Track Day Newbie

Gansan

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Interesting - reading between the lines - are there actually groups that let a 100% newbie run without an instructor?
Never heard of such a thing.

Generally you have to "earn" solo and then of course "earn" intermediate.

Heck even after 20 track days and SCCA racing I still want an instructor the first time I go to a track.
You cut your learning curve in half or better.

And last thought - if they insist on "class" I guess just suck it up but don't expect much. Just another shi$#y meeting the devolves into nonsense. Most groups have dropped them I think? I'm pretty sure all have for Int. and above?
Just my experience, but there are occasionally some poorly run track groups that are horrendous for a beginner. They literally just throw beginners on the track and will only casually suggest an instructor as an option. I am guessing they expect everyone to already have experience.

I accompanied some first timer friends to a track event where they did this. I was worried for my friends' sake--that they weren't really learning how to drive safely and they were basically beginners without instructors. I spent the day unofficially instructing them but I was just one guy and there's only so much I could do.
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billabongrob

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I’ve found PCA in the Texas region has some of the best instructors. I still like an instructor/friend to ride and coach with my occasionally. Stay out of the sun when possible and drink plenty of water. Helps with fatigue. Plan your pee breaks according to your schedule. Print 2 copies of your schedule and be mindful of your time.

chin is also a great value as they do some extended and/or overlapping sessions. Great club in my opinion. Honestly, I had great luck running as a novice with PCA and then once I was a little more familiar/comfortable/not-a-hazard I started exploring other clubs that offered cheaper track time.
 

willskiGT

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You won't (can't) warp rotors from having the parking brake on, but you can get some nasty pad deposits.

Heater will definitely stave off any overheating, especially in the lower temps of winter.

Get track day insurance. It's ~$150 for the day with a 10% deductible (so $3500 if the car is worth $35k), but being out $3500 is much better than being out $35k because someone hit you / dropped fluids on the track / etc. Your normal insurance will not cover any usage on track.

Turn VSA fully off so you don't eat the rear pads (especially inner pads).
 
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fatherpain

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Does knowing how to heel-toe help at the track? I’ve never done this so would have to learn if it’s needed, heh.
 

willskiGT

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Does knowing how to heel-toe help at the track? I’ve never done this so would have to learn if it’s needed, heh.
Auto blipper is faster/better than doing it yourself.

I have Rev Match turned off when DDing or on mountain runs because it's more engaging to heel-toe, but I leave it on while on track.
 


fatherpain

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I have rev match turned off all the time. Have watched some YouTube vids on heel-toeing and have the Acuity pedal spacer but have not tried the technique.

My feet aren’t all that big and I’m a crappy dancer so dunno if I have the needed foot coordination to pull it off, heh.
 

JESFromASC

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You won't (can't) warp rotors from having the parking brake on, but you can get some nasty pad deposits.

Heater will definitely stave off any overheating, especially in the lower temps of winter.

Get track day insurance. It's ~$150 for the day with a 10% deductible (so $3500 if the car is worth $35k), but being out $3500 is much better than being out $35k because someone hit you / dropped fluids on the track / etc. Your normal insurance will not cover any usage on track.

Turn VSA fully off so you don't eat the rear pads (especially inner pads).
So running the heater when it is cold out is a good idea!

Last time I checked (mid - 2019) full insurance coverage for a track day was close to $850.00.

This is a newbie thread - leave the VSA alone for now. (That way maybe you won't need that insurance coverage) You won't be wearing anything out for your first track day...
 

willskiGT

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So running the heater when it is cold out is a good idea!

Last time I checked (mid - 2019) full insurance coverage for a track day was close to $850.00.

This is a newbie thread - leave the VSA alone for now. (That way maybe you won't need that insurance coverage) You won't be wearing anything out for your first track day...
I did a track day in September 2019 and got coverage through RLI / Hagerty for $160.

Agreed value was $36,000 and my deductible was $3600 (10%).

I would say other than a good helmet and an instructor, HPDE insurance is probably the most important thing to have at a track day if you are driving your DD or really any non-dedicated race car.

There are several providers, so search for the best deal before you buy. Additional days are usually a lot cheaper (for example, my 1-day policy was $160, but a 2-day policy was just $245 and 3-day was $300).

Pricing is based on agreed value, so if you track something more expensive than a CTR, it can get expensive quickly - a friend who attended the same track day paid nearly $700 for his 2019 M5 Competition.


On the VSA front - I think the car handles more predictably with it off. I always leave it on when doing mountain runs or in daily use, but always turn it off on the track.

But rear stability can be an issue with this car if you get the weight transferred up front and have a quick transition or decreasing radius corner. Personally, I like that as you can really rotate the car by trail braking (and the stock tires understeer horribly when up to temp), but maybe a bit much for a newbie.
 

JESFromASC

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I did a track day in September 2019 and got coverage through RLI / Hagerty for $160.

Agreed value was $36,000 and my deductible was $3600 (10%).

I would say other than a good helmet and an instructor, HPDE insurance is probably the most important thing to have at a track day if you are driving your DD or really any non-dedicated race car.

There are several providers, so search for the best deal before you buy. Additional days are usually a lot cheaper (for example, my 1-day policy was $160, but a 2-day policy was just $245 and 3-day was $300).

Pricing is based on agreed value, so if you track something more expensive than a CTR, it can get expensive quickly - a friend who attended the same track day paid nearly $700 for his 2019 M5 Competition.


On the VSA front - I think the car handles more predictably with it off. I always leave it on when doing mountain runs or in daily use, but always turn it off on the track.

But rear stability can be an issue with this car if you get the weight transferred up front and have a quick transition or decreasing radius corner. Personally, I like that as you can really rotate the car by trail braking (and the stock tires understeer horribly when up to temp), but maybe a bit much for a newbie.
Well at that price it is certainly worth it!
I can't recall who I looked at but when I was done with all the check boxes it got too pricy to say yes.
 

Gansan

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Well at that price it is certainly worth it!
I can't recall who I looked at but when I was done with all the check boxes it got too pricy to say yes.
Just out of curiosity I got a Hagerty quote for Buttonwillow Raceway, Willow Springs, and AAA/California Speedway. They were all the same amount. With no time trial coverage it was $202.

Honda Civic 10th gen Track Day Newbie Screen Shot 2020-01-17 at 4.46.02 PM
 


MadMage

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A little necromancy, but totally on topic...

Tire Pressure, for a totally stock '20 CTR. What should I be looking at 33/35 or go higher or... And I assume to check/adjust pressure shortly before each run?

Someone also mentioned to watch tire temperature... How to do that?
 

Gansan

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A little necromancy, but totally on topic...

Tire Pressure, for a totally stock '20 CTR. What should I be looking at 33/35 or go higher or... And I assume to check/adjust pressure shortly before each run?

Someone also mentioned to watch tire temperature... How to do that?
I had good luck with approximately 36 front, 34 rear hot pressures. Some people run very high pressures in an attempt to stop the sidewalls from rolling over, but at the track I was on it didn't seem too bad.

You should check your pressures immediately after each run, before they cool down. You want the hot pressures because that's going to track most closely to what is happening while you're driving.

1. Start with stock 35/33 in the first session as a baseline. Note that as the tires warm up, they will become overinflated.
2. At the end of the session, come back to the paddock and immediately check your pressures. Take notes on what the pressures were so that in the future you know how much they will rise. They will likely have risen 6-8 psi while you were driving. Let out enough air to get the pressure to what you are targeting on track, such as 36/34.
3. Go out in the next session and check pressures again immediately after. As the day warms up, you'll find that the pressures will be higher than what you were targeting so you'll likely need to let out more air as the day goes on.
4. At the end of the day, make sure to put air back in your tires so that they aren't underinflated on the drive home. In my case, the tires continued to cool down on the drive home and I got low pressure warnings from the dash. I think adding a couple of extra psi before starting on the way home won't hurt.
 

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Wow! 36/34 seems really high for a starting air pressure. I don't know about these cars yet. I would have assumed a 28 or 30 psi for a starting psi, targeting 34-36 psi hot.

Any reason why the pressures start this high on these cars? I have never had a car that worked well starting at that high of a temp because the pressure gets too high too quick. Maybe its different with these cars because of huge oem wheels they put on them.

I will be using 18" wheels with 265/35/18 tires...maybe the high psi is for the stock tire and wheel set up because there is such a thin sidewall?

Take your pressures immediately after you come off track, if your pressures get into the 40s, I think this is too high.
 

MadMage

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Any reason why the pressures start this high on these cars?
Stock/OEM wheels are 35 front 33 rear regularly (see door sticker). Didn't know if I should go higher for the sidewall issue.

Thanks @Gansan for the details, appreciate it :)
 

Gansan

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Wow! 36/34 seems really high for a starting air pressure. I don't know about these cars yet. I would have assumed a 28 or 30 psi for a starting psi, targeting 34-36 psi hot.

Any reason why the pressures start this high on these cars? I have never had a car that worked well starting at that high of a temp because the pressure gets too high too quick. Maybe its different with these cars because of huge oem wheels they put on them.

I will be using 18" wheels with 265/35/18 tires...maybe the high psi is for the stock tire and wheel set up because there is such a thin sidewall?

Take your pressures immediately after you come off track, if your pressures get into the 40s, I think this is too high.
Nono! I was trying to say 36/34 HOT! :D

Yes 28 or 30 starting sounds about right, but I feel that starting from stock pressure lets a new driver understand what’s going on and how much their driving style raises temps, rather than starting from an unfamiliar place of underinflation.

i always consider the first session of the day a warm up and calibration session.
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