First track day

[flaps10]

As someone who has not done a track day but would like to, I have a few questions.

How did your tech inspection go and were there any things you had to fix that you could have addressed ahead of time? What things did you see other people get dinged for that could save some of the rest of us a set back?

I've read the checklist put out by my chapter. One item that I saw on the list but have not seen discussed was an item about the seat belt ages. Did you have to replace yours to comply?

How much wear did your car get on the track? I'm really only thinking about tires and brakes here.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by flaps10

How did your tech inspection go?

How much wear did your car get on the track? I'm really only thinking about tires and brakes here.

There was no tech inspection however, I did make every effort to make sure my car was track ready and safe. I had fairly new tires and brakes, and I replaced my brake fluid a couple of days before the event. I carefully inspected the car to make sure I had no oil or coolant leaks and, just to be sure, I took it into the dealership for an inspection in case I missed anything. As far as wear, I lost very little thickness from my pads even though my wheels were black with brake dust by the end of the day. I definitely took a couple of mm's of rubber off the tires, especially the front, but I did not wear them anywhere near to the point of replacement. I could probably run another two or three track days like this one before they were completely shot. I expect them to now last for the rest of the summer, at least.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by flaps10

One item that I saw on the list but have not seen discussed was an item about the seat belt ages. Did you have to replace yours to comply?

Factory seat belts are normally good for the life of the car so its not a worry for most car owners who want to take their street car to the track. Aftermarket harnesses require replacement every 5 years. I can't explain why the difference.

Originally Posted by flaps10

How much wear did your car get on the track? I'm really only thinking about tires and brakes here.

If the brakes and tires are in good condition beforehand, the typical first time driver on a track is not likely to be pushing the car anywhere near hard enough to wear out the tires or brakes in a single day. Of course, it can be done if you really try hard enough, but its not typically an issue.