Track preperation / helpful stuff
NOTE: The following is just some things off the top of my head and is by no means completely accurate. Tracking your car is very expensive, dangerous and can have many impacts on your car. Track at your own risk....but when you do, you'll love it!
Tracks around Australia
NSW
Wakefield Park - http://wakefieldpark.com/
Eastern Creek - http://www.eastern-creek-raceway.com/
Oran Park - http://www.oranpark.com/
VIC
Phillip Island - http://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au/
Calder Park Raceway - http://www.motorsport.com.au/
Sandown Raceway: http://www.sandownraceway.com.au/
Winton Raceway - http://www.wintonraceway.com.au/
South Australia
Mallala Motor Sport Park - http://www.mallala.com/
Adelaide International Raceway - http://www.adelaideraceway.net/
Collingrove Hillclimb (run by Sporting car club of SA) - http://www.sportingcarclubsa.org.au map of the track
QLD
Queensland Raceway - http://www.nmd.com.au/racetracks_detail.cfm?id=10
Preparing for the track
Change your engine oil (filter if required)
Check tyres for thread and correct tyre presure
Check/attend to the following and change if required:
- Coolant
- Transmission oil
- Brake fluid (check colour and top up if required)
- Clutch fluid (check colour and top up if required)
- Suspension bolts and swaybar mounts/bolts/bushes as they will get a good workout on the track
- Brake pads (pads wear out very quickly on the track so take an extra pair if your pads are worn)
- Remove any unwanted (loose) items from the car (will help you reduce weight but more importantly stop objects flying around the cabin)
Optional
- Baffled Oil pan - Highly recommended if you are running semi or full slicks. The high G's generated while cornering on high grip tyres can keep oil away from the pickup in the sump.
- Oil cooler (recommended for modified cars and ITRs which are known to heat up a bit. Best to accompany with an oil temp gauage)
On the Day
Make sure you have the following:
- Correct cloathing (usually long sleeve shirt, long pants and enclosed shoes, but check first with the track that you are going to)
- Helmet
- Cams/Track licence (depends on the track you're going to)
- Lotsa fluids as the day does get quite tiring and exhausting. Food (heck i'm always hungry)
Optional
- Extra engine oil incase you have to top-up
- Extra coolant
- Tyre pressure gauge (tracks usually have a air pump.....but don't expect the gauge to be accurate)
- General screwdriver, alien keys, sockets + wrenches, spanners...etc
During the day
- Check your engine oil and top up if required. I tend to top it up all the way to the top fill hole on the dip stick plus a few mm more (to avoid starvation during cornering)
- Make sure you do at least one (1) cooldown lap and keep your foot off the brake (use engine braking) in order to let your brake rotors cooldown (to prevent warpage).
- To prevent rear rotor warpage, when you get into the pits do not use the handbrake when you stop the car. Leave the car in gear or use a brick/stop against the tyre to stop it from rolling.
- Look under the car for any leaks. Hotter than normal oil, as a result of a track day, can cause leaks that you wouldn't normally get if your seals are worn.
- Check your tyre pressure again and adjust if necessary. Experiment with a few different pressues and see what you are happy/comfortable with.
After the trackday
Just because you've finished your session at the track, its doesn't mean you can forget about your car! Some people change their oil directly after the trackday, but I give it a few weeks (of normal driving) and then change the oil.
Also inspect
- Coolant
- Brake/clutch fluid
- Pads
- Suspension and swaybar bolts/bushes and mounts.
That's all I can think of for now so feel free to add!
EDIT: Formatting
