[78yellow78]

Hi all. I have a couple questions. I'm completely new to track days and I'm trying to be a good, coachable information sponge. They may seem like dumb questions, but I haven't found a good answer in a search, so here goes.

1) what to wear. I'm thinking cotten tshirt and track warmup pants. Thin sole shoes i like to drive in? Am I missing important dress stuff? Its going to be hot i think.

2) any recommendations for in-cockpit gopro mount? I'd like something that can see the dash.

3) I put new dot4 brake fluid in my system last fall after installing line lock. Should I flush the system again before the track day?

4) I have a nice sim rig and I've practiced the track I'm going to quite a bit. Does sim seat time translate at all to real track experience? Can it hurt to have a lot of practice on the sim?

5) Any other advice for a total beginner going to my first event would be appreciated. I'm excited but kind of nervous.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

[SlamForce]

Hey I was in the same boat as you just a month ago. Check out this thread.

https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=633864

My quick take:
1: Pants, long sleeve shirt, helmet, shoes you can maneuver in (old running shoes for me), sunscreen. Gloves are nice but not needed. Bring snacks, water, chair, and hat for between sessions.
2. Do you have PDR, if so, no GoPro is needed.
3. Generally you should do full flush each year, and bled the brakes without fully flushing every event. I put in Motul RBF600 early this year, bled calipers after 2 track days and fluid was very dirty.
4. Can’t speak to sim racing, but track familiarity is helpful.
5. Ego to the side. Start slow. Ask a lot of questions. Learn, and practice. Have fun. A beginners mindset is always a great thing to have.

[TransamGTA350]

No dumb questions.

Agree with SlamForce on the recommendations. Most track day organizations recommend but don't require long sleeves. TShirt is OK, especially if it's really hot (also important to manage exhaustion from overheating).

I would recommend driving gloves. If you don't have time to get them before your first day, that's fine to go without, but they are very nice to use. Your hands will sweat and it just makes for a more comfortable grip on the steering wheel and shifter. Also, if you have Alcanterra wheel/shifter, it keeps it from getting matted down with palm sweat.

Bring a cooler with lots of water and some Gatorade or other sports drink. Make sure to hydrate between sessions.

If you did the brake fluid last year, I would do it again. How often you flush it depends a bit on which one you use. I like Castrol SRF, but's its pretty expensive. It's good for a full season between flushes and only occasional bleeding (I only bleed when I change pads)

Will you have an instructor riding right seat with you? I would highly recommend you do.

[78yellow78]

Thanks for the tips. No PDR. 1SS 1le. No instructor this time I don't think. Its a charity event with a novice group HPDE.

[Baddawg53]

My favorite camera is the Garmin catalyst. It's very user friendly, gives you the necessary data and the videos with overlays are very simple to download. It has a leaderboard on the app so you can see where stack up, and you can compare data graphs side by side which is a super nice feature, see where someone else may be gaining time/you losing it.

Tons of good advice here

[Msquared]

Good advice above. I'd go short sleeve if it's hot and the rules allow, just on the basis of comfort (I sweat a lot!). But check the organization's rules.

FWIW, the actual GoPro suction cup mount really will stay on the car at 130mph when mounted on the little 1/4-window behind the driver's window. With that view you at least get your steering inputs included. However, for an interior view I've just switched to using the Tackform Headrest mount with my GoPro. Play with it before the actual track day so you have it positioned for the view you want. Whatever camera you have, you'll want to manually adjust the spot meter and lock it on the outside view through the windshield or else it's likely to overexpose everything because the interior is so dark.

I'm inferring that you already have a GoPro you plan to use. You can certainly use it by itself. I autocross a lot more than I track, so I use mine with SoloStorm, and that seems to do a passable job for gathering date during HPDE sessions. It costs money and you'll need to use it with an Android tablet, and ideally also with a RaceCapture logging device and a GPS antenna. This stuff adds up, and SoloStorm is not very user-friendly. I'm sur the Garmin Catalyst is great - I've just never used it. I think it doesn't do autocross, so it depends on your usage. For your first time out - and assuming you only have a camera right now - you might consider using just the camera for video and downloading the free version of TrackAddict for your phone. That way, you can at least record some lap times. TrackAddict knows Gingerman, and it's easy-peasy to use. I think there may even be a freeware way to overlay its data onto your videos in post-production, but I can't recall the app for that.

Take multiple, fully-charged batteries for your GoPro if you have them. If not, try to figure out a way to charge the camera between sessions.

I've been to Gingerman twice and I really enjoy it a lot. Compared to many other tracks, it's not an especially high-risk track and it doesn't punish brakes too hard. It isn't even super-high-speed. But the layout is fun with a couple "complexes" of corners that are connected in terms of needing to set up one to get the next one right. An example is Turns 5 and 6, where you need to commit hard to Turn 5 to get a great time, and you can go into it much harder than it looks (at least to me), and then Turn 6 is much tighter so you are working the trail-braking into it and making sure you get back over the left after it to set up for 7. I don't sim, but I think it would help at least minimize the surprises. There are lots of good in-car videos of Gingerman on YT. Search for those with Tom O'Gorman (TOMO) driving, for great lap examples.

Have fun!

[78yellow78]

That trackform mount looks like exactly what I'm looking for. I want the software, but the price tag on this "fun track day" is adding up fast. I need to be budget conscious. Trying to track the car on a public teacher salary is rough. Thanks for the info!

[N Camarolina]

I did a lot of sim before I actually drove on track. It does actually translate pretty well to the real world.

The big thing I suggest you be mindful of is that lots of sim experience can mean that your comfort level is quite a bit higher than Novice drivers (you are still a Novice at this point) who don't have the benefit of sim. While confidence can be a good thing, it can also get you into trouble if you start driving beyond your real-world capability.

Case in point: I was comfortable going pretty quickly in the Camaro right off the bat, but didn't fully understand the nuances of trail braking. I trail broke into a high speed corner and experienced immediate oversteer. I didn't have any practice catching oversteer in a real car (steering ratio on the sim was much quicker than the Camaro, so didn't know how much counter-steer was required on the track). Had I known that trail braking into high speed corners is generally a no-no, and had I had some skid pad practice, I would have been much better prepared for that but puckering moment trying to keep the Camaro away from the wall. Everything worked out OK, but it was humbling.

Stay humble and don't get ahead of yourself!

[78yellow78]

Good advice. Thanks.

[Msquared]

Just to help with your search, it's "Tackform," not "Trackform." I did the same thing.

And yeah, all that software and related equipment does get pricey. You don't need any of it to get out there and start enjoying the car and building seat time.

One other piece of advice if you aren't already doing it. Consider mixing in autocross events, both competitions and novice schools if you haven't done it before. Many track hounds write autocross driving off as beneath them, but it'll teach more about car control, proper vision (meaning where to look, not your visual acuity), and how to connect corners and offsets in 50 seconds than an entire 20-minute lapping session will.

Finally, something you probably already know if you're from Michigan: South Haven (town by the track) seems like a fun place to hang out on the shore of the lake. Consider taking an extra day to explore. I need to try to do that next I go up there.

[bugdewde]

1. If not required to have certain attire, a t-shirt is fine. Cotton is preferred for a safety perspective (fire). Nylon dries/cools much faster (but can stick to your skin if on fire).

2. No recommendations. But one of my best videos (RallyCross) was outside the driver's window. Full view of the steering inputs and the course through the windshield AND up the front fender.

3. Go with the recommendations posted here. Many prefer a complete flush every event. Personally, I've never experienced a brake fade issue on track (Miata) but I have a friend that has .... he now flushes every event.

4. I used a sim rig (Forza Motorsport 7) to familiarize myself with the track... it will also help you look for the flag stands ... and key things to look at when negotiating a blind turn or hill (certain tree, roof top, flag stand, etc).
I highly suggest you make your car in the sim just like your real car. Change the transmission ratios, rear end ratio, tires sizes (and compound), etc .... this way you'll know turn "x" needs 3rd gear for proper turn in speed or braking .... don't just rely on the game settings to be true.
Steering ratio is also not going to be correct.... which can mess you up if relying to heavily on sim for experience.
Mainly use it to remember the track ... practice good lines, late apex when you can to make exiting a turn easier (more run off).

5. I highly recommend having an instructor ride with you. HPD"E" should be "education". With no instructor to evaluate your driving, you'll continue to do bad habits ... without even knowing they're bad. Lol
Go slower than you think you should. A sim is not real life, there's no reset button.
Your tires will tell you their limits, so approach them in increments. Testing their limits slowly, not like a mad man.
Throttle control is important in powerful cars ... but low power cars need throttle control too. Like lifting throttle too late unsettling the car before braking.
Over confidence can be a problem. I've spun twice due to excessive speed involving braking/lifting .... one spin really messed up the car .... wall strikes/touches cost $1,000 at most tracks. Towing off track and other fees can apply.
Go slow ... learn the tire's limits, car's weight transfer handling before hand .... like do an autocross ... or practice in an empty parking lot.
If you just show & go, you might enjoy it ... but doing it right is much more fun.

[78yellow78]

There are going to be some instructors at this charity event and the organizers say the event isn't full, so I hope I can get some good input from folks who know what they're doing. Great input from everyone here! Thanks!

[nikerret]

1) what to wear. I'm thinking cotten tshirt and track warmup pants. Thin sole shoes i like to drive in? Am I missing important dress stuff? Its going to be hot i think.

I wear a long sleeve cotton t-shirt. Even in summer, it’s better to have more sun protection. For pants, I wear jeans. My driving shoes are my 20 year old Cole Haan driving shoes. They were my everyday shoes, for a while and have more miles on them than most cars do.

3) I put new dot4 brake fluid in my system last fall after installing line lock. Should I flush the system again before the track day?

Yes, fresh fluid will ensure you’re not worried about it. Brakes are much too important to gamble with. Plus, it will get you down and looking at the car to make sure you’re fully ready.

5) Any other advice for a total beginner going to my first event would be appreciated. I'm excited but kind of nervous.

Make sure the car is ready. Don’t worry about video or your lap times. Just go and see what you can learn about the environment. As you get more comfortable, push the car and yourself, within reasonable limits. The drive home knowing you could have pushed more is better than the ride home knowing you pushed it too much. There are usually a lot of great people and cool cars! Make some new friends and ask the people there questions, too. Have fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.

[Osbornsm]

Here's my input on GingerMan Raceway