I’m New to Track Days – So what do I need to know?

Introduction

 

Track days probably represent the very best value for money in terms of actual time on the circuit than any other form of motorsport.  So if you are considering taking up motorsport and aren’t sure if it will truly be for you, track days provide an ideal way in that doesn’t have to be expensive.

I hope you find these notes useful and that you will scratch that itch and try a track day for the first time.  Be warned – track days are VERY addictive! Sometimes just one event means you are hooked for life.

Really the only difference between a track day and an actual race is that the track day is strictly non-competitive and there are rules about when and where you can overtake.  The risk of contact with another car is therefore very low and you can get out there and learn how to drive on a race circuit knowing that you are in the relative safety of controlled conditions. Oh and of course another very important aspect – have truly huge amounts of fun.

Of course defying the laws of physics never works except on the Starship Enterprise, so keeping on the black stuff and off the green stuff and avoiding the barriers means always driving within your comfort zone and the cars capability.  I always strongly recommend that newcomers take advantage of the qualified instruction that’s always available at a very modest outlay at the circuit.

So where do you start?  Let’s look at what different kinds of track days there are, how they are organised and then what happens on a typical track day.

Track Day Formats

The two formats you are most likely encounter are sessioned and open pit lane.

The sessioned event, as it’s name suggests, divides each hour into a number of timed sessions and drivers are assigned to a particular session within each hour.  Group allocation is often arranged by driver ability and hence typically into novice, intermediate and advanced groups.  Here advanced usually means quite a few competition licence holders and the action can be very “full-on”.  The number of sessions per hour is determined by the TDO (track day operator); 20 minute or 15 minute sessions are common, but as little as 10 minutes or as much as 30 minute sessions are sometimes offered.

Pros –

·        Normally cheaper than an open pit lane day because it’s possible for the TDO to run much larger number of cars than an open pit lane event (see below).

·        You know when you are going on track to the minute.

·        Broadly speaking the other drivers in your group will have similar levels of skill to you and an attempt may also have been made by the organiser to have cars of similar capability grouped together.

Cons –

·        You are only going to get 15 minutes or so in the hour on track so a lot of hanging around if you are sharing with another driver.  Remember that the session include getting out of the pits and up to speed, and the in lap, so actual session time at circuit pace will be less than the session time by at least 3 or 4 minutes.

·        You will be in a potentially large bunch of cars for the first laps especially if the first few cars in the queue are slower than you.  You could find yourself in a queue reminiscent of the M25 at rush hour!

·        If there is a stoppage because of a breakdown or other incident then you will lose the remainder of your session while the incident car is recovered.  Bad luck if the stoppage is at the end of the session before yours because you could have to wait for the thick end of 2 hours before you get any track time.

·        If you need to adjust or fix anything on your car you are under time pressure to do it or you will miss a session.

The open pit lane, by comparison is, as it suggests, an event where you are free to go out on circuit at any time to suit you, and for as little or as long as you wish.  We always recommend circuit time be around 15 minutes at a time though.  Driving on circuit requires sustained high levels of concentration and 15 minutes is a good limit and plenty of time out there (it amounts to about the length of a club race for example).  Also your car may very well be a road going model not really intended for prolonged high speed and repeated heavy braking.  Regular cool down periods are good for you and help preserve the engine and brakes.

A good open pit lane track day will usually be more expensive than a sessioned event because the numbers of cars booked must be smaller.  The entry fees are directly linked to the number of cars ie circuit hire cost plus TDOs overheads divided by the number of cars = entry fee broadly speaking.  It’s not a free-for-all on the circuit and numbers permitted on track are limited by the circuit licenced maximum, so the number of cars booked needs to be properly matched to this circuit limit in order to avoid long queues of cars in the pit lane waiting for access.  A rule of thumb is around twice the number of cars booked than the circuit limit or maybe a bit more depending on the circuit.

A sessioned event running 4 x 15 minute session per hour by comparison can run up to four times the circuit limit so you would expect entry fees to be around half those for open pit lane at the same circuit.

A good open pit lane day may have some queuing at busy times like immediately after lunch for 20 minutes or so, or after a stoppage but when running smoothly there should usually be no queue or if there is one, drivers shouldn’t expect to have to wait more than a very few minutes.

Pros –

·        Very relaxed in terms of circuit access as there is no pressure on being ready at a set time every hour.  It tends to be more sociable too because drivers get chatting more in the paddock when they aren’t worrying about the time.

·        A stoppage has much less impact on track time than a sessioned event.

·        You can drive as little as you like if you don’t want to stay out a long time or you are trying out some adjustments to the car.

·        No bunching of cars on circuit as the circuit is live all the time.

Cons –

·        Will be more expensive than a sessioned event if it’s properly organised (see below).

·        If you are brand new to track days it can be a bit daunting going out on circuit for the first time but not much more so than a sessioned event.  Good organisers will arrange introductory instruction for you, and further instruction is also available.

BHP TrackDays only runs high specification open pit lane track days because that’s what our customers want and expect from us.  In common with the other good operators out there you will find our prices are not the cheapest, but that’s because we are running fewer cars than the budget end open pit lane days.  Bear in mind that the TDOs are all paying around the same for circuit hire so a significantly cheaper day can ONLY be paid for by higher numbers of cars.  You will have less track time on a budget day so you need to ask is budget the overriding factor for you.  If not then avoid the budget end of the market.

When researching which TDO to go with there are a lot of car forums available to you so you can see what other people’s experiences are with the various TDOs.  Don’t forget though that many of the posts on car forums have a hidden agenda that’s all to do with marketing under the guise of a “satisfied customer”.  If the post looks like a truly wonderful recommendation and gives links etc to the TDO website then it might very well be a spoof posting.

So What Happens When I Book and What Information Should I Get?

Well as a minimum you should receive a confirmation by email that includes directions about how to get to the circuit, a programme for the day, ie when you should be there and where to sign on etc, information about how the day is organised, and a copy of the indemnity forms you will be required to sign.  Some operators also require to see your driving licence.  If for some reason you can’t produce a licence, then all is not lost as a phone check with the DVLA can usually be arranged, but there will probably be a charge for this.

Check to see that you are booked in correctly and the details are all ok.  Also see if there are any optional extras you might like to reserve like tuition, garage, or if you would like to book on extra drivers and passengers.  Also check any cancellation clauses if you haven’t already done so because there is usually a penalty in the form of an administration charge for cancellation and a cut-off point when cancellations will no longer be refunded.

If you do have to cancel it’s worth asking the TDO if you can transfer to another date.  They will often accommodate you if they can.

Some TDOs offer newcomers a free introductory tuition session.  We’d recommend you sign up for one.  There is often limited availability so don’t leave it until the day of the event to do this.  Do book some tuition on the day anyway.  It will stand you in good stead.

What Happens on the Day?

Arrive at the circuit in good time and find a place to park in the paddock.  Spaces aren’t normally reserved, so anywhere is ok.  The bays are usually marked and enormous so they can accommodate large lorries on race days.  If you have trailered your car there allow time to both sign on and get it off the trailer before the start of the safety briefing.  You will need the car for the sighting laps (see below).  All is not lost if you haven’t time to off-load the car – you may be allowed to do the sighting laps in the tow car.

Signing on is often in the restaurant so you can normally get a cup of coffee and breakfast.  You’ll need to fill in and sign an indemnity form.  The sign-on staff will check your details and give you a wrist band or other identification to wear that confirms you’ve been through the sign-on process.  You’ll also get a programme for the day and they’ll tell you about things like getting the car noise tested, and where the safety briefing will be held and the time.  You’ll also get an identification sticker to put on your car to identify it.  You can sometimes also get a “Novice Cross” to put on the back of your car.  It’s just to let others know that you are new and they’ll give you more room.

The safety briefing is mandatory for all drivers and informs everyone about the circuit rules for the day, what to do in an emergency, what signals will be used to control traffic ie flags or traffic lights or both and other circuit specific information that you need to know. Don’t be late for the briefing.  If it’s started you won’t be admitted. At the end of the briefing you should be issued with a second wrist band to confirm that you have been briefed.  You need both wrist bands to drive on the circuit.

Sighting Laps are required to be attended by all drivers and take place immediately before the circuit goes live.  Drivers roll up to the appointed place and are taken in groups behind a pace car out onto the circuit usually for three laps when they return to the paddock.  The purpose of the sighting laps, which are carried out at a slow pace, is to see the circuit layout, note track conditions (ie dry, wet, greasy), and to note the locations of the marshals posts where flag signals will be given, and any traffic light locations.

The pace car will follow the “racing line” and the crocodile should follow it so all drivers get a feel for the correct lines around the circuit.

There is no point weaving or accelerating/braking in the crocodile (like they do on F1) and in fact it’s usually forbidden.  No overtaking!

There may also be a noise test to confirm your car is within the permitted noise level for the day.  You will be tested when you go out on circuit for the first time (another sticker) or you will have to go to a designated noise test location.

Track time starts as soon as all of the cars have completed their sighting laps.  If it’s a sessioned day go to the appointed place and queue in good time for the start of your session.  If it’s an open pit lane day present yourself at the circuit access point and you will be admitted to the circuit by the pit lane marshal after your wrist bands have been checked.

Other things you might like to consider

 

How do I pick a reputable organiser?  A good place to look for the names of organisers running properly operated track days is the Association of Track day Organisers.  All of its members meet the requirements of the track day code of practice so you have a guarantee that the day will be properly run and operated.  Also membership of the ATDO is recognised by insurers and track day insurance premiums are cheaper if you are attending a day run by an ATDO member.  The list of members can be seen here - www.atdo.co.uk.

How much should I pay?  You will undoubtedly see a range of prices quoted for what seem like identical track days at the same circuit.  So which one should I go for?  Well if it’s open pit lane then the cheaper priced days will be running with more cars booked than the more expensive days.  I would avoid the really cheap ones unless you don’t mind the risk that you may be sitting for long periods in pit lane queues.  If it’s a sessioned day and looks cheap just check out how many groups per hour are running.  Some days run with as little as 10 minutes per session.

I do hope that you found this useful.  If you have anything you’d like to add, please post a comment and I’ll take it on board.

I’ll be adding a blog on choice of track day car soon.