First Time Trackday

[Konrad]

Hi all,

Getting on the track for the first time next month, got a couple of questions

What sort of helmet is best?? I would think open faced, and they need to be ADR approved right? and motorbike style helmets, just they'res some nice open surfing helmets etc.. on ebay. Where do you buy them from?? any other places than motobike shops (who charge an arm and a leg).

was thinking something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Excellent-Black-ARA...1QQcmdZViewItem

Searched for tyre pressure and could only find one post where they said 40psi is best - i have hankook k104 235/45/18s on the front and falken ziex (yes crap i know) 265/35/18s on the back.

Any other advice for a track noob??

Cheers smile.gif

(I posted this in the club motorsport section but seems pretty quiet there, apologies to mods for crossposting)

[predator]

I bought mine from cash converters for $40. It has the correct AS standard rating. They usually have a few at cheap prices. But I can understand if you would want to buy a new one, but it will cost you.

Just check all your fluids.. most importantly coolant and brake fluid.

It would depend on your tyres as to what pressure. For ze326, they are crap like you say, so it won't matter too much.

I tend to run 32psi cold.. which equates to a few psi above that warm. Seems to work for me.

[maccattack]

As far as helmets go - the best you can get for the money you want to spend. Lets face it, you wear it in case of a crash - a sh1t helmet will give you sh1t protection. That being the case, I know we all buy budget. Try the likes of Tyretech and Revolution. Both have good cheap helmets.

As far as tyre pressures goes, people would have recommended around 40psi because it is safest. Probably not the best for performance, but it ensures that if you hit a ripple strip sideways, it is not going to peel the tyre off the rim and flip the car. Once you are more comfortable with the track work, you can probably start reducing pressures to suit the conditions.

As Predators said, fluids are important. Keep them cool and always make sure you have pressure (especially oil).

With the temperatures these days, there is a fair chance you may run out of brakes - they tend to boil fairly quickly. If they start feeling doughy, be real careful. All of a sudden they can just dissappear completely.

I always use an octane booster for detonation protection on the track. Wspecially if its going to be fairly hot.

Best advice is to start slow and build up. Nerves usually make you go like a scalded cat right from the get go, but just pace yourself at around 75% of what you feel you can do, then build it up.

You only need one fast lap to count.

Have fun.

[TokyoTaxi]

All that has been said is spot on and some more things to remember are that when you are doing your cool-down lap and while coming into the pits, stay as alert as you were at speed cause I've seen a few people come off / crash during a cool-down session. Also remember to NOT apply your handbrake when parked in the pits As soon as you get there, look around for a brick or large rock to chock your tyre so the car won't move.

[RBFIRE]

IMO, and experienced,

Invest ur money into a decent helmet, trail and test for the 1 that fits and comfortable.

As u dont want to spend most of ur time on the tracks feeling uncomfortable, and where in emergency, it save life, beter than 2nd hands, sometime they not.

[fresh]

why no handbrake in the pits ???

something to do with brake heat ??? can u elaborate please

[scathing]

Your brakes will still be hot when you come off, even with a cool-down lap.

If you pull the handbrake (especially on Nissans that tend to use the caliper rather than a separate drum), all the heat from the rotor gets transferred through your pads.

Problems I've heard range from the pad fusing to the rotor to the heat boiling your fluid and damaging it.

[scathing]

A surfer's helmet will not cut it. For private track days, where they don't really scrutineer, if a surfy helmet looks like a car/bike one you might get away with it. But if anyone checks, you won't be allowed out.

Of course, in case of an accident you may as well not be wearing it.

At a startup level there's not much in it between open and closed face. Open face will keep some body temps down since its not trapping your breath, but to be honest you won't notice it. I personally don't like open face helmets, but if rally drivers can get away with it then it can't be all bad.

[scathing]

As people have said, keep an eye on your gauges. If stuff runs outside of its normal parameters, back off. Give it a lap or two to cool down. If my car goes a bit weird, I'll use half throttle and short shift on the straights, and gently brake a second or two early so I can take the corners slower.

Which leads me on to my next point. For the love of God check your mirrors! And if someone catches you, find somewhere safe to let them pass. You're not racing for position, so if people go to pass you don't take it as some insult to your manhood and try something heroic.

There's nothing more frustrating on the road than getting stuck behind some slow poke who decides to baulk you - the track is no different.

Being passed does not make you look like a dickhead; running off the road or blowing something up and needing to be towed off will. Everyone will get pulled off the circuit and they'll line the pit wall to watch the tow truck come out and get you, knowing they're losing valuable track time because of you.

[scathing]

Where do you buy them from?? any other places than motobike shops (who charge an arm and a leg).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can also get cheapish new helmets from bike stores these days. They're missing most of the vinyl rice that the expensive ones come with, but I'm pretty sure some guys have picked up new helmets for $200-$300. Which is not unreasonable.

[Konrad]

Thanks for the advice everyone

Never thought about the handbrake, guess i'll bring a wheel chock and leave the car in gear in the pits...

Everything else i already put down to common sense.

Damn $300 for a helmet, was hoping i could get one cheaper than that.. ah well Wanting to get open faced cos i would have thought it would be easier to see out of (and the temperature thing as someone mentioned).

Apart from the wheels my cars got tanabe coilovers, strut brace, slotted dba discs on the front, dba ultimate pads front / premium rears, short shifter, r34GTT intercooler, 10psi and around 170rwkw. Not intending to push it too hard as its the only car i got

One other thing- obvioulsy it would be stupid to drive with the a/c on but i'm pretty sure most still drive with the windows up (unless drifting with one hand hanging out lol).. is that correct?? must get hot in there :lol:

[Abo Bob]

Air con turns off on full trottle anyway and most tracks make you keep your windows up. It does get hot but not unbearable. It's not an issue.

[scathing]

A lot of pit areas will be flat because they know its an issue, but bring your own bricks just in case. I use the space saver tyre. On a related (heat) note, it shouldn't be an issue on most tracks but don't park your car on the grass. While unlikely, there's still an off chance you could start a fire.

A modern closed face helmet will not block your vision appreciably, and definitely not in areas you care about. Left and right, the opaque parts start outside of your peripheral vision so you don't lose anything there. Top and bottom might be blocked off a little, but that just means you can't see your roof lining and the logo on your steering wheel.

I will normally drive with the windows down so I can hear the wind and engine noise better. While it does mess with your aerodynamics and means you might go a little slower, I don't think most of us are quick enough to notice in lap times.

The only time I've ever wound the windows up is for the main straight of Eastern Creek. I'm not sure if it was just because I was trying and braking later or because of the improved Cd, but I did pull an extra 5km/hr top speed.

But if the difference between window up and window down is from 197km/hr to 203km/hr on the longest straight on a NSW track (that's also downhill), I'll keep my window down and my ventilation up. I also keep the visor up on my helmet, so I get some flow onto my face.

The rule on the race tracks I've driven on (the Creek, Wakefield and Oran) is the window is either entirely up or entirely down. Wakefield insists that if you're carrying a passenger on one of their private days, their window has to be up (the driver's can be down).

You'll generally only be sprint racing, or maybe doing a 15 minute practice session. Cabin temps should not an issue, especially since you're not wearing the 4 layers of fireproof suit that pro racers do. You could always go out with the windows up and try and do some hot laps, and the wind them back down when you do some cool-down laps.

Edited January 25, 2006 by scathing

[Ant97GTR]

Also some officials specify the window is down so you can indicate to a faster car which side to overtake on.

[predator]

QR has a dead flat pit area.. you will have no need to even think about the handbrake.

you'll get hot.. but the adrenaline will be pumping so you won't care

[FATGTS-R]

Great info guys. Looking at participating in a track day myself.

Can somebody tell me why some people race with the heater on full blast?

[scathing]

Can somebody tell me why some people race with the heater on full blast?

Because they're insane?

Some cars don't have dedicated heater elements for HVAC. They just filter air from the engine bay when you ask for heat. So some people turn the heater up full blast to help cool the engine bay down.

You'd be best off finding out how your car's HVAC obtains hot air before considering it yourself.

[blind_elk]

I always run with the window down. Helps me stay cool, and allows easy hand signals to other drivers if they want to pass me.

Get the best helmet you can afford - it's your head, after all. And really, the cost is almost irrelevant - over the life of the helmet. you will spend much more on mods, maintenance, entry fees, fuel.

[Konrad]

But if the difference between window up and window down is from 197km/hr to 203km/hr on the longest straight on a NSW track (that's also downhill),

Wouldn't bathursts conrod straight be longer

[fresh]

but bathurst isn't a dedicated track, its a public road, so u probably can't go to a track day on it