A guide to taking your car to a track day

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Boris
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A guide to taking your car to a track day

Post by Boris »

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A guide to taking your car to a track day

About the guide
This guide is mean to help beginners that are interested in getting into using their car to the full advantage, by having lots of fun at track days, drag nights, or even motorkhanas.

It is also hopefully meant to remove some of the common myths about taking your car to the race track. Please be aware that these are all my opinions and this is based on what I have experienced. Please help me add more valuable content into some of these sections.

This guide is split into a number of categories for easy reading.
This is no where complete and need more work, it is something that i typed up while i was at work. Please post feed back and i will add it into the guide.


Requirements
For all these events your car has to be in a working condition, this is the basic requirement:

•Car has had a fairly recent oil change before the event
•The brake pads & rotors are fairly new and are no less then 30% worn
•You have replaced your brake fluid recently, preferable to a racing specked fluid
•Your tyres are no less then ~ 30% worn, although can be lower if you have spares
•You should not have thoughts that your car will fall apart on the day 
•You car does not overheat, and you have a recently changed your radiator fluid.
•Long sleeve clothing, and a helmet (can be borrowed on the day in some places)


Introduction
Basically going to the racing track is the ultimate experience out of all, and by far is the hardest to prepare for to be the quickest anyway. However don’t assume that you have to have everything to be the best, I have found that many people tend to think “oh, I have a stock car, therefore I can’t go, or my car isn’t ready.. “ which is completely untrue!

The first thing to understand about all of this is that anyone can do it, even your grandma, providing she has the little bit of money that it costs the day to do it, and the car meets the minimum requirements stated in an earlier sections! That is all!


Tyres & Tyre Pressure
As stated in the assumptions it is advised to have tyres that are over 30% worn. Tyres one of the most important things in taking your car to the track, and can be so much more value for money compared to a mod such extractors or a strut brace.

From my experiences I have found that during a full day of running around a track you will wear & tear will be mostly something like this:

Semi-slick tyres:
< 20% to 25%, depending on: conditions/abuse/drive train

Normal road use tyres:
25% to 30%+, depending on: conditions/abuse/drive train


You will find that there will be a massive difference between semi-slick tyres and regular tyres, the two main one that you can actually easily feel are grip offcourse and also temperature. I will give an example of what is meant be temperature:

Scenario A: A car with regular tyres will start the first lap warming up the engine and all the oils, the tyres will reach the operating temperature by the first couple of moderate corners. The driver will most likely then will be able to perform about 3 to 4 hard laps after which he will need to do a cool down lap because his tyres after that will feel very mushy, this is caused by the heat which makes the sidewall of tyre very soft.

Scenario B: The same car with semi-slick tyres will need about 2 or maybe more laps to warm up, but after that the tyres should be able to withstand a considerable amount of hard laps, much more then standard tyres. This is simply to do with the design of the compound that is used in the tyre and also in the design of the sidewall.

Now we come to tyre temperature, this is offcourse very debatable and it varies a lot, but in short if you are just starting out, or even just go racing every 3 months, the basic rule that I have been tough by experienced drivers is to have between 38PSI to 40PSI in the tyre when it’s hot. This means, initially you will need to do a few moderate laps come into the pits and measure your hot tyre pressure. You will find that it will wary 3PSI to 5PSI between cold and hot. You can apply this theory to what ever tyre you want.


Temperature
Now we are getting to the very important stuff! The next two sections should tie in very closely together.

These are three temperatures that are critical on track days:

Oil Temperature: this will relate to the quality and viscosity of the oil but anything over 125/130 degrees Celsius is not best for your engine. (Based on my FTO, with my mods and my preferred oil)

Water Temperature: the water temperature is kind of related to the oil temperature, keep an eye out and know what is normal and what is too high, if it is too high do not keep going, either do a cool down lap and monitor the temperature or return to the pits, it’s a very simple rule, unlike F1 team, or V8 super car team you most likely are not able to afford a new engine block.

Engine Bay Temperature: this mostly relates to turbo’d cars but has some importance to N/A cars too. Basically with normal setups if your oil & water temperatures are fine then so should your engine bay.

Gearbox Oil Temperature: This is more important for automatic transmissions then manuals, but it’s something to keep in mind, especially with auto’s replace the transmission fluid with quality racing fluid like Motul and it should be fine for normal cars, there is not many ways of telling when it is getting hot apart from a gauge or it making funny sounds or shifting weirdly. Again if not sure simply stop or return to the pits depending on the situation.

In summary, I will be frank and honest here, if you don’t keep an eye out on your temperature of your car or listen and feel what your car is telling you, then unfortunate things can happen, I have seen them happen. However if you can keep an eye on the temperature and know what your car is telling you and take it relatively easy for the first time then everything should go very well!


Engine Oil
This is also highly controversial and can there is a lot of discussions regarding to this, basically I would say if it is your first time or even the second then run what ever oil your car is used to or likes. This is offcourse assuming the oil that you are using is good quality and is synthetic and isn’t from the motoring department of your local grocery store. For everyday use my car used Castrol Formula R 5w30, so for the first couple track days this is what it used, and it was fine. Later if you want to keep doing track days I would probably recommend going with a thicker oil such as 5w50 or 10w50, remember the in high temperatures cheap oil tends to loose it’s properties and the intended viscosity. In short thinner oils will give you more power, less protection. Thicker visa versa. On a hot day where I’m doing 10 hard laps without cool down laps my engine needs that thicker oil.

For the first couple of times I wouldn’t worry about it, however if you are serious about doing future track days then you will need two things. The first that you will want to get is an oil temperature gauge, this will cost you hopefully under $200, and higher for fancy ones like HKS or Blitz. The second important thing if you have a number of mods or plan to run rich and higher octane fuels is an oil cooler. Please note that these aren’t a requirement but are a nice thing to help you and your car if you are planning in doing this seriously and long term.
(Please feel free to share here)


Fuel
On track days you want the best fuel offcourse, so if you are seeking fuel go for something with a high RON rating, that has 98RON, or higher. Something like Shell Optimax Extreme which is 100RON, but I won’t go into the debate of which one is better.

If you are super serious or are feeling rich you can get various Elf Racing fuels with ratings between 98 to 105 that can be safely used with standard ecu’s. You can get 20L bottles of racing fuel, 102RON for roughly $60.

Now, for those of you that can’t afford racing fuels you can consider fuel additives, now remember that with most additives it doesn’t really raise the RON rating all that much it just makes it easier to detonate. This can provide some HP increase. The one I have used it called NOS Octane booster – Racing Formula, it costs about $40 and treat a whole tank.

One factor to consider here with all these additives and fuels is that the higher the RON rating and so forth the hotter your engine will get resulting in higher temperatures all around!


Weight Reduction
Depending on how keen you are, you might want to remove some weight of the car for the day, it all depends on how much time you want to spend and how much time you have. Below is a quick guide: (I’m sure you can think of more!)

Super keen: (you are being competitive with other cars in regards to your quickest lap)
•All Door Panels
•Speakers, subwoofers & Head unit
•All back panels & back parcel rack
•Rear passenger seats and seat belts guides and belts
•Every thing from the boot, I mean everything!
•Physical glove box, and all clutter in your car, even your fluffy dice!
•Passengers seat (do it at the track if you are giving someone a ride)
•Empty most of the windscreen washer bottle (very important)
•All floor mats

Relatively keen (possibly the first time and thereafter)
•Some Door Panels
•Speakers, subwoofers
•Some back panels, and the back parcel rack
•Rear passenger seat
•Every thing from the boot.
•All clutter in your car.
•Passengers seat (do it at the track if you are giving someone a ride)
•Empty most of the windscreen washer bottle (very important)
•All floor mats

Quick job: (maybe the first time)
•Rear passenger seat
•Every thing from the boot.
•All clutter in your car.
•Passengers seat (do it at the track if you are giving someone a ride)
•Empty most of the windscreen washer bottle (very important)
•All floor mats

Just one more thing, you may think removing 1kg isn’t going to do anything, well you are going to be wrong! If your driving is consistent and well developed that 1kg+ will make a noticeable difference.


Rules and regulations at track days
There are lots of different types of track days. The basic on is just an open day where there is no timing devices and no classes so in many cases you might get stuck with a fast car behind you. There are also very organised track days with clubs, popular tuning shops and associations. These are most likely have full timing and have various car classes to make your life easier. Depending on the length of the track and the style of the track there might be up to 15 or so cars on the track at the same time. There are a number of critical rules that are used to avoid dangerous situations, for example you are only able to overtake on the straights, you have to give way to faster cars and so forth. Every track has different rules and regulations so make sure you listen to your briefings if you do go.


Your first time
Depending on the person you are, your feeling will either be nervous or will be excited or could be in the middle. However it is critical to remember where you are and not get ego get a hold of you. Be safe take it easy and learn the track. Depending on you natural ability to learn driving skills it will take quite a number of laps to get a decent lap, and please consider other drivers on the track and don’t drive like a hero, trust me I have seen it done! Remember that you are there to have fun, learn and advance your driving skill and in no means there to record the fastest lap.


Mythbusters
Excuse: Taking your car to the track is to hard on the car.
Rebuttal: It may be hard on the car if you don’t keep your car well maintained, sure it will use a bit of rubber and brakes, but it is no where near deadly as people think it is providing you do the maintenance, know the limits of the car and use the proper liquids at the start.

Excuse: I’m not ready for a track day
Rebuttal: Don’t be scared, there is nothing scary at a track day, how about you attend one and be a spectator for the first one and make a decision?

Excuse: Me and my car will be the slowest there
Rebuttal: Well, that’s why on organized track days they have various classes, and you haven’t been to track days that I have been to, there are some SLOW cars there.

Excuse: I’m concerned about other faster cars on the track
Rebuttal: Again, you will be placed in an appropriate class, and there shouldn’t be much pressure from much faster cars, you can always give way. If you still not confident there will be lots of people that will be happy to teach you.

Excuse: It isn’t a very safe sport or a thing to do
Rebuttal: You have been watching to much motor sport on TV. It is much safer then you think, if someone does something silly the marshals will probably kick that driver out for good.

Excuse: It’s too expensive
Rebuttal: One of the most commonly heard and used I must say, ok I will try not to make it answer long, it is only expensive if you make it expensive. Sure you can spend $1000 on new tyres, new brakes, EVERYTHING, but you don’t really need it all! Here are the basic costs, this for a track in NSW called Wakefield.

Licence: $40 (yearly)
Entry: $130, All day, + professional timing
Oil & Oil filter: $60
Fuel: $80

Total: $310

Think about how much you spend when you go go-carting? And this is a full day of fun! You will not forget the day, believe me! Providing the other things like brakes are ok and tyres that is all you need, and if you don’t strap your car every lap and monitor the temperatures the tyres and brakes should be fine! Trust me!


Conclusion:
Track days are fun and are very safe, I hope this guide temps you into trying out going to a track day. Feel free to post your ideas/experienced/knowledge etc.
mrx
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Post by mrx »

Excellent guide Boris!

It really is as much fun as you can have with your car. It is daunting the first time that you go out onto the track, but the FTO competes better than you might think.

The 3 things I would add are:
1 - Oil pressure and temp gauges are quite important. You don't have to spend $200+ on them either. Plenty of gauges around for under $50, and then the adapter you should be able to get for another $50. But, good investment, even for street driving, as it gives you a better idea of what is going on in the engine. Will definitely be on the car before I next venture out.
2 - Brakes are going to cop a caning! Upgrade your brake pads at least. RB74's are excellent, and they just keep on stopping.
3 - For a helmet, it will probably be cheaper and easier to find a new or even second hand bike helmet than trying to get a designated "racing" helmet.
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Bennoz
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Post by Bennoz »

Agreed! Great guide!

Also agree with oil pressure, mind you this is coming from a man who has predominantly raced older cars. If that pressure drops, it usually meant I'd busted something.

Dont forget with your fuel, if you really want the most out of the fuel (and have after market engine management) have it tuned on that fuel. Run around on it for a few days prior or get it dyno tuned on it. I used to buy 20 litre tins of 102 octane from a company called Goana, dont know if they still exist. Also used to be able to buy Av-gas from Bankstown airport... but they have put a stop to that :(

Gearbox oil - just as important for manual boxes as it is for autos. Remember the box oil will traditionally take longer to get to operating temp than the engine oil. 5 - 10 mins at least.

Seat Position - The old 'how you doin'?" lebo look IS NOT appropriate. You must get up closer. Imagine holding 30 kgs out in front of you with your arms at full stretch for 20 mins. Now imagine holding that weight with your arms bent up against your chest. What is going to be easier? Im not saying sit with your face against the wheel. Sit in your seat & extend your arms to the wheel - at full strech the wheel should come to your wrist.

Pedal postions - more for experienced racer. I have always modified throttle pedal & brake to be a little closer together, giving you the ability to 'heel & toe.' Where you can be braking & with a twist of the foot - still be braking & blip the throttle at the same time during downshifts. Enables you to get into the right rev range & gear for the corner you're entering. Also note - dont wear shoes with bulky grip patterns. A nice smooth yet grippy sole is best.

Clutch adjustment - In older cars it was easy. Adjust the cable to suit & in some case adjust the friction point of the clutch with the turn of a bolt. With the FTO I have been playing with a number of things. Adding a spring to the clutch arm for a snappier release & also adjusting the connector point of the clutch master cylinder plunger. A nice short snappy clutch pedal can save you plenty of time. Combine that with a quickshifter & you'll be very quick through the gears.

Thats all I can think of now... but Im sure there's plenty more I'll think of :)
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Teania
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Post by Teania »

Great guide Boris

CAMS Motorsport Events
(Confederation of Australian Motorsport)

If you decide to go to a CAMS run track day, there are a couple of extra things.

All cars are grouped by class. If you've never been to a CAMS track day they will start you out with all the other newbies for the first couple of runs around the track. If you are comfortable, they may advance you to the group that contains cars with the similar power and lap times as yours - as you improve - so will the class you are in.

For a CAMS event your car and you will be scrutineered before being allowed on the track, there are a couple of things you need to do to..

CAR
1- Fire Extinguisher securely mounted in an easily accessible position
2- Blue Triangle Sticker - to show where the battery is
3- Battery securely fastened
4- 2nd return spring on the throttle

YOU
1- piece non flammable outfit, eg overalls - get out the old King Gees :P
2- Non flammable shoes, eg leather. Soles, Tongue, Upper and Laces must all be non flammable - so most sneakers are no go
3- Helmet that complies with ADR
4- CAMS licence is essential for CAMS events

All track days, CAMS or not, are well run events. They are geared with Fun and Safety in mind.

If anyone has any questions, all of us that have been to to the track are more than willing to help out.

There is no such thing as silly questions - we've all asked them at some stage - its the only way we've learned. :D

Cheers
Kaveman and Teania
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RallyMad
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Post by RallyMad »

I agree great work Boris.

Just one thing on helmets guys. Some motorbike helmets a fine and are actually approved for motor racing purposes and while I'm not really sure what the go is with hired helmets, never and I mean NEVER buy a second hand helmet of any sort. It will be next to useless. One of the most important parts of any helmet is the fit and over time the foam inside a helmet will mould to your head, so if you wear a second hand helmet that doesn't fit properly due to this you could do major damage to your neck in an accident or worse yet the helmet could come off or be completly useless.
mrx
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Post by mrx »

Yep - good point about the helmet.

It will usually be cheaper to buy a bike helmet than to find a designated car helmet. So long as they comply with the ADR's, then it is up to the job.

I guess if you could try the helmet before hand, or check the fit (like of a new one of the same brand and size etc), then you could get a 2nd hand one. But, as Ralymad said, if it doesn't fit perfectly, or you suspect it has been in an accident, then dont wear it. Just isn't worth the risk.
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