Pam986 Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Hi everyone, So I finally bit the bullet and applied for my Cams and now have just signed up for my first track day at Sandown. It is the 'come and try' day on the 21st of June. I am so excited! Can any of you give me any tips or hints? Anyone else done this? What should i expect? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D'Silva Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 awesome! That sounds like a LOT of fun. I've never done one in a car.. but have done a few on bikes.. I bet you have a tonne of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Good on you Pam, you will have a ball......is that with the porsche club..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraz Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam986 Posted 21April, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Good on you Pam, you will have a ball......is that with the porsche club..? No Peter it is with MSCA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vas Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Good for you Pam. Nothing more pointless than owning a Porsche and never taking it to the track. That is the whole point of a Porsche, find out just how good they are. May as well just have a c class if you are never going to the track. Stay calm, drive as hard as you like, take on good advice and have a great day. Make sure the whole car is free of anything that may fly around and turn up with plenty of air in the tyres. I would start off with about 43psi to the track and maybe start off at around 40 psi on track. Don't have less than that in them, they just don't work. Have a great day and stay safe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 A good nights sleep and plenty of water for you! For the car, worth getting your brake pads, brake fluid levels and tyres checked and make sure they are up to the challenges of the day. It can be worth getting a list from the scrutineers just to make sure you've checked it all off, valve caps, battery decals etc. not sure how fussy they will be on the day but it's worth just making sure. Prepare to be exhausted & have a lot of fun! (PS, can also be worth checking on YouTube for in car track footage just to familiarise yourself before you head out). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraz Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 This will be you before long Pam. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W7x6M3MYLTY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJM Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Don't worry too much about faster cars, just drive smooth and consistent and they'll go around you while you get your eye in. The vast majority of club drivers are keen to steer clear of each other and give plenty of room. One of the best things you can do is take an instructor out with you. Lots of clubs have guys on hand (I've had one at MSCA events before). Some are race drivers, others just seasoned club guys and they can give you lots of great tips on how to drive a circuit. They will happily jump in the passenger seat for free and guide you around. Big speeds feel a lot slower on a track so just work you way into it as you gain comfort. Usually at drivers briefing they'll ask who has never driven the circuit before and someone will take a group around in a sedan to show what the track looks like which is also helpful (and a good safety initiative for all). Most of all, enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrera28 Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 My standard advice to anyone on their first track day: Car 1) check all your oil and fluids, change them if they haven't been changed for a while. I would think about bringing oil to the track as well ( you never know) your brakes will get a good workover so fresh brake fluid is not a bad idea before theday either. 2) check tyre temperature, everyone has different views on this. I reckon start with whatever your placard says and think about adding 2 psi. The main thing is making sure you have the same psi left to right. 3) remove every loose article from within the cabin of your car, lock your glovebox if it locks. You don't want things flying around. 4) remove your floor mats, they can slide and jam under your pedals 5) check the tightness of your wheel nuts, preferably with a torque wrench set to correct setting. 6) look all over your car for anything loose, flapping or God forbid leaking.Driver 1) ankle to wrist clothing made of natural fibres 2) comfortable close fitting sneakers, i always take a spare set. Nothing worse then if your feet get wet for whatever reason and you have to drive in wet shoes. If you like track days invest in some driving shoes and gloves. 3) sunscreen, hat, jacket 4) download Harry's lap timer so you can track your progress 5) practice paying massive attention to your mirrors, on a track day you need to be ontinually watching your mirrors, you will be surprised how quickly that spec in the backgroundwill be on you 6) cheap helmets are for cheap heads, get the best helmet you think your head is worth. Make sure your helmet has a compliance sticker on the outside. DO NOT PEEL THIS off as many tracks will not let you run.On the day 1) don't be a dick head 2) don't be a dick head 3) don't be a dick head 4) if you can walk the track, if it's good enough for Jackie Stewart it's good enough for us. 5) take your time, you have all day to learn so better to start slow and work your way up. Learn the track before you go for speed. 6) Stay hydrated, drink lots of water 7) as you get confident try to only focus on improving your performance in one or two parts of the circuit. This way you can work out what works and add it to your memory bank. No point doing everything different you wont know what has made you slower and faster. 8) Don't flog your car unnecessarily, you will gain more by improving you lines then revving your motor out or cooking your brakes. 9) be super careful after lunch. People can be cocky and make mistakes, I don't know why this is but be careful in this session 10) have fun, talk to people, learn from more experienced drivers and see rules 1,2 & 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC9911 Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Pam, You will have a great day, remember there is always someone with a faster car & more experience, but they paid the same money as you, not more, & they have no more entitlement than you do. Everyone started at the beginning no mater how good they are now, only the knobs forget this. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam986 Posted 21April, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 This will be you before long Pam. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W7x6M3MYLTY Well I don't know about that but nice to know you think I could have the potential Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Man Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 That's fantastic Pam. Can't give you any advice as I am probably one of those that should have bought a C-class! However, there has been some great advice here for the track newbie from a number of guys with lots of track time under their belt. Have a great drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvs11 Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 Trust the car. It's better than you will ever expect of a road car. Drive smooth, listen to your instructor and most of all, have a fun day playing with your Porsche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion03 Posted 21April, 2015 Report Share Posted 21April, 2015 no requirements for fire extinguishers for those events? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airhead Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 Ask for Ursula to be your instructor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apogee Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 Change the oil before (if the oil has been on the car for a while) and esp after the track day. Get a cheap helmet from a bike accessories warehouse like MCA. Wear long sleeve shirt, long pants and comfortable flat soled shoes. Buy a tyre pressure gauge. Bring a spare bottle of engine oil just in case you run low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam986 Posted 22April, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 Thanks for all the good advice, will use it all. Anyone want to be on my Pitt crew! So much to remember. I have asked for help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvs11 Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 Thanks for all the good advice, will use it all. Anyone want to be on my Pitt crew! So much to remember. I have asked for help. Do you really want a bunch of us web based track-day experts hanging over the fence taking photos and critiquing every corner line, gear change, braking point etc? I'll put this in the diary. If I get a chance I can wander down the road to Sandown to join the cheer squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam986 Posted 22April, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 Ha ha Harvs, I didn't think of it that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJames Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 Good advice so far, I'll just amplify one point. Start out conservatively. Once you have found the lines, try braking a little later, carrying a little more speed and getting on the power a little earlier in each corner. That way, when you exceed the limit you will exceed it by a tiny smidge, and all will be well. Going too hard too soon will have you miles beyond the limit, and at that point you become a passenger. You will get more tired than you would believe possible. When tiredness arrives, good judgement leaves. If you feel that going out for one more sesh won't be fun, don't force yourself. Driving on track is one of the most fun things you can do with clothes on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 No Peter it is with MSCA The instructors are great. You might even be lucky enough to get Barry or Ursula. Suggest you send Barry a private message. I should be there as well helping a mate out with his Toyota 86. So I should be around to give you some support too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion03 Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 I tend to crash late in the day..... So yeah as others have said, you'll get tired and then it's time to cool it off and go HOME. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vas Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 No offence intended Theo. Just an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Man Posted 22April, 2015 Report Share Posted 22April, 2015 No offence intended Theo. Just an opinion. Ha, none taken Vas!!! We're all entitled to one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.