DGlory

Hey all.

I'm considering taking my Evo to the track this weekend for the first time. From what I understand, it's a fairly small, tight track (2nd-3rd gears). My car has about 7700 miles and got an oil change at 4500 or so.

I'm wondering what I should do, in preparation for the track day. I'm a little nervous about tracking it (as its my only car and daily driver so I need it to last me for a long time).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Also, are there any alterations that you make before driving? (i.e. taking out the subwoofer or any other changes) Sorry for the noob questions

hotstix

iTrader: (3)

change your oil before you go.

Check all fluids and tire pressure.

Some minor brake upgrades are a good idea, too, if youve got a few extra bucks and some time. Better fluid, remove the backing plates from the rotors and that will make an improvment and help you from boiling your fluid.

TGZ

I'd recommend better brake fluid, but if you stay with stock, you will definitely need to change it after the weekend. Your fluid will probably cook very quickly.

Other than that have fun and don't push the limits too fast. It's cold out there now, give yourself and tires time to warm up correctly.

odin

LOL, don not worry too much dude
It's an EVO, built for the track
I took my brand new car to the 1 mile Auto-X course right after brake-in period (passed 1000mile) and it turned out everything went great, not even SST slow-down warning Ppl also found out my X is still wearing dealer's temporary licence plate
So you should be just fine. Check/change oil/fluids tho. And...U r in TX anyway, perfect temp for outdoor fun lol
PS: endless waiting for my personal licence plate...

DGlory

Yeah... unfortunately its coming up on Saturday and I just found out about it. I'm not sure how much time I will have during the week. Do you think I can get away with changing oil after or is it really important to change it before?

Also, what kind of "better brake fluid" would you all recommend? If I don't get around to changing it before the track day, should I bring some with me in case I burn it off?


But, I appreciate the encouragement. I've been dying to take the car out since I got it a few months back

Vivid Racing

iTrader: (98)

as the other said, check the fluids and tire pressure
maybe remove some parts to save a little weight
have you thought about maybe a bbk, sway bars or strut bars?

-anthony?

L888Apex

iTrader: (94)

a big brake kit wtf LOL^^^

definitely change the oil before you go to the track

L888Apex

iTrader: (94)

here's my track "checklist":
Note: Many of these things don't apply to a person in a street car, so don't worry about it if you don't have a neck brace, for instance.
Required
• Helmet! - a very bad (and easy) thing to forget
• Tech form - Important
• Car Numbers – required on both sides of the car and rear, a minimum of eight inches high (we will have racer’s tape available at the track for this purpose)
• Tow hook installed or tow point established
• Cotton or Nomex clothing ONLY. No leather or synthetics allowed.

Highly Recommended (not strictly required)
• Driving Suit or long sleeve cotton shirt and cotton pants (although we allow short sleeve shirts and shorts, it is highly discouraged and potentially harmful in the case of an accident)
• Fire Extinguisher
• Extra Brake pads
• Brake fluid
• Drinking Water
• Engine Oil - bring a quart or two, just in case
• Hat - for Sun
• Sunglasses
• Sun Screen
• Folding chair

Optional
• Duct tape
• Distilled Water - Radiator
• EZ-UP Canopy - Ideally there would be one for every 4 cars or so, because the sun can be brutal. Hopefully everyone who has one will bring one (and it makes you very popular too).
• Windex - You will kill many bugs on your way to the track.
• Brake Bleeder line
• Racing Neck Brace
• Racing shoes
• Camera
• Hose Clamps
• Jack
• Jack stands
• Jumper Cables
• Service manual
• Torque wrench
• Other tools (sockets, wrenches, pliers...)
• Grease
• Hand Soap
• Ice chest
• Map/directions/phone number of hotel
• Map/directions/phone number of track
• Paper Towels
• Rags
• Run Flat aerosol cans
• Tie Wraps
• Stopwatch
• Race tires
• Spare tire - you never know
• Tire pump
• Tire pressure gauge
• Tire pyrometer
• Flashlight
• Funnel for oil
• Gloves – disposable

healthynine

iTrader: (3)

The track days I've done all have required the lugs to be properly torqued. If you don't have a torque wrench, there are usually other people who have them.

L888Apex

iTrader: (94)

here's some more:

Driving Techniques For HPDE Beginners and Amateurs - WHAT TO DO & NOT TO DO



DON'T:

-Do NOT be a "thumb-hooker". I know this sounds weird, but I have noticed that sometimes it is comfortable to "hook" your thumb through the steering wheel while driving instead of holding the wheel at 10 and 2. This may be fine and dandy, but if something should jolt your wheel (burm, rock, debris) it will be harder to react with your hands not on the wheel properly.

-Do NOT drive as if this is competitive racing. There is a difference between wheel-to-wheel racing and HPDE. Please be mindful that even if you are a hot shoe, that doesn't mean that everyone around you knows what is going on.

-Do NOT run race harnesses without a roll bar w/ a proper harness bar. There are some harnesses deemed okay with just harness bars, but I think there is only one and its the Schroth ones. Sparco/Takata/Sabelt etc are all designed with use of a roll bar. (You can get more info off the NASA web site.) I am not talking about Cusco/safety 21 here either because honestly that's an appearance item. I know you see folks running them to their back seats and using them with only a harness bar and it's not safe.

**Most harnesses are also street illegal, due to the fact that if you have them on properly you won't be able to see behind you because your shoulder will be strapped down to the seat back.**

-Do NOT run fixed back seats without a roll bar - Again this is not deemed safe. You can get this info straight off the Nasa website.

-Do NOT run a cage with any bars forward of the B-pillar for a street car. Yes cages look cool, but they are meant for use with a helmet. Even padding the bar won't help you if your noggin hits it.

-Do NOT admire the scenery while on the track.

-Do NOT lift mid apex

-Do NOT lift don't lift and don't lift

-Do NOT feel the need to heel-toe shift (yet) - When you first start out there are so many other things to pay attention to than this. Just try and take a smooth line even if it was in a higher gear. More important things to remember were where the apexes are (find a landmark shrub, mark on the floor etc) and to try and get a feel for the track and the corner entry speeds.

-Do NOT feel bad about yourself when you get passed by seemingly slow cars. It will happen and that is inevitable. Even though your car can beat these slower cars, that doesn't mean your driving skill is good enough to do it yet. Don't worry about it so much. Think of it as motivation to get more seat time because that is the only thing that will get you to go faster.

-Do NOT follow other people's lines - If you are a beginner, then more than likely so is the guy in front of you. So following somebody else's line probably isn't a good idea.

-Do NOT get caught in "Chase" mode - Yah when somebody passes you, your instinct is to overtake them. Do not "chase" people, because once again this is NOT racing and more than likely will land you off the track or in a tire wall.

-Do NOT lift-throttle-oversteer unless it's intentional

-Do NOT try and "save" the car when you already have a wheel or two off.

-If you put two wheels off, DO NOT yank it back onto the track. Continue to drive the car straight and do not lift off abruptly. If you do yank it back on, once those two wheels get tarmac traction again the car will shoot off whatever way you are yanking the car.

-Do NOT drive on R-comps until you have out driven good street tires. If you are fast enough to overheat Azenis and feel that the tires are limiting you, then by all means go for it if you feel ready. But do not go to a track day on R-comps early in your first year or so of HPDE because just like a good handling car can hide mistakes, so do good tires. R-comps save you from bad lines and will mask bad driving techniques. Although you will be faster than on street tires, you will be limiting your driver progression. Street tires expose driver error and that's how you should learn. Not to mention for the most part R-comps don't squeal and don't give as much warning when they are breaking loose.

-Do NOT go to the track with stock brakes, fluid or pads - they will overheat fade and possibly drop to the floor when you need them most.

-Do NOT pull up the ebrake when you pull into the hotpits to park your car. The brakes gets really really hot even after the cool down lap. So make sure you bring a piece or wood, brick, or some sort of tire choke to prevent car from moving.

-Do NOT race drunk or high. You are not only endangering yourself, but you are endangering the lives of others!
Porsche vs Mustang NEMESIS!!!!! LQ | HQ


-Do NOT underestimate sleep the night before.

-Do NOT overdrive car. Keep it safe. Never 10/10ths

-Do NOT attempt in a late pass if given a late point by. It can make it a hairy situation as speeds will increase, less time for braking, tighter turning. All bad for beginners.

-Do NOT bring any work, personal, family problems to the track. We need everyone to have a clear mind.

-Do NOT try and learn how to left foot brake for the first time at the track!!!!

-Do NOT hesitate to ask fellow track enthusiast for tips or help on anything. We are all here to learn and help one another.



DO'S:

-Do plan to go SLOW. In addition to the comments above about not racing, focus on feel and smoothness. If you go out to the track for the first few times and keep telling yourself that you're going to go smooth and sow, you'll find yourself being very safe...and actually very fast without realizing!

-Do make sure you do ALL your braking and downshifting in a straight line before you turn in.

-Do be smooth with Braking and Throttle (including releasing brake to apply throttle), tires are sensitive to abrupt changes and this smoothness will reward you in faster/predictible cornering.

-Do keep your calm as a driver when you get passed and running your own race seems important.

-Do put your ego aside ... There's always someone faster

-Do look waaaay ahead, not right in front of the car

-Do look where you want to go: the car will follow where your eyes are focused. This sounds obvious but it helps tremendously.

-Do try to always be smooth with steering inputs/gas/brakes. Nothing abrupt, but firm.

-Do look for all of the flagmen and acknowledge them on the first lap during the first session and last lap of last session.

-Do get Motul and race pads. It will make your experience much better and you wont regret doing the upgrade first.

-Do learn the car with street tires. It will give you the building blocks and the experience for when you end up going to stickier tires. Many people jump right into R compounds and experience the higher cornering speeds they can offer, however, if you don't have the experience to know what to do when bad things happen, they will happen at a MUCH faster rate and you will run out of talent very quickly, and possibly learn an expensive lesson or worse yet, hurt yourself.

-Do check rotor thickness before going out

-Do check pad thickness before going out.

-Do drink lots of fluids as you will dehydrate throughout the day. Bring 1gal + fluids.

-Do be open to feedback and listen to your instructors/coaches.

-Do take in car video of yourself (if possible) so you can review when you get home. GREAT LEARNING TOOL. Learn from what you did wrong and continue doing what you did right.

-Do make sure you have a good nights sleep, as the tiredness in later session will get you, causing you to make mistakes.

-Do acknowledge the faster car behind you and point them by the next possible passing zone.

-Do make the point by EARLY.

-Do make your presence known to car in front that you are intending to pass.

-Do show gratitude for the car in front that let you passed (hand raise, thumbs up). They would probably give you the point by again if you are nice and not a dick.

-Do hold steering wheel at the 9 and 3 o' clock and both hands on steering wheel as much as you can.

-Do make sure your seating position is correct and comfortable and not gangsta lean .

-Do get off the racing line if you are spilling fluid ASAP.

-Do use your judgment and common sense on and off the track.

-Do HAVE FUN!!!

-Do thoroughly inspect your car both before and after the event (tires, brakes, fluids, etc)

-Do make sure you retorque lug nuts after every session when you get to the paddock. It will come loose due to heat.

-Do check tire pressures after each session. Make sure you bleed off to the correct hot pressures.

-Do make sure you have the chin strap secured before going onto the track. Helmet does you no good if it flies off during impact.

-Do make sure you have at least above 1/3 fuel before going onto the track.

-Do make sure your tires (r comps) are warmed up by taking 1/2 lap to do so.

-Do make sure your race pads are warmed up by taking 1/2 the lap to do so.

-Do make sure you use the full width of the track, you paid for it.

-Do make sure you have the basic tools like torque wrenches, wrenches, screw drivers, etc.. just in case something came loose or pops off.



Enjoy...

goforwand

iTrader: (132)

If it's your 1st time on a race track, you will be a bit overwhelmed so don't be surprised!

Along with the "to-do" "not-to-do" lists previously posted, one of the most important thigs to do is to seek out your instructor well in advance of your on-track session.

A 10 minute talk with your instructor will give him/her a good baseline as to your level of experience, a sense of your car's capabilities, and how you best take instruction. Most good instructors will try to seek you out, but sometimes it get very busy and you can get lost in the shuffle.

If you don't already have an idea of the concepts of "break points" "turn-in" "track out" "late or early apex", etc., become familiar with the concepts as it will help you quite a bit in terms of understanding the instruction.

Search Vimeo or You Tube for in-car videos of the track you are running at as some of the High-Def examples can really give you a good sense of where you are. Believe me, if the track has a lot of turns it will be easy to feel lost out there the first time.

Most of all, have fun....it's a slippery slope

hammerevo

iTrader: (1)

The NASA do's and don't's above are a great resource to read before going out on your first track day. Just take it easy and learn the line of the track, don't try to push it or get over confident your first time. Focus on being smooth first, be predictable and aware of other cars and speed will come later. Check your tire pressures before and after your sessions.

p.s. - don't set your parking brake after your session either.

Have Fun.