well im booked for nat's,but....

[Mr 5]

totaly crapping it!

going to have some time on the track,which iv never done,
drag racing=easy,
country roads=breeze
track=oh lord

any body got any advise for me or how to set the car up ?

main concern is that its a long way home on a recovery truck so want to prep the car as best i can...

[Duncan Grier]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

You will be fine on track!!!

Regarding car setup, just make sure everything is working correctly and you have plenty of pad/disc/tyre life left and fluid levels but tbh you don’t have to drive flat out. Build up your speed gradually and most of all just enjoy it! A standard setup 5 will still be great fun on track, there are loads of things that can be done to improve the car on track but you may find it a bit much for the road

Depending on weather conditions you will want to drop 2psi out of your tyres

[Brigsy]

Make sure it ain't pissing out water/oil, brakes work ok, batt tied down etc, the basic stuff that should apply to any road car really.

Also advisable to fit an oil catch tank if you haven't already.

If you can do a bit of fast b road driving don't worry, just enjoy the time on track. Remember its not a race, so take it easy until your 100% confident imo, Also easy laps until tyres are warn, get the feel of the track. Cool down laps are essential too before pulling off into the pits.

[Tiny Tim]

As above, but just take your time. Dont worry too much about what other drivers are doing, just make sure you're driving sensibly to the track rules. Dont be an arse, let faster people through, laugh at those who spin.

On your first hit, try just doing a few laps, come off and rest it... and build up from there. When you park up dont stick your handbrake on and walk away.... stick it in gear and roll the car back/forward every few minutes so you dont risk warping your disks.

[BriC]

I jumped straight onto the track in my old one. Just go at your own pace and you've got nothing to worry about..

[paul b]

if your at all worried, grab a passenger lap or 3 with a mate....

most of all, ENJOY IT......not something you get to do everyday in a safe enviroment...

[D4WNO]

You'll be given a track briefing in the morning anyways and they'll talk you through the general rules. Don't forget ya helmet too

[paul b]

and dawno will get a de-briefing (with any luck or rohypnol)...

[Mart]

For sure go out & do some recce laps to start with, then start building up speed gradually lap after lap.

Learn where the corners are, the braking zone, and the straighest line/shortest route through the corner. Also remember that if your brake pads are cr8p to mediocre quality, the braking efficiency will drop off the hotter the pads get.

Be off the brakes as you're entering a corner, and err on the side of caution if you do have to brake/lift-off the gas whilst going through a corner.

Make sure the car is mechanically sound, as you'll win no friends if you're dropping fluids all over the track, or if bits are falling off your car.

It's not a race, period, so if someone has suddenly caught you up, let them pass when it's safe to do so (on a straight, with your indicators flashing to the right (most UK tracks prefer left hand side overtaking)), then carry on.

Keep an eye out at the marshall posts for any flags being waved...

- Yellow means caution, hence drop ya speed right down & keep ya eyes peeled as there may be people on track, a car stalled/broken down on track or to the side, a recovery vehicle present, bits of car fallen off laying on the track, etc etc. When you see a green flag afterwards, it's safe to carry on as normal.

- Red means session/race has been stopped for a reason, so again, drop the speed off and head back to the pits.

- Chequered flag means session/race is over. I'm guessing this'll be shown 3 times: When it's lunchtime, when the RTOC track session is over, and when the non-RTOC cars track session is over.

- Black flag means there's a problem with you/your car, which means coming into the pits & speaking to a marshall to find out what the problem is. The usual trackday black flag 'rule' is 3 strikes & out.

- And not sure whether they'll have this flag out, but blue means someone behind you is deemed quicker than you, and thus trying to overtake, hence back-off the gas and let them pass.

Trackdays are great fun, and you'll really enjoy it, as will everyone else if you stick to what's been mentioned in this thread.

[Mr 5]

thanks for all the comments people,still a bit nervous/exited ,sure il be fine,first time for everything,look forward to seeing people

[Big Steve - Raider]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Depending on weather conditions you will want to drop 2psi out of your tyres

Duncan Grier commenting about Tyre Pressures??? Nah that can't be right!

[Mr 5]

ooh last question, going to drop the oil and filter this weekend,given the cars going to be used on track and the 400mile round trip to the track,what grade oil do people recomend? and fully synth,semi or poridge

[Brigsy]

Semi 10/40 of course.