Category: Getting Started

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My first track day!

What: My first ever track day experience

If I knew then, what I know now:  I would have bought a Miata or E30!!!

Check out:  Proformance Racing School if you are in the Pacific Northwest.  One of the best driving and racing schools around with everything from half day track days to 2-day competition licensing school and more.

It has been almost 15 years since the first time I drove on track for the first time. When I started thinking about writing about it I was like, dang, it has been a long time. How am I going to be able to recall some of this stuff. I remember it like it was yesterday! It was a really nice day in June and my Dad had gotten both my twin brother and I “racing school” for a combination of our 18th birthday, and graduation presents from high school. It was a wicked good gift! At the time I had a Volvo. It was an 850, and did actually have a manual transmission. In all fairness, it was a terrible car for a track day. But for me, at the time, it was a great chariot for hustling for the first time. I started off the day a bit jealous. My brother already had a way cooler car than I did, and even though it was broken, he got to use another cool car which was an E30 BMW. I had my Volvo. Never the less. it was school day, and time to get after it!


We both attended the Proformance Race School at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. I have actually been through their one day course, 2 times and each time was great! The second time I paid for it myself, and it was still worth it! It is a good balance of classroom instruction, low speed car control skills building, then a half of a day on the track with an instructor.

I remember being pretty intimidated when we started the classroom session. Lots of people there. Lots of serious machines also. None of that ended up mattering. Each instructor is set with you, for the day. They don’t care what you are driving, they just want you to learn how to drive the snot out of it, safely.

1. Classroom sessions

The classroom session was the part I did not care for. Having done some auto-x in the past, and lots of race watching in my past and felt I had a pretty good idea of what the flags were, and what a turn station was. Things got deeper than that though, and it was much more informative than I was expecting. The classroom session was not long and was out of the way first thing in the morning. Once you break in the class room it is time to get into the cars and start driving.

2. Low speed car-control skills

The first part of the driving curriculum is the low speed car control skills session. This was a lot of fun. We went through a few different scenarios and I found that later in life, these skills paid off in spades in the real life. There were emergency lane change drills. Braking and turning sharp (like making a ‘J’ with your car), Threshold braking, which is very different depending on if your car does or does not have anti-lock brakes. My Volvo obviously did. We did eyes up drills using a man with a flag, and a slalom course. These skills seem so basic, but being taught how to use them, and then implement them at higher speeds will make a huge difference in your skill set both on and off the race track and street.

This brings us to lunch break at this school. During lunch my brother, my dad and I got to chat a bit about the morning. Both of us were more excited with driving on the track that afternoon though.

3. Track Time!

After lunch it was track time. We took two laps in our cars with the instructor driving to show you the basic line and where each corner goes. After those 2 laps it was game time. My first session in the car was great. I was going fast, relatively anyway. I was turning laps on a race track! It was an amazing feeling. Not having to worry about cars in driveways. Kids playing the street were non-factor. You just get to haul ass!

I started getting into it more. My instructor was great, and encouraging throughout the afternoon as I picked up pace. We picked up enough pace to send my street welly tires strait to a fiery hell. They were by all accounts and purposes a street all season tire. By the end of the second session on track, they were screaming for mercy on every brake zone and corner. I also started to run into a fuel starve, or electrical issue. When exiting a left hand corner (of which Pacific has a majority of) the car would bog down, and then get on its way. It started to get frustrating. I felt like it was dampening my total experience, but it really was not. I needed to focus on skills building at that time, not how fast my car was going.

The start of a lifetime of motorsports

By the end of the day. I had not broken my car. I had not crashed into anything and I had learned a lifetime skill set that, as I said before, would show itself to pay off many times over in the real world. Mainly by avoiding idiots trying to crash into me! I was hooked. As it may be apparent. I found sport driving and racing to be what I truly love to do. It is a way for me to show aggression and not be physical (like boxing or wrestling, or martial arts). I can work my butt off in the car and it is a good work out. The mechanical symphony that is a race car is fascinating to me. I know this was going to be fun!

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Camping at the Racetrack

What: For those multi-day track weekends and trips, you don’t need an expensive hotel or RV.  Just camp at the track, even in the winter and fall.

If I knew then, what I know now: Never and I mean, EVER sleep inside of a trailer unless you specifically designed your heat source for the trailer.  Those things become ice boxes at night.

Products that made life easier in this post: 

  • Tent recommendation
  • Sleeping bag recommendation
  • Sleeping pad recommendation

Kick off to the sprint season

I have been around racing most of my life in one way or another. One thing that I see more in every type of racing than anything else is people camping at the track (what ever kind of track that is). I have camped out at many of the local tracks in the Northwest and some of the lessons that I have learned have come at both expense of self, as well as sheer trial and error. There are a few things to remember when planning to camp out at the track for the weekend. I will list a few based off of what I have learned over the years!

Standard two person setup for the track!

It’s going to be cold at night.  Period.

Step one is to plan for it to be much colder than you think it will be. When you are driving, or wrenching all day on a car in the sun (hopefully!) it is easy to forget that once the sun goes down, also does the temperature. I have had one of the worst nights of my life camping at the track. I had set up ‘camp’ in the trailer we haul the car in. I had my sleeping pad, bag, pillow, I was feeling pretty good about myself. It was mid-April in Washington, and the weather was particularly good for this weekend, with daytime temps almost 70 degrees. The overnight low dropped down to 33 degrees, and being inside of the trailer – with the void between the bottom side of the trailer and the ground, it effectively turns the trailer into a refrigerator. It was cold. I would have been better off on the ground! Car camping can have a similar outcome as well, but you can at least run the car if it gets too cold.

Trailers – great for storing cars and shelter during the day but ice boxes at night! Unless you prep it, DO NOT sleep inside them overnight.

Car camping – it’s like you drove your tent to the track!

I have car camped the past few seasons and have honed in a pretty comfortable set up for me. Everyone will have a different experience with their car, but if you plan ahead it can go well. This past weekend for example. We were racing in Portland, and I set up camp in my 4Runner for Saturday night. I have my gear bag, and duffel with clothes and layers set up with my random-bin on one side of the back of the car with the seats folded down, and have my sleeping pad, bag, pillow and extra blankets if needed on the other for sleeping on. I woke up in the middle of the night chilled even with my sleeping bag fully buttoned up. I grabbed a spare blanket I brought with me and ended up wrapping up the lower half of my legs and feet with it as a extra layer of sleeping bag and that did the trick! It quickly changed a cold night back into a night restful night with little drama.

That’s me car camping. That’s Gama ‘camping’ to the right in a slightly… bigger… uhm… car.

The facilities, you’ll need something or dig a hole.

One of the bigger things to remember when camping at the track, is planning for facilities, or lack thereof for bathroom breaks and showers. Most tracks will have some sort of hospitality building with bathrooms, but they are not always open all night long. Some tracks are basic, or still new and have only porta-potties on site – which can be odd at night if there is poor lighting. Most places are all paved as well, so the dig a hole method is not an option. For car and tent camping, having something with you that can be used as a fluid receptacle in the middle of the night will make yourself your own hero. Not having to bail out of the tent or car on a cold or rainy night to make a bathroom break can be a big positive impact on your nights rest. I usually grab an empty Gatorade bottle or something similar from the days work and pack it in the car before bedding down for the night. It has been a very positive addition to the track camp out!

Car camping at the Ridge Motorsports Park during the 6 Hour Endurance Race in April 2017. Don’t drink the ‘apple juice’.

The weather for day and night.

Planning for weather is also big. If you are tent or car camping your space is limited. Areas to duck out of the weather are few, and if a tent you can get flooded out quickly. In the Northwest weather can change by the hour especially in the spring and fall. We have raced in snow. That was a sloppy mess on all accounts. Rain is the main thing to be ready for. You want to be sure you have dry stuff to change in to, and a dry place to sleep. Sunshine can be just as big of an issue as well. A tent can get extra warm during the day if it is not left vented. It will also collect moisture even on a clear night, so you will need to be prepared for that.

Sideways rain and hail. Get as much protection as you can when camping.

 

You’ll still need to eat

Food and snacks, as well as drinks are important as well. For most weekends it is also pretty strait forward. A decent cooler packed well with ice can keep you in great shape for a 3 day race weekend with little issues. Depending on how much work or driving you do, hydration an and nourishment are paramount! Having snacks and non-sugar/sodium based drinks on hand are a great idea. It is easy to scarf a granola bar and little can of apple juice and a bottle of water on any 10 minute break. Having some cash for food that may be available at the track is also not a bad idea. Often there is concession stands, or outside vendors at track events. Food trucks are becoming more popular at events, but you should still plan to be able to feed yourself!

Rest up! Planning and actually putting in effort to get a good nights sleep when at the track is very important. In our early years racing when I was younger. We would stay up late, drink a lot, eat like crap and have a great time all night and then be tired and grumpy the next day when we should be having fun and getting serious work done on the cars. Getting a good restful nights sleep will help you stay at the top of your game, and help prevent mistakes from the track, to the paddock to loading the trailer properly to drive home to see your family or friends. Being comfortable is a big part of getting a good nights rest. Doing and planning for some of the things talked about above will help you maximize your experience at the race track. You can still be the best you that you can be while sleeping on the ground! It just takes the time and effort to zero in what works for you on each level of your needs.

Food, shelter, hole in the ground – we’re all set!

Take these tips. If you are also a hiker or hunter, just use the same level of prep that you would for a trip like that. Plan for a bit worse than you think you will see. Stay warm and dry. Get quality snacks, food and all the water you can drink. And as always, remember to have fun!

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Tents, canopies and shelter – how to stay protected on track!

 

What:  Having some ideas on what kind of tent may work for you and what you do

If I knew then, what I know now:  I would steer clear of Target/Walmart/Box-store tents all together at the track, they cannot put up with the use and abuse.

Product to check out: ShelterLogic – might not be as top of mind as the E-Z Up brand but solid product at a much lower price.

You should have seen that tent flying across the paddock! Pop-Up tents are one of the most necessary items to have in your track kit! It provides shelter, shade, support, and sometimes, even comic relief. Pop-up tents or E-Z ups as many call them, are the number one, most used and abused item at a track. I have seen my fair share hit the scrap heap for many different reasons. The number one reason is that you have to have one! There are a lot of options and considerations when it comes to tent. Hopefully I can help you decide on what might be best for what you are doing.

Got a team? 10×20 it is for you!

We have a nice custom E-Z up for the Track Attack Pro3 cars. It is a 10ft x 20ft unit that has a steel frame. It is a little heavy, but the quality is good and it is sturdy even in moderate winds. I personally like the 10×20 size for paddock use when at a race track. It allows for the car to be completely out of the sun or rain. It is big enough for a group to stand under during a long enduro race, and is only one item to load/unload out of the trailer for each race weekend. That being said. I am part of a team, and we have the luxury of having someone to help us most of the time when needed. Using a steel framed 10×20 EZ up solo is a bit of a tall order. Having a second person around is key.  It comes in an awesome bag that holds everything in place but man, it is heavy.  Probably around 60lbs total.

Nice big tent that can fit two cars sideways and one car, the long way.

Bigger than 10×20?  Yup!

There are larger sized tents as well. In 2010, when I was on the TC Motorsports Grand-Am Continental Tire team with our Boss Mustang, we had a really large one for the pro-race weekends. It was a 20×40 foot tent, and it took no less than 3 people to erect or take down. For long weekends, or if you have a large team to work with a tent this size may fit the bill well for you. Again, it is one thing to load and unload instead of many. The big tent had a home on our flat deck Taylor-Dunn pit cart when in transport. This was the best way to move the thing when it was packed up as it was very heavy.

20×40 tent!
The grip racing group has a full pro spec tent that connects to their hauler.

One-person operation? 10×10 is the way to go!

If you are a one man operation, or have a very limited crew to work with. Going with a 10×10 tent or even a couple of them is likely your best bet. They are the easiest to work with when alone. They generally package much smaller than the lager sized tents, and are usually light weight comparatively. They are also the cheapest option to purchase as well. For my 4runner, I am going to get a 10×10 to pack for camping, and track work weekends. It is cheap, easy to pack and use solo, and will provide with a bunch of extra usable space when camping at the track.

Several 10×10 tents, grouped together. A single person with two 10×10 tents seems to be the way to go. One person operation for carrying, putting up and taking down.
You can even get the tent material customized to really stand out, like this one from the Hard Motorsports team.

Tent pole material – it’s important

Tent pole or leg material is also an important choice. To be frank, the amount of times you use the tent, as well as how careful you are when setting it up or taking it down will have great effect on the life of the tent and legs. I have found in my experience that for consistent usage, finding a tent brand that uses steel legs and arms is better than aluminum. The aluminum tents are very easy to work with and move, but are quite fragile and the legs and tent arms are easy to bend and break. If you are doing just a handful of days per year, then getting two light weight 10×10 tents will be a good option for you. If you are putting in a full season, then they would be very much light duty for your needs! Again, I like a 10×20 size with a steel frame. Try and see what works for you.

Custom 10×20 tent being used by the Molly Helmuth racing team for Oval racing.

Securing your tent

Securing your EZ ups is an often over looked portion of your paddock set up for the weekend. I have seen dozens of tents fly away, get destroyed, or plain out just collapse because they were not properly addressed prior to something happening. Having something to weigh each leg down is the strongest start to keeping your tent in the trailer for a long time. You can use anything as ballast, but we normally use spare wheels and tires. They are easy to strap to, weigh a good bit, and are easy to move if needed. At night if we are leaving the car out, we will tie the tent to the car to keep it secure during the night. One thing to remember, is that if it gets really windy, as much as you may not want to take shelter down, it could be beneficial to take the the tent down. We have seen tents that are secured to trailers fly away, even lifting the side of a empty trailer in the air because it was acting like such a sail. Needless to say that tent was also destroyed, but it happened to damage that trailer, as well as dent a race car on the other side of the trailer as it flew. So be prepped for that!

Again, there is no right or wrong way to EZ up! You just have to determine what is best for you and your needs. If you are solo and need to be quick on paddock load in and out, then some light weight 10×10 options may be in your cards. If you have a friend to help, or maybe you are part of a team, then going with the bigger/beefier tents will be your call for sure (I would be worried if it was not!). If you are running with the pros… then you are paying for someone to handle this stuff for you! Get out there, get some shade and shelter for your day so you can maximize your enjoyment, and as always, don’t forget to have fun!