Track day

[knaps]

hi guys!

I’m slowly getting more and more tempted to take my pony out to a race track and play!

It would be my first time as I have never been with any car to a proper race track (not counting gokarts of course). As such, I am a total newbie, not looking to competitively race, but just take my car out for a day of fun.

There are some experience packages I was looking at Sandown in Melbourne that cover full day + some lessons too.

So, anyway, I’ve got few questions to some of you that may have done it before:
- how does insurance look like, do you need to get an additional one specifically for the day? I know usual every day one (like RACV) doesn’t cover track
- are there any requirements in terms of the car itself (fire extinguisher, roll cage?)
- would you prepare the car specifically for a day like this (e.g. different fluids, oils, wheels/rims)
- what’s the wear and tear like in your experience (i.e. what physical damage to the car/components should I be expecting from a casual track experience)
- tires and breaks - are they pretty much a write off after a day like this?
- are there any materials / training / resources you'd recommend to get familiar with beforehand?
- is it actually fun? Would you recommend it?

Many thanks!
Knaps

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[Hellman109]

- how does insurance look like, do you need to get an additional one specifically for the day? I know usual every day one (like RACV) doesn’t cover track

Famous are the only ones I know of that will insure you at the track, with limitations (AFAIK its max $10k damage, remember that you pay for any damage you do to armco or such on the track too).

- are there any requirements in terms of the car itself (fire extinguisher, roll cage?)

Depends on exactly what you're doing and the CAMS level required. But in general, roadworthy car is the main requirement and nothing loose in the car. It doesn't hurt to have an extinguisher though.

- would you prepare the car specifically for a day like this (e.g. different fluids, oils, wheels/rims)

Check all fluid levels (brakes, coolant, power steering), check tyres and lower them a bit because they get hotter and more inflated. Make sure servicing is up to date.

- what’s the wear and tear like in your experience (i.e. what physical damage to the car/components should I be expecting from a casual track experience)

Tyres and brakes are two hardest hit. You can also get rubber slung off other cars tyres but that just needs decent cleaning.

- tires and breaks - are they pretty much a write off after a day like this?

Tyres I pretty much finished off my stock Pirellis, but to be fair they are awful tyres. Brakes survived fine but I did a wet day, which generally reduces wear, but it was at Sandown which is a high braking track.

- are there any materials / training / resources you'd recommend to get familiar with beforehand?

If you're in Melbourne, look at doing a Driver Dynamics day, they provide you with instructors http://driverdynamics.com/high-performance-track-days/, they look to be booked out for a fair while, I know theres another in Melbourne who also provide instructors so look them up too. Also anyone should do a track inspection as a group, listen to them. I didnt use the instructors much on my first day which I should have. I did a day organised by Mustang Motorsport but it was run by that group.

- is it actually fun? Would you recommend it?

Yes, absolutely yes for me. Others I know didnt like it, namely because they were afraid of damaging their car or crashing in general. I plan on doing one again shortly.

Some stuff you didn't mention:
You need a helmet, Some places you need to bring one, others will rent you one. Aldi have a sale on the 18th for helmets that meet their requirements (in date and Snell or AN1698 rated IIRC)
You'll need to wear long sleeve cotton stuff, I just got a long sleeve shirt from Kmart or such and same with the pants (jeans work there). Good sunglasses too.
If you end up with a wet day, get some RainX beforehand and put it on all windows, I also put anti-fog on the inside so I could see better.
If you're not provided lunch, take plenty to eat and a lot to drink, its a fairly tiring day. Take a change of clothes too for the end, you'll sweat a bit.
Get a cheap OBD2 Bluetooth reader (Mine cost like $20 from ebay IIRC), a good windscreen mount for your phone and an app like TrackAddict which can get stats from the car via the OBD2 reader and overlay them on video out the front, and it uses GPS to track lap times to give yourself some memories.
Everywhere in Melb seems to charge ~$220-400 for a day, the lower end provide no instructors, lunch, etc. and the higher end ones do.

 

[msweet]

As above exactly, except the pirellis are actually great track tyres in the dry.

Don't overthink it, track days are mountains of fun. Just go out there with the aim to learn the right lines and braking distances, and gradually increase your speed around the track. If you aim to slowly get faster, you will find it more rewarding and decrease the chance of finding the dirt or wall. Also take cool down laps throughout your session, don't just go balls to the wall for the whole time.

 

[Jimmy G]

.... Also take cool down laps throughout your session, don't just go balls to the wall for the whole time.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/the-bend-sa.106828/

^^^^A single lap at The Bend is 7.77km long, behind only the Ring as the world's second longest permanent circuit.

Should I live long enough to collect this car, I'm going to enjoy nice long weekend there at some point

 

[Flying Fiz]

Beware of the oil cooler issue. There have been a couple of Mustangs cark it completely during a standard day of track exercises that the car should have gobbled up. It appears that it just overheats without any prior warning , shits itself and you then need your engine replaced.
If you are going to do one, do as someone suggested, some cool down laps, and I wouldn't do any more than 5 flat-out laps at a time. On one track day I did I saw a Porsche Boxster come into pit lane with its engine on fire. The driver had no idea until he stepped out of the car, and then the smoke and flames were very evident.

You will need a CAMS license for the day, download the application form from CAMS and complete with your medical certificate. At least every track day I did in NSW required a CAMS license. The exception is the track days conducted by BMW, Porsche and Audi, but they never really let you push it unless your doing the super expensive race training packages. You will need a helmet, just get one from a motorbike dealership a basic model is very reasonable.

Track days can be very punishing on street cars, I would always feel my Michelin pilot sport cups get a rubbery feel after 10 laps in my E92 M3. Brakes start to go off a tad after you constantly jump on them (and you have to). Also its hard to avoid some of the rubber marbles just on the edge of the racing line and if your tyres are hot enough then they form part of your rubber by the end of the day, impossible to remove, so you just let them wear off, but your car can sound like a tracker on the way home.

Vero insurance used to offer track insurance for Porsche owners insured with them and it cost an additional $200 a day. I stopped tracking my Porsche when that was withdrawn. Not aware of anyone offering it now.

But overall they are a great day, just be sensible and build up to it, and you will have a ball, but you need to know your limitations - getting sideways at around 160kph is a moment you'll never forget, I did it once in a race training session with a Carrera Cup Champion who used to give lessons, I nearly shat myself, with visions of my $186,000 car hitting the tyre wall, and all he did was calmly say, "nice catch".

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