First track day? Read this...
 

The miata (any year) bone stock is a great car to take to the track. There are however a few items that need to be added to insure your safety and a good time. The first item is a hardtop or rollbar. Most places are going to require that you have a rollbar. You can get those from place like boss frog or hard dog. Some events only require a hardtop, this is up to you. The hardtop is not a saftey item and will not protect you in a crash.

http://www.bossfrog.biz/

http://www.bethania-garage.com/why.htm

Next is a decent helmet, most hpde groups will let you run a motorcycle helmet (m2005), an auto racing helmet is accepted everywhere (sa2005/sa2010). The nice thing about a sa rated helmet is that you can use it later if you move up to time trial or wheel to wheel racing. Make sure it is comfortable, so you might want to try it on first. If not they can be ordered from many places like...

http://www.saferacer.com/

http://www.racedaysafety.com/

The easiest way to ruin a track day is failing tech. Make sure your car is in decent condition for the track. Most org's will have their tech sheet up on their website.

http://www.pdadrivingschool.com/down...TECH_SHEET.pdf

The next easiest way to ruin a track day is to have crappy brakes or fluid. Make sure the temp rating on the fluid is higher for track duty like Motul or ATE. Make sure to do your clutch fluid while your in there.

http://949racing.com/motulrbf600.aspx

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/acces...tail.jsp?ID=21

Brakes are also very important, there are many choices out there that will normally fit the bill. Stay away from pads that offer little benefit over something from autozone ie ebc green stuff, hawk hps, etc. Some pads like Cobalt Friction XR will work fine with rotors that have old pad material on them making it cheaper to just switch them before the track day. Some offer very little rotor where or corrosive dust and can be drivin on the street like Carbotechs XP line, though they do require fresh rotors. Don't cheap out on pads or fluid, it will bite you later.

http://thmotorsports.com/cobalt_fric...shoppingengine

http://949racing.com/carbotech-miata-brakes-94-05.aspx

Rotors might be required if yours are in bad shape or if your running something like carbotech pads. The cheapest rotor is fine for 99% of the guys going to the track. Pick them up locally from any autoparts store.

http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/...ek+Google+Base

The next weakest link will be the tires you are on. There are many opinions on which is best for what. Most hpde type groups won't let new guys on the track unless you have decent tread. If you do decide to take your all seasons or low end tires out there just remember that they will probably only last 1 track day before they are toast. If you want to put a tire on that can serve dual duty street/track look for lower tread wear ratings and larger blocks of tread. Some examples of these might be Hankook RS3, Bridgestone RE-01, Kuhmo XS, Federal 595RSR, Dunlop Star Spec, Nitto NT05, etc. Try to stay away from more aggresive tires like Hoosiers, Toyo RA1, Nitto NT01 until you have a decent amount of track time under your belt, you'll know when your ready.

These items will make your track day a blast without breaking the bank. Getting on track is the next part. Go to youtube and watch videos of people running the track your going to. After picking someone to run with that has a beginners group. Make sure you bring some basic tools for rotating tires, checking psi, tightening hoses, etc. Bring lots of water, snacks, sunscreen, long sleeve cotton shirt and jeans, and good shoes. Also make sure that you run very little if no antifreeze at the track. You will ruin everyones day if you dump it out due to a blown hose on one of the corners. There are also some things to remember so that people don't hate you after your session.

full tank of gas
grab an instructor
listen to the instructor
check your mirrors
give point bys quickly
drive in your limits
no red mist
be humble, no one likes a cocky newb

Last but still very important, use the search function on this forum. Almost any question you have has been asked and answered 35 times in the last year. You could build an entire podium finishing race car without posting a single question if you read enough. 99% of you will not have anything ground breaking to offer. Make sure to update your lap times in the sticky and post youtube footage for critique.

Sticky?

Another suggestion I have is for beginners is to try and learn the flags before a track day. Though whichever track day organization you are going through will go over the flags briefly, learning them before the track day when you are not as excited and anxious about getting on track will probably stick in your head more. Make sure you pit when you are black flagged and make sure you pit when you are checkered. If you miss the pit when your group is checkered, the next group will have to wait until you make it around the track one extra time before they go out. The schedule is tight and you don't want to screw the other groups out of the time on track that they paid for.

http://www.scca-chicago.com/pdx/track_flags.html

And NEVER ask to go solo with only 2 or 3 track weekends under your belt... sure you might be able to then, but there's still so much to learn from good instruction - even if you have years of track time - there's always someone better, or you'd be a pro.

Done, but we're keeping it on topic, sorry Hustler. Good thread jacob300zx, although I'd edit the part about helmets to add that most clubs rent helmets for ~$10 a day. I'd rather have that than a bunch of newbs in their dirt bike helmets.

Everyone, let's keep it clean and on topic please.

Look, Listen, and Learn... I don't care how fast you think you are. There's always someone faster. Lots of free info to be had from the veteran's, use it.

At the same time I think it's good to get a little seat time with you alone in the car since it'll handle different without 200 lbs of sweaty man in the passenger seat. I was amazed at the difference, I had to add another shift in on one of the straights at Mid Ohio once I was on my own for a session.

Finding a youtube/vimeo video of the track helped me immensely to know what to expect at the track as far as layout goes. You'll still be pretty lost out there but I think it helped me get a hang for which turns were where.

Dammit someone post a good VIR Patriot video....

/\ That's easy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62_890RnQ8I

My quickie advice for the first few track days, besides finding an instructor you like, worry more about learning the racing lines, proper shifting and braking points than trying to go fast! Driving the right lines smoothly is huge. If you TRY to go fast you likely won't. The old adage "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" applies completely.

What means this?

Road rage, losing control due to anger, etc.

First Track Day
 

This is a great post with a lot of useful information. I've been coaching DE's since 2006 and agree with everything said. A couple things I would like to add:

1) Get plenty of rest the night before. Don't drink any alcohol the night before either.

2) Make sure your car is ready to go before you get to the track. It's not any fun having to work on it at the track.

3) Pace yourself on track. You're not going to break any track records, so learn your lines, brake points, turn-ins, apexs and track outs. The speed will come.

4) When giving a "point by" you need to lift off the throttle to let the car pass you. Too many times to count that a Vette or Viper gives me a point by and never lifts. My 1.6 Miata is not going to out horsepower you in the straight, but I'll be on your tail within a couple turns or in the brake zone. This also applies to the lower HP cars as well. Two Miatas going down the straight . . . one may need to lift to let the "faster driver" by.

5) Ask your instructor if they have a communicator (headphone & mic for helmet to helmet communication). Some organizations offer these for rent, but they are cheap enough to buy (less than $100) and will make your driving experience better. You will be surprised at how much wind noise there is traveling at higher speeds and the windows down. Worse case if no communicator . . . work out some basic hand signals with your instructor prior to getting on track.

6) Last and certainly not least . . . HAVE FUN ! ! ! ! :laugh:

I'll offer my coaching to anyone on this forum if they plan on going to Sebring Raceway (short or long course), Roebling Road (Savannah, GA) or Daytona Speedway. These are the track I do most of my coaching and the organizations I work with are Chin Motorsports, PBOC, PCA & SCCA-PDX. Just PM me if you plan on going to any of these track in Florida or south Georgia and I'll check with my schedule.

Thanks for reading!
~ Chris

first track day?

bring plenty of patience and enthusiasm. few things not touched on very often. ask questions and trust your instructor that being said, you should feel comfortable asking why this line, that line? many turns have "workable" lines, playing with different lines is a good thing and helps improve track awareness, especially if something goes "wrong". people who feel you need to stay on their "line" at all times may not be as a adaptable to variable conditions.

This is not meat to take away from the importance of building consistency. if are not consistent you cant be taught to be faster need to slow down and figure how to build consistent at all costs.

if you are lucky enough to be one of the few that "get it" quickly understand a couple things.

alot is going on, some people dont pick it up as quickly. the guy who wont let you pass might not be trying to be a dick, he might just be overwhelmed. you can always pit to get away from a slow driver, try not to get upset, dealing with slower traffic is part of the deal so get used it it.

its not a contest to get signed off fast. many good instructors do ride alongs and have other instructors drive with them for fun and to get critiqued. something can always be improved. even if you are doing everything right, you can still work on something and your instructor can can be a valuable resource.

if you don't get along great with your instructor you should speak up. the event should be fun. however some of the hard ass instructors have the most to offer and will teach you the most if you do what they tell you. their job is to keep you safe and they are getting in a car with a noob on a race track. take a second to consider the potential risk they open themselves up to just to help tech you skills. they deserve respect. now if something does not seem right after a few sessions, speak up, ask your instructor to do a session with someone else, for comparison. good instructors will help arrange this for you and will not feel offended by your request. good instructors do not get asked this very often so it is not a big deal.

in 10 years I only had one student that was scary and would not listen to instruction. I had to get pretty aggressive, pull him off the track and demand he do as I say or he would be asked to leave the event early. this was for his safety and mine. after this little talk he was fine and learned alot. point is at a track like mid ohio, or any track, safety is key so if an instructor gets heated try to relax and do what they say.

Randomly...

--it's not a race
--take out your floor mats so they don't bunch up under your pedals
--consider buying a seat belt tensioner to better hold you in place
--bring lots of water or drinks with electrolytes, sunscreen and a folding chair
--check your tire wear at the edges to see how much tread you're using. It could be you, or you might just want to drop some air pressure to get max tread use. Someone on the forums or at the track can give you a good baseline.

Do you guys normally take out your floor mats, empty the glove box, spare tire, and jack for the track? All that crap weighs at least 50 lbs.

I take out the floor mats for safety. I leave everything else in because I am not racing competitively and the extra weight doesn't really matter.

most clubs require you to remove that (on the east coast at least).

Floor mats can slide forward and impede the pedal movement...not good. If anything else can break free in the cabin or trunk during hard driving, take it out.

I can feel the weight difference with all the "stuff" removed from the trunk.

Wha's usually in your trunk? :eek:

When I used to track my S2000, taking out the spare tire and tools made a noticeable difference. That's probably 50lbs hanging out in the trunk, and it just doesn't need to be there.

Excess weight in the trunk is why the MkIII MR2's lost the trunk and all the storage was forward of the cabin. The MKII has only a rear trunk and a bunch of weight hanging off the ass past the motor even increased the snap on throttle lift.

Newb question:

Looking at the tech sheet (bad link now, btw), it states that the seat/restraint system must be the same for driver and passenger if there is going to be a passenger/instructor. My driver's seat is a Recaro Profi SPG XL. Does that mean they would require me to have another Recaro SPG XL, or could I get something more economical like a Sparco Sprint?

Option three would be to put my shitty stock seat back in, but I'd rather not do that for a number of reasons.

Your passenger seat doesn't need to be the same as the driver seat, but it must be held to the same standards as the driver seat. So a Sparco Sprint in the passenger seat will be fine, such that it's mounting and harness is sufficient.

Stock seat wouldn't fly, if the instructor isn't very short.

Thanks, that's what I figured.

Guess I wasn't clear, I would be putting the stock seat back on the driver's side. Then both me and the instructor would be at the same standard of: pretty much going to die if anything happens.:hatecat:

not so fast. Different clubs have different rules so I would email or call the event coordinator to discuss. its pretty safe to say if the details page says the seats need to be the same perhaps you need to choose a different event. Personally Ive not seen such a rule but I have seen rules that state if the driver has a harness the instructor must have a harness and you cant really run a harness very well on stock seat or so many will claim. if you planning to get an instructor and are new to an event I suggest you follow their rules to avoid the unpleasantness of being told you can't run.

Even if they don't require matching safety for both seats, it's just good etiquette to do so. Get a passenger race setup or reinstall OEM safety on your side and don't drive at 11/10ths.

^This.

Remember that even though you paid for a track day, when the instructor comes over to your car he can still say "Nope," and turn and walk away. It can happen.

I changed my oil a little under 2600 miles ago, would it be better to change my oil before the track this weekend or should I just wait until after?

If your going to change it soon anyways, do it before the the event.

Really? My dad was saying the opposite, he said since I still have quite a few miles to go before I NEED to change it, I should just change it after the track. I figured I'd just check up on here and see what you guys have to say.

Changing your brake fluid is more important. Oil is cheaper than the metal it is protecting and I would rather have fresh oil protecting things if I am going to be stressing the engine.

That's a good point, yeah brake fluid/pads is the first thing I did in my prepping process but is it really necessary to change the oil if it's fairly fresh?

For your first track day? I doubt it, you're not going to be pushing the car nearly as hard as you think you are.

I'd change it afterwards. Save the $40.

Also from your other thread, stay on street tires as long as you can.

Definitely not my first track day. My pops and I used to share his car and switch off every session but I decided to build my own. I decided to wait until after and luckily my car made it home tonight. It ran great over the weekend! I only paid for saturday but the lady at registration gave me a pass for both days so I got a whole day of seat time for fucking free. It was a phenomenal first weekend in my miata at the track. I'll be posting some pictures and videos in the near future.
Yeah it'll probably be at least a year or two before I go with anything below TW200 but I definitely wanna try a set of NT01s when I get another set of wheels.

happens all the time. i instruct our local instructors to inspect the cars. if it looks questionable, walk away.


ehh i'm sure there will be one turn that you push too hard. on average yes you are correct. and beginners are harder on brakes then the pros are. lots of dragging the pedal= lots of heat. good race pads area a great idea.

What would turn away an instructor besides seats/harnesses? And yeah I found myself dragging the pedal a bit more than I should have in the beginning of the day. After a few sessions I realized my brake zones could be smaller and I could be much harder on the brakes. Also, my buddy told me Hawks HPS pads can hurt the paint on your wheels, is this true?

Slowing from 100 to 50, puts the same amount of energy into the brakes regardless of how long it takes.

The difference is the pros do it more quickly, so the brakes have more time leading up to and after the braking event to cool down.

Hawk DTCs have corrosive dust. I don't think the HPS does, but it's not a good track pad.

If you were at Norcal SAAC, it may have been me who said that about Hawks. I must have mistakenly assumed you were using DTCs for the track.

Yeah that makes more sense.
Yup that's definitely you! Small world man.

The corrosive dust is iron. ALL race pads have a high iron content. A rotor will expel iron dust too. Iron rusts when wet. So if your running race pads wash the dust off if you get cought in the rain. Or just run black wheels and don't care.

Yep. With dragging the pedal the components can leach heat. Heat can really get to the fluid.

some beginners have extra brake zones. Ive seen plently of guys brake where i am flat.
More experenced drivers will take a hypotetical turn at 80 and a beginner will take it at 40 so its a 100-80 vs a 80-40 stop. Trust me the higest rotor temp i ever recorded was from a first timer.1600* in the pits.


I advise them to follow the Nasa CCR. oem equipment isn't the best but there is noting you can do about it when working with drivers that have brand new bmw m3's for example. I advise instructors to walk if; they see a 4 point harness, the harnesses are not properly mounted, if the seat is aluminum (non-fia seat) and it's not braced, if the seat is missing bolts, if they see any tears in the equipment, and general things that involve poorly mounted or cared for equipment. i also advise them to ask how much pressure is in the tires. you would be surprised the answers we get to that one.

I passed on a Viper coupe with bald 2008 date code tires on a rainy morning a year ago. Vipers don't have traction or stability control, either.

Okay that makes a lot of sense. Out of curiosity, what are some of the more ridiculous tire pressures you've heard of?
LOL wow that sounds like a death trap.

"You're car is really pushing a lot in these turns, what pressure are you running?"
"48psi. Steering feel is awesome!, but yeah, it's pushing a lot, the tires are kind of old though."
"Wait, 48psi hot? That's definitely too high. How old are the tires?"
"Um, I put them to 48psi this morning, it's what the sidewall says. Do they change as the day goes on? And well, the Corvette is an 05, so yeah, 11 years old. But only 11k miles on these puppies."

Some form of this conversation happens about once a year with someone on track. We usually try to catch it in tech with the newbs, and I think they've been good about mentioning this stuff in classroom, first session, etc. But there's still that one guy. Hell, we had an HPDE 1 dude insist he be in the racer's meeting last weekend because he drives a... yep.... corvette. (disclosure, I fucking love vettes, my brother has a Z06 as his main track car and he's a great driver/instructor, but damn, too many 50 year old wannabes).

​12 was probably the worst. a good friend was worried and said his car's handling was unpredictable. i took out the tire gauge to find out that he had 12 psi in his passenger side rear tire. the rest where around 21-28psi hot. It's stupid but something beginners easily overlook.

I almost clobbered a Daytona prototype @ Daytona in the kink. Guy just bought the car. passed me like a champ on the outside of the first horseshoe. after that i thought he could drive, so i hung with him. heading into the kink he brakes hard, i'm normally flat so that was unexpected. i almost messed up 10G worth of carbon fiber with my plastic bumper.

Hahaha wow that's pretty bad...I did not expect to hear 48 cold lmfao
Holy shit that's gnarly. Well some cars can be flat through turns that other cars simply have to tap the brakes before they dive into the turn.

I had 2 Korean college students, one with poor English and one with very poor English at my last event. The weather was threatening to rain and a handful of instructors didn't show up so they were both assigned to me. Sigh. The one with poor English and 3 trackdays under his belt was supposed to follow me and the zero trackdays guy who didn't understand my words around Sebring. That's 17 turns to learn, folks, and some of them need serious braking or you just aren't going to make it through them. They were both new to the track and at some point in the day I was supposed to switch and ride with the more experienced guy, but nope. The newbie was so frighteningly inconsistent I couldn't leave him alone. Braking early sometimes and then very late sometimes, closing on cars that were beginning to brake because he wasn't applying enough pedal force even though last time through the same zone he over braked (broke?). I was a wreck trying to keep us from having one. Brake, Brake, BRAKE, MOAR BRAKE! I was hoarse even though I had an intercom.

It appeared that everyone took home a story from that guy. When i got to an event #1 i try to prepare the car as much as i can before i head to the track. #2 i try not to be "that guy". lots of point by's, giving of extra room. I race TT so sometimes staying to close can screw your lap, sometimes the draft, or following a faster car helps.

Yep, been there too. Blipshift ran my buddy's design two weeks ago on the very subject.
https://www.blipshift.com/products/H...m_campaign=new
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1461779692

i wouldn't have gotten into that car. if a student cant understand what i'm saying, i'm not going to risk my butt to try to teach him. he really needs a bilingual instructor, if the organisation doesn't have one tough cookies.

Hahaha that's a trip man. You're a brave soldier man fuck that, I would've walked away man. I don't wanna be in the car when they put their car in the wall.
Exactly. I'm there with you man, if there's a faster driver behind you then point them the fuck by. There's no reason to hold them up, if they weren't behind you the previous lap and now they're in your rear view mirror, chances are they're faster than you. Plus, like you said it can be a learning experience driving behind someone who's faster than you.
100% agree with this.

Probably could have passed it walking too right? I'm just assuming it was in a ditch.

I did pass it walking. I passed by saying, "I don't feel comfortable going out in this car in the rain." I told that to the student who had just acquired the car and was unfamiliar with its handling characteristics and he took it well. He agreed with me that he didn't want to hurt the car. We did go out in the afternoon once the track was dry and he proved to be a smooth, careful driver.

But yeah, a Viper wouldn't make it out of the wet grass in the paddock area faster than you could walk.

I just don't see a viper being a fun track car unless you're a very talented driver.

and loaded. $$$

Had a local guy trash his 2015 viper when a wheel broke at Savannah. I grabbed him after the crash and checked his gear. he said "i already have another on on the way". that guy can afford to race vipers. :P

Lol wow, speaking of vipers...here's a video of me from this past weekend. I was having some fun playing around with a viper at Thunderhill.

Here's another good resource for track day newbies. Maybe add to the first post?

For those who want to learn the craft, just make sure the car is well maintained with good street tires, fresh brake pads, fresh brake fluid. spend the money on track time not mods, especially not on big brakes! in my opinion, brakes are the best way to retard ones learning curve. Decent rotors, stock or performance street pads, and fresh fluid. beyond that you are only slowing your progression. Managing brake fade is a slippery slope, but in my opinion it can help force drivers to not over brake and learn momentum.

If you intend this to be your hobby embrace the process, spend the money on track days, mods are secondary to maintenance and consumables. Don't mod the hell out of a car only to realize you cant afford to put tires and brakes on it. I've had many friends get into track days and quickly washout and quit due to skyrocketing costs. talk to people who've been tracking for 20 years. they either have fuck you money or they've figured out a way to manage both car development and consumables responsibly.

My advise is to get several seasons of 5 or 10 track days each in a slow car under your belt so you understand how to manage and budget consumables and mods. you'll get way more out of driving a slow car fast then a fast car slow. get on track and prioritize changes based on your budget. don't make the mistake of blowing a bunch of money on the car before ever going on track. Sounds pretty lame I know but considering what is spent on track cars, the wash our rate is unbelievable. Your track car project will never be done, please don't try to tell yourself only xyz parts are needed. Please don't get a fancy paint job! for some reason new paint is a tire wall magnet!