Autocross or Road Course

[CSG]

I would not be concerned, unless you car oversteers. Most tracks have enough space to chase the car if it understeers as long as you aren’t driving we’ll beyond your limit, just take it easy and watch your mirrors. Don’t be the guy holding everyone up or you may get a pass that you don’t like.

[TheJDMan]

This is part of the problem, new HPDE drivers tend to feel pressure to go faster in order to not hold up cars behind which generally does not end well. But this is exactly why the passing rules are in place and so strictly enforced. You should not be rushed because someone behind wants around, but you also need to keep an eye on the rear mirror so you can give a point by at the earliest point you can on the track. Trust me, track personnel can see everything that is happening on track and if someone passes dangerously or if someone fails to give a point by they will be seen and black flagged to come to pit road and have a talk with a race official to go over the rules. If that driver continues to violate the rules they will be removed for the rest of the event. We have removed drivers from events for not giving point by's and also for passing in a no passing section so it goes both ways. Understand the event rules, follow the rules and there is little risk of an accident. Ignore the rules and at best you will be removed from the track and at worst your car could look like the ones I posted above. Safety First!

[srode]

Thanks Steve for explaining a bit more how things work on track days. It is encouraging to know traffic/passing is managed to avoid issues. Still I have a tendency to over drive my car when I lose my headspace, so when I do get out there I will have to really fight the urge to push it too hard and wad up the car.

Yep, after hearing about how tracks are managed I would be more comfortable heading out to one. Now I just need to get my car done so I can go enjoy it.

[CarlC]

This is part of the problem, new HPDE drivers tend to feel pressure to go faster in order to not hold up cars behind which generally does not end well. But this is exactly why the passing rules are in place and so strictly enforced. You should not be rushed because someone behind wants around, but you also need to keep an eye on the rear mirror so you can give a point by at the earliest point you can on the track. Trust me, track personnel can see everything that is happening on track and if someone passes dangerously or if someone fails to give a point by they will be seen and black flagged to come to pit road and have a talk with a race official to go over the rules. If that driver continues to violate the rules they will be removed for the rest of the event. We have removed drivers from events for not giving point by's and also for passing in a no passing section so it goes both ways. Understand the event rules, follow the rules and there is little risk of an accident. Ignore the rules and at best you will be removed from the track and at worst your car could look like the ones I posted above. Safety First!

Exactly. Read, re-read, and read again. It's the don't do something stupid rule. It's also why there are usually several sessions for newbies in a lead-follow/ducks-in-a-row/instructor observer to see how folks are doing and to hand out appropriate slap-downs.

About a year ago I was observing a newbie group from The Balcony at Willow Springs. As the session ends, one guy peels off in a "modified" R8. He proceeds to use too much throttle, to many shifts, poor lines, etc. Typical new ego-driver in a car he "modified" that had never been on track before. Entering T4 there was no way he was going to make it. Ends up slamming the car into a dirt berm, busting up body work, wrecks both LH wheels, dirt shower for the interior, etc. Limped the car back to the pits where I later overheard him blame the car, that it was too fast, understeered, etc. to many different people. Blamed everyone but himself. These are the folks that cause track day issues, and the event organizers/instructors want them out. It's best to avoid them on track, and tell track officials of their shenanigans.

[justin51986]

Had never heard of that track. Watched a couple videos of it and it looks awesome... what a thrill of a lifetime that would be. It's close enough to me, being a little west of STL, to even make it happen!

It's brand new. I believe they are actually still finishing it up.

[TheJDMan]

I know this is an older thread but as covid is in the rear view mirror and people are resuming their lives and activities we have seen a large increase in participant counts at our HPDE events. So much so that we have started running two Novus groups at each event and assigning our driving instructors two students each. All of the things that have been discussed earlier in this thread are still relevant and even more important for everyone to remember as car counts increase. I have not had the opportunity to take Dust Off out to an HPDE for at least three years now since I am working these events nearly every weekend during the season. As more drivers get involved my crew and I find we have to be ever more vigilant about safety. So with that in mind I have put together a short list of things that you should check before arriving at the track and keep in mind while at the track for your first HPDE.

1. Helmet. Generally speaking a "DOT" rated helmet is not accepted at most tracks. You should have a Snell "SA" rated helmet of the proper year, ie 2020 or 2015 some tracks allow older.
2. Tires. Make sure that your tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread. I have seen people run tires off the bead due to under inflation. I have also seen people show up with cords showing on their tires. Not good.
3. Brakes. It doesn't take a genius to know that your car has to stop when you apply the brakes but yet we see people all the time with marginal brakes. Seems people tend to pay a lot of attention to going fast and give little thought to how they plan to stop all that mass.
4. Tow hook. This is one of my most common peeves with respect to track cars. Don't assume your car will never need to be flat towed off the track, it will happen and you need to have a proper tow point installed. Some cars such as Corvettes have no way to tow them if the tow eye is not installed. Avoid damage to your car and install a tow hook.
5. Gas. I know this sounds silly but you will burn more gas than you might think during a track day. Don't be that guy and run out of gas on track because that is when you will see me tow you back to the pits. We call it the tow of shame.
6. Know your limits. A track day is NOT a race and no one cares how impressive fast you drive. But everyone will notice if you over drive your car and crash. Which reminds me of something else. Track Day insurance.
7. Track day Insurance. If you wreck your car on a race track do not expect your domestic insurance policy to pay for anything. You will likely be paying for repairs out of your pocket unless you buy a daily policy specifically covering damage happening during a track day.
8. Listen. Every track event will be preceded by a driver meeting. We give you important information in those meeting and yet I always see people talking at the back of the room. Ironically, those same people are usually the ones who cause a problem or break some rule.
9. Stay in Your Car. If your cars stops for any reason while on track pull off to the side as far as possible out of the way of overtaking cars. Stay in your car unless it is on fire. You are protected in the car in case some one were you hit you before the flags are deployed.

These are just some thoughts that come to mind. Don't be afraid to enter a track day event just follow instructions and don't drive beyond you or your cars ability.

If you have any specific questions about Track Days just ask, there are a lot of very knowledgeable people here and we all want to see everyone have a fun, safe experience.

[landpilot]

Steve, i just wanted to say thanks for all the advice, very much appreciated! I've never done a HPDE track day, only autocross, but plan on it soon. Any advice on vehicle prep for road race vs. autocross?

[Pedigry]

Brakes and tires, brakes and tires. lol. I remember the first time I cooked my brake fluid and lost my brakes at the end of a long straight, pretty scary. I am sure there is a prep list available on the web somewhere but road courses will test every part of your car. Cooling is also a huge one. Make sure you have way more radiator than you think you need. Also a good deep pan, the G's you pull will push all the oil in your motor to one side, you can starve an engine pretty easily. Start with a full bleed of your brake system with some really good, high temp fluid. Make sure your tires don't have too many heat cycles on them or they will be a limiting factor and make sure your radiator is up to snuff. After that, the track will show you your weak points.

Guys complain about their seats often, great for the street but lousy for the track. If you have to spend the whole time with your left leg trying to keep you in your seat then you will get tired fast and it's miserable. Get a really good seat if your going to track alot. There's a million other things but those are the major ones I can think of. But it's a blast. You will become a significantly better driver and it really does change how you drive on the street. Get out there and do you it, you will be hooked.

Almost forgot, spend as much time as you can with an instructor or friend that has experience. Learn the lines of the course, brake zones, corner speeds, apexes, etc.

[Jay71]

Great information in this thread! This is something I’ve always wanted to do, unfortunately the nearest track is over 500 miles from me. Some day I’ll get it done.

[Pedigry]

I used to run at Gratton raceway, just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's a fantastic course. back when I raced there, they had a no passing run save for the straights. Yes, people would get a bit bunched up in the corners, but everyone still had a ton of fun and it was very safe. Passing on the straights was easy, most guys would put their hand out the window and wave you by. I liked that kind of racing, especially when I first started out. If you ever get a chance to do a day at Gratton, don't pass it up. It's a beautiful course.