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Track day in my car - HELP

I

iceboy

Nurburgring
Joined
18 Apr 2013
Messages
387
Hi All,

My brother in-law (real good mate) has just called me to tell me his good news!

He has a just purchased a 997 4S....we were talking and looking at cars over Christmas.

I don't know the details, as I was in the middle of a meeting LOL!! But he did tell me to start looking at a Euro Trip and UK tracks days.

So......I know nothing!

I understand you can take your car and drive around Silverstone but what else do I need to know and do?

I will take the 996 C2 coupe.......will it meet the sound level, I have a full K&N induction kit and it absolutely howls over 4000rpm.

...Over to you guys.

IceBoy

PS. I've never done a track day before, I'm getting all giddy!
 
Basically, make sure you keep an eye on the oil level and sort your brakes out before you go.

The weak point of the car on track is the brakes. You may wish to invest in posh pads to improve the stopping power, but it's really the fluid that lets the car down first. If you haven't had a recent fluid flush/replacement, then money spent there (including on the highest boiling point fluid you can find) is money that will see you spending more quality time on the track.

Keep a close eye on your oil level and top it up if it drops below half way. The reason for this is that the oil sloshes aroung the sump in long corners and can get away from the oil pick up if the level is low, leaving you with dry bearings.

Also, take out EVERYTHING from the car before you go on the track. This includes the spare tyre, the handbook, the service records, the sweet wrappers, the back seat and the passenger seat if you can be bothered. It all adds up to a better car on the track and helps the brakes last that little bit longer.

You don't mention which circuit you're driving at Silverstone, but old fluid will get you only about four laps around the GP circuit before the pedal starts going to the floor.

Aside from that, have fun and don't be too proud to get coaching if it's on offer. The better you are at track driving, the more rewarding it becomes. I'll never forget doing my race driver's licence test at Thruxton, chasing down a black 911 in a red Cayman. It really was one of life's watershed moments.
 
Oh, and to pass the noise testing, when they ask you for 4000 rpm, just take it to 3500. Even if the noise testing guys notice, they frequently turn a blind eye. They are enthusiasts just like you and they really don't want to exclude anyone unless they are massively over the limit.
 
Choose a track day where they have in car tuition.

Well worth the extra cost (sometimes its free).

Novice days often put cones out for braking points and apexes, very useful as there is much to remember.

As said take all the junk out of your car... more to reduce the number of missiles as you rag around. Check tyre pressures regularly, give your brakes a rest now and then (slow lap after hot lap etc).

Take or hire somebody else's car not your pride and joy....

Be prepared to be shown up by people in saxos and even rover metros.
 
Skiing and trackdays are similar in that getting tuition accelerates your learning curve massively. I've been lucky in that I've had coaching by some notable drivers, including ex F1 Justin Wilson and Geoff Brabham just by chance. Theyll get the best out of you on tgr day which will.make your day even more enjoyable.
I like to change oil before and after a track day. Overkill I know but it's precautionary and helps me sleep at night. After your first couple of laps come in and check your wheel nuts to ensure they haven't come loose with the excess heat.
Other than that remove all the weight you can and enjoy your day. You are only improving yourself and it's not a race.
Oh and watch the fuel gauge. You'll be surprised how quickly a tank can empty once you get going :thumb:
 
Y2K said:
Which exhaust system are you running iceboy?

Have you read the FAQs here at 911uk?

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=31565

And when you're ready to book, do post it here:

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=124895

:thumb: 8)
Click to expand...

I'm running the original exhaust and had the seams welded a couple of years back. So probably a little louder than a new stock exhaust and have a full k&n induction kit.

I will save thus day for the beginning of the summer!!

Iceboy
 
iceboy said:
I'm running the original exhaust and had the seams welded a couple of years back. So probably a little louder than a new stock exhaust and have a full k&n induction kit.

Iceboy
Click to expand...

Should be fine. Mine, with new Dansk Sport, registered 96dB static; with old Dansk it was 100dB.

Unless one has something silly like for instance Dansk Super Sound, should be no problem.

As Martin mentioned above, marshals are friendly bunch; at Thruxton they said my car registered '91dB wink wink' in order to get me on track. :lol:

If worried, pop down to your local track on a track day morning (first thing, usually 7:45-8:45am) and most will test your car for free so you can have a baseline.
 
All the above advice is good. I didn't do anything special to my car when I took it to Castle Combe, just made sure all fluids and tyre pressures were good, and rechecked regularly.
My PSE registered 99dB at 4K rpm (100 dB limit - phew).
What I would add is to take it easy. Warm up the car, the tyres and the brakes each session before turning it up. You drive much much faster and more aggressively on the track than the road. I could get the back of the car out on corners by lifting off the throttle - in a C4 in the dry. In the wet it span. I had PSM off to save the brakes (does it use the brakes?).
Anyway part of the fun is getting to know, and play with, the balance and the limits of the car but make sure you have the 'room" on track. A 911 will bite if you are careless.
Finally as above, plan your last lap each session and then do one more going easy to let everything cool down.
Oh, and enjoy!
 
Some good advice above.

As for which track days, like everything else, you tend to get what you pay for. Some organisers are better than others.

Check your Insurance too! Make sure you're covered. Some insurers will cover UK track days only on the insistence the organiser is a member of a trade association like ATDO: http://www.atdo.co.uk/atdo.php?pg=members&ls=all&title=members

When you're on track, definitely try to get some instruction.

Be prepared to use your mirrors and do not worry about being overtaken and by whom and in what. That's just track days - you can never know or tell which cars or drivers will be quick, but just let the faster ones through safely, but without panicking yourself into compromising your own safety.

Also prepare yourself for the fact that, even though it's your first track day, you'll still overtake other cars (for various reasons) so think about how to do that safely - don't ignore the bit in the pre-track safety briefing about overtaking protocols, because you think you won't need them!
 
My mental checklist:

Insurance - REIS, MORIS are pretty competitive
Fluids - take oil, water with you
Tyres - I change mine for track orientated tyres. If yours are over 7 years old, I would change them before a trackday anyhow. I use AD08Rs (on Lotus)
Brakes - check pad thickness at the least
Equipment - helmet, shoes with thin soles as you will want to feel the pedals more on a trackday than on the road. I take a hoodie as it can get incredibly hot on track. Take plenty of fluids for yourself
Rules - read through the track guidelines, timings etc as you don't want to miss the briefing
Youtube - watch the course layout on the instructional videos noting turning points
Gauges - watch your tyre pressures during the day. Go out and warm up for a couple of laps and then take some air out of them. Lots of people have a pump / tyre gauge that you can borrow on the day, if not Halfords have them
Instruction - Silverstone is fast and can be intimidating for novice trackday-ers. I'd ask for time near the beginning of the day. If you can get a smaller track, maybe airfield, Bedford, somewhere with plenty of run off on it - then I'd visit there before you do Silverstone

Finally, go at your own pace. It's not a competition. Do 15 minute slots and come in. When you get that urge to 'take that GT3' then rein back the ego and come in.

I've never tracked in a Porsche but have been taken out in a GT3RS round Silverstone. It's bloomin' FAAAAAAST when you know the lines. Enjoy!
 
Some excellent advice ^^^

Take the day at YOUR pace, don't be pressured by smaller/faster cars, I always find any variety of 7 to be particularly irritating as their cornering capabilities far outweigh almost all road cars, and the drivers patience somewhat lacking.

As a starter I'd seriously consider Bedford/Bruntingthorpe etc as they both have loads of room for error.

I've been tracking various things since '99, it's somewhat addictive. Should be heading to Spa again this year all being well.

Re Insurance, I'm with Classicline, UK track cover included with a ATDO event.
 
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