monkeymaker

The purpose of this thread is to provide useful info for those about to drive on a racetrack for the first time. I wrote it with the S2000 in mind, but many of the tips apply to any car/driver. If anyone who reads this thread learns something then I guess the thread's purpose will be fulfilled. (Note: I first posted this at s2kca.com. I've edited it a little and updated it with some of the other good ideas that were posted afterwards.) I hope this helps!

When I went to my very first racetrack event, I knew very little. In fact, I didn't even know how little I knew! During the dozens of track days since then I picked up a few things and would like to pass them along so the first-timers that read this might be a little more prepared than I was. For those of you who know a lot about tracking your car, please feel free to add some things to the list (tips are not listed in any particular order)... Oh, and if you have a different opinion on any of this, please speak up so we can get a discussion going.

1. If you are really hard on your brakes, you might want to bring an extra set just in case your stock pads don’t last. Consider upgrading to brake pads designed for racing or autocross. Hybrid street/race pads are great when you're first learning.

2. Flush your brake fluid and replace it with ATE SuperBlue or Motul 600. The stock fluid can boil (fluid fade), causing your brake pedal to get mushy and compromising your car’s ability to slow down properly.

3. Read "Going Faster" or "Speed Secrets" to familiarize yourself with racetrack driving and the physics of what you'll be feeling out there. It's way, WAY different than driving hard on even the twistiest road. If you think your highway & byway skills will automatically translate to the track you're sadly mistaken.

4. Get familiar with how to bleed your brakes. If your fluid boils you might have to bleed them at the track.

5. Remember to be real easy on your brakes during the cool-down lap so your brakes can well, cool down. In fact, try to avoid using them at all for a full lap, and then drive around the paddock awhile before parking. Failure to cool them down sufficiently can cause your fluid to boil and/or crack your brake rotors.

6. Speaking of rotors, do NOT put your parking brake on right after you come in from a track session. Doing so when your brakes are hot (yes even if you've cooled them down on the cool-down lap) can result in warped rotors.

7. Make sure you check your tire pressure after each session, especially the first one. Be sure to let a little air out as the day goes on. The tires get really hot out there and with the heat come increased air pressure. With higher pressures come decreased traction and the possibility of a tire failure.

8. Learn the racing line at each track you run. (For those of you on the left coast, you can view turn-by-turn descriptions of Thunderhill, Laguna Seca, Buttonwillow, and Sears Point at this Porsche Club website: http://www.pca-ggr.org/ttvenues.html#thunderhill)

9. Please understand that you are not going to be actually "racing" out there. If that's what you're expecting, you'll be disappointed. Take it slow and easy, building speed throughout the day as you become more comfortable.

10. Slow the hell down! There are a number of cliches out there, and none are more true than "slow down to go faster." It's all about smoothness: Be gentle with the steering input (don’t jerk the wheel,) and remember to go easy on and off the pedals.

11. Tracking your car involves risk to your car and your person, so check with your insurance company about coverage in a "non-competitive driver education event." Don't be surprised if they say tough luck. Nevertheless be assured that if you drive well within your limits there's little chance that you'll need to worry about insurance.

12. Get your tech inspection done by a reputable race garage or knowledgeable mechanic-buddy. Have the inspection done at least a few days before the event, just in case something is wrong and needs to be fixed.

13. Ask the event organizers for in-car instruction before the event. This is very important no matter how well you carve up twisty roads. Racetracks are a totally different animal, and are WAY MORE FUN TOO!!!!!

If you’d like to put any of this to the test, check out www.LeadfootAdventures.com

See ya at the track!

Jason

Good info.

A.D.Malmquist

Too funny...I check in on 3 car forums and you have posted the same message on each today. I am sure the owners of all the sites appreciate your spam.

monkeymaker

So now it's spam to give out track tips to lots of driving enthusiasts? Not according to the people who are getting some value out of the tips on many of the forums I posted at.

Well, I guess you can't please everyone.

For those of you who aren't offended by my post, I hope you get something out of it.

rudyarias

The problem is that there are a lot of arm chair drivers on these forums. You left out one very important point. Keep it simple, when you get to the point of out driving your car. Then its time to consider modifications :-)

monkeymaker

True, a time will come for all of us when our skills develop to the point where we need more car. For those with as much car as many Vettes offer, that point might take a little while to reach. I did things backwards and it probably took me longer to get good because of it. Even though my track is nowhere near the match of a good Vette, I started modding it pretty early on. If I could go back in time I'd have been more conservative and spent more money on improving my skills than on improving my car.

ajderzie

Great post. Thanks! I didn't realize the issue with the parking brake. Hey, what's the point of having a forum if you can't write anything about the topic?

A.D.Malmquist

My deepest apologies...afterall you certainly aren't trying to promote your website under the guise of track tips.

Sure, some of the tips are good but at least be honest about your intentions.

Best of luck producing a profitable track day.

monkeymaker

Do you have anything positive to add to this thread or are you just going to continue to insult me?

A.D.Malmquist

Wow, you certainly are a delicate one...there were no insults.

Like I said, good luck getting enough people to come to your events.

toolman44092

I have to say I agree. You just joined the forum, and a search of your posts reveals each of them is a promotion for your business.

monkeymaker

Look guys, I'm not here to argue with or offend anyone. If you don't want to come to my track days that's fine but please don't drag this thread through the mud. The fact is that my posts may never yield a single participant at a Leadfoot track day. The info I've given here will hopefully endure however. What's the harm in that?

Can we please return to the topic at hand now?

Scooter70

There's a great sticky post at the top of this page with 6 pages of track tips. Does your thread present any new information not included within it? If so, why not just add your post to the end of that thread?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=673766

-Matt (Not trying to be combative... just trying to help a new guy to the Corvette Forum. )

Olitho

I appreciate the tips. I thought these are good tips. I constantly see the same questions come up on the two Corvette forums I frequent.

I also appreciate anyone who organizes a track day. They incur a certain amount of risk and quite frankly more risk and hassle than it is worth in my opinion. I would not do it so I appreciate this gentleman.

I just wish there were even MORE track days... so have at it and hoping for your further prosperity.


Fastest regards,

Olitho

freefall

First thing I thought when I saw this post - didn't he read the sticky that already contains the info and more? Then saw the url at the bottom...

rikhek

Not true with a vette.....Our parking brakes are a drum brake inside the rear rotor. No problem or issues using the parking brake after coming off the track.

Rick

Lancer033

why don't we all just chill out for a min. and give the guy a brake

monkeymaker
While I'm sure that you're intentions were good, that's not now people are seeing it

the reason people are giving you a hard time is #1 you're not a supporting vendor. All of the other companies pay money that is used to keep the forum running and in return they get to advertise, and #2 you've participated in 5 threads all of which you started about a product you are selling. A better approach would be to contact the admins and become a supporting vendor, then take some time to hang out and get to know people.

monkeymaker

I feel really bad about having caused such a stir here. People don't log on to get all fired up, they just want to have fun and share information. I didn't read the sticky, but now that it's been brought to my attention I'm happy to abandon this thread and post my information in the existing one. Please accept my apologies for having upset some folks who I'm sure are just trying to enjoy themselves on the forums.

I'll contact the webmaster about becoming a supporting sponsor. Hopefully we can work something out because I have almost no profit built into my events and thus don't have the resources to kick down any serious monetary support. We do this because it's fun and because I love to teach, not because I have any delusions of being able to quit my day job. At this point I'm going to drop the subject and just try to move on and make some friends around here.

Best,
- Perry

FasterIsBetter

IMHO, I have no problem with monkeymaker or anyone else "advertising" track events in this forum. Lots of us post announcements about upcoming club or similar events. I just wish he was organizing them on the East Coast rather than in CA. There are tons of sponsors of track events out there, from SCCA to SCDA to PDA to CART to NASA to Corvette and other marque-related clubs, and so on. For me, the more the merrier. More track events, hopefully, means that prices will not keep escalating as fast as they have, as tracks are getting more usage, and competition of participants will keep prices reasonable. As long as the proliferation of track events does not bring out hoards of inexperienced drivers who are just thown out on the track without proper instruction, more events, for me, is a good thing.

So, supporting sponsor or not, I see no problem letting those of us who love to get out on the track know about the availability of additional track events.

My $.02.

L98Terror