Some helpful advice for driving in your first track sessions

Use the first lap to warm up tires, brakes, and yourself. Get mentally re-acclimated to the track and the location of the staffed corner stations. Listen to your instructor. He is here to teach and help you.

Concentrate on your driving and track conditions. Vehicles at speed need smooth, decisive, and balanced manoeuvres. If you are confused by too much input, you are going too fast. Keep to the “line” and feel what the car is telling you. Stay within your capacity on the straights, so that giving you time to remember and learn the turns.

Don’t group together. If a train, or line, forms, the first/lead car is responsible for “clearing their rear” by safely allowing cars behind them to pass or pitting in and re-entering the track after a pause. Always be aware of the traffic around you. If you have not been able to pass a slower car, consider a short pit stop and re-entry.

You know your car, but the surface condition of the track will dramatically alter the control you have over your car. Keep a keen eye open for the amount of camber in the track surface, bumps, gravel and loose chippings and obviously patches of oil or water.

Lots of braking will generate loads of heat in the whole braking system – most incidents occur when brakes overheat and fail. Brake hard early– feel for stopping power before relying on the brake to slow the car. Apply brakes firmly in a straight line for the minimal amount of time it takes to slow the car in a controlled manner. Using the brakes with lighter pressure for a longer period will actually cause more brake overheating and wear issues than harder applications for a shorter time.

Brake early; accelerate through the corner, steadily increasing the throttle, building up power and speed toward the exit. The exit speed is what gives you better lap times. Remember “Slow in, Fast Out”.

If you spin, both feet in (stick shift). This will avoid stalling or cycling the engine backwards.

If you have an incident where two or more wheels are off the track surface, you should re-enter the track safely (possibly with the direction of the course workers) and proceed to the pit lane to discuss the incident with the Safety Steward or Chief Instructor. With a second infraction of two or more wheels off the track, you could forfeit the balance of you’re the session or the day. This is an educational event and you are expected to drive on the track as instructed without endangering the other participants.

When you see the checkered flag waving to end your session, finish that lap at a reduced pace. Remember to give your pit-in signal (fist up, arm out the window) as turn right to exit after turn 15.

Come into the pit at a slow speed – 30 mph maximum slowing to 5 mph when exiting the pit lane and entering the paddock. BE ALERT. There could be other cars heading to grid for the next session or people walking along the fire lanes.