

[pointz]

Never seen this thread before and glad i did, some great advice here cheers!

[pointz]

Just finished reading the whole thread and have a question as the subject/s have been mentioned numerous times.

1 Increase tyre pressures! By how much?
2 Decrease boost! Currently running 1.2bar full stg3 ca18det s13 so what should i lower it to?

[Drifter]

I'd never increase tyre pressures??? They go up once the tyres are hot so I drop them to around 26psi

[CMR]

I always do a few laps with the pressures as they are at (obviously check them before to make sure they are OK) then come back in and adjust appropriately as like Drifter said they are always higher and require dropping down a few psi.

Just don't forget to put some air back in before you go home though.

[Kieran O'Quick]

^^ Yep.

10 laps on a summer's day can send your tyre pressure up (depending on your driving style) a hell of lot. It's one of the few adjustables you have on a track day so it's worth following the advice above.