*The FL5 Track Junkie Thread*

[BigBird]

Thanks! Tradd did a great job with the event photos as always.

Fantastic!!
now you need some better numbers

 

[Rexpelagi]

Fantastic!!
now you need some better numbers

Oh I'm aware ??? - I keep changing cars/classes, and one of the nicer magnetics I had flew off my old car at Barber earlier this year, so I've been on the tape poverty train for awhile.

Next year if I run the events I plan to I'll just use the fancy Gridlife panel sticker.

 

[TW00Si]

Thanks! I was reading back through this thread and saw others mention it as well - good to know nothing's wrong with my car lol (at least not because of this). I'm surprised more people don't talk about this including the reviewers, I thought there was an actual issue the first time it popped on.

The lights come on for me every session after a few laps. I just ignore it.

 

[MooMoo]

why are yall using the brakes so much?

 

[PointByPatrol]

Guys,

There are a lot of new faces on this forum, and a new generation of drivers eager to hit the track! With that it mind, it makes sense to reintroduce the subject of car preparation and safety equipment.

I stumbled upon a novice driver who was driving a GR Corolla at a recent track event, and it's because of her that I've been reminded that there is so much that a novice may not know before making the decision to hit the track. She has thanked me many times for walking up to her at the track and taking an interest in her newfound love for the hobby because if I hadn't, she would have been left clueless. She's even made mention that none of these important topics are brought up in the novice classrooms, which I think is a slight on the part of the organizations that we drive HPDE with.

Here is my most recent updated list of really important things that you should have prior to your first track event: (this list is with the novice in mind)

Safety:
A good helmet! (your body can't live without the mind! ask Morpheus! He knew this!) Besides, they last a good long while!

Hybrid S Hans Device (Yes, they're $1200 bucks, sorry, not sorry.)

FIA rated anchors for your Hans device (they are sold separately from the HANS and usually cost about 60 bucks)

Racing gloves! Your hands get sweaty, and more so when you are under stress!

Performance:
Track focused brake pads! (I prefer Paragon R5's, but I'm sure there will be several opinions on this)
Castrol SRF Brake fluid (don't bother with Motul)

*TOP TIP, but certainly not a requirement. Good tires! The PS4S that is stock on our car isn't so great on track. I love my Kumha Ecsta V730's. They are a 200TW tire.

Fun Fact:
Bigger brakes do not slow you don't faster, they dissipate heat better! Tire and brake pad compound slow you down faster!

Insurance:
TRACK INSURANCE! (Crazy crap happens at the track! It might be your fault or someone else's. Protect your investment!

Comfort:
There are long waits between run groups! Bring a chair and some kind of sun shade!
Cooler! Driving around a track makes you dehydrated! You should drink a lot of water or gatorade!

Tools:
Torque Wrench! You need to check your lugs!
Basic Socket Set! You likely won't need it, but will appreciate it when you do!
Jack??? (I personally never bring one because it's safe to bet that someone else has one....up to you!)
Pressure gauge! (Likely my most used tool! Your tires are extremely important to your driving performance! Keep a check on your pressures!)
Portable air compressor (If you're like me and commute to the track in the car you intend to race, then you'll need to pump the tires back up for street use! I use a Milwaukee portable compressor, and that damn thing gets passed around like a bag of Oreo's across the whole paddock! So if you have one, then you might make some new track buddies!)

Mental Prep:
@TW00Si had some great advice! Study the track on YouTube before you go to familiarize yourself with the line!

I'm well aware that I just rattled off some pretty expensive stuff, and trust me, I'm fully aware. HPDE/TT/Racing is an expensive hobby! The majority of what I just mentioned is a buy it once, and have it kind of thing!

Fellow avid HPDEers, if you think of something that I haven't, then chime in! Keep in mind I tried to make this a fairly short list with the first time novice driver in mind!

 

[TW00Si]

I think you covered everything.

If I’m visiting a new track, I will likely check out some YouTube videos of the track and try to find one from the same or similar car a week before the event.

 

[PointByPatrol]

I think you covered everything.

If I’m visiting a new track, I will likely check out some YouTube videos of the track and try to find one from the same or similar car a week before the event.

That's a really good bit of advice! Yes! I too often try to study the track before I go, if it's new to me! I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to add that to the list!

 

[Rexpelagi]

I think you covered everything.

If I’m visiting a new track, I will likely check out some YouTube videos of the track and try to find one from the same or similar car a week before the event.

Personally I don't do this much, as unless someone who has been there that I personally trust it can be a good way to learn the wrong line - there are a lot of bad drivers with bad videos out there.

I find running the track in Assetto Corsa (or similar) in VR is far more effective for me - I can then go out in my first session without any question about where I want to be for car placement. Obviously not every track is available in AC/iRacing, but it worked quite well for my first time at AMP, GingerMan, COTA, Charlotte Roval, etc.

Videos are certainly far more approachable (no gaming setup required) and they will show you the general flow, but it could be counterproductive if you memorize the wrong line.

 

[PointByPatrol]

Personally I don't do this much, as unless someone who has been there that I personally trust it can be a good way to learn the wrong line - there are a lot of bad drivers with bad videos out there.

I find running the track in Assetto Corsa (or similar) in VR is far more effective for me - I can then go out in my first session without any question about where I want to be for car placement. Obviously not every track is available in AC/iRacing, but it worked quite well for my first time at AMP, GingerMan, COTA, Charlotte Roval, etc.

Videos are certainly far more approachable (no gaming setup required) and they will show you the general flow, but it could be counterproductive if you memorize the wrong line.

This is also a good point, John. I had a student in the GR driving experience that barely spoke English. Luckily I was only in the car with him for two laps. Two terrifying laps. To your point the YouTube stuff can be a bit overwhelming, and perhaps not the ideal line, but these folks should have an instructor that can help point them in the right direction! If the GR guy had watched even one video I feel that we would have had a slightly better experience. This particular situation was quite an outlier, and not anywhere near the norm!

 

[Rexpelagi]

This is also a good point, John. I had a student in the GR driving experience that barely spoke English. Luckily I was only in the car with him for two laps. Two terrifying laps. To your point the YouTube stuff can be a bit overwhelming, and perhaps not the ideal line, but these folks should have an instructor that can help point them in the right direction! If the GR guy had watched even one video I feel that we would have had a slightly better experience.

Yes, that's a good point - in the context you proposed for someone who is completely new (who wouldn't be able to figure out the line by themselves) it could certainly be helpful (especially if you can find a video from a pro who walks through the track corner by corner, although that could be hard to find at some tracks). Honestly at that point, riding along first for a few laps is probably even better.

You are brave to right-seat though - no way I'd do that for people I didn't know. Cars are too fast now and there can be some pretty scary incidents - I had a friend get in a pretty bad one in the right seat (thankfully he's fine now).

 

[svvitch]

When I'm watching YouTube lap videos, it's more just to learn the track vs. the line if that makes sense. My AC sim setup is weak, so learning the flow of the track is easier on someone's video.

 

[PointByPatrol]

Yes, that's a good point - in the context you proposed for someone who is completely new (who wouldn't be able to figure out the line by themselves) it could certainly be helpful (especially if you can find a video from a pro who walks through the track corner by corner, although that could be hard to find at some tracks). Honestly at that point, riding along first for a few laps is probably even better.

You are brave to right-seat though - no way I'd do that for people I didn't know. Cars are too fast now and there can be some pretty scary incidents - I had a friend get in a pretty bad one in the right seat (thankfully he's fine now).

This brings another thing to mind! There are a bunch of us on here that have a good bit of track knowledge. I have met people out at the track that drive Type R's that recognize me from my videos, but never speak up here in the forums when it comes to asking track questions, but they also admit that they are reading these posts to try to prepare themselves. There are several great YouTube videos that come to mind for VIR that have turn by turn instructions from a very reputable source, and guess what? They aren't mine! I'd be more than happy to share my resources with someone else, and I'm sure John and the others would too!

If you are a novice and you are reading this...ASK! DO NOT BE EMBARRASED OR ASHAMED! THERE IS ENOUGH COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE ON THIS FORUM FROM VERY EXPERIENCED TRACK DRIVERS THAT CAN POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

 

[Rexpelagi]

When I'm watching YouTube lap videos, it's more just to learn the track vs. the line if that makes sense. My AC sim setup is weak, so learning the flow of the track is easier on someone's video.

Having a good setup definitely helps - for me, if I didn't have VR it would be pretty useless, but with VR it really helps figure out where you need to be looking and it makes you feel like you are actually on the track. It's a good learning experience to find the blind corner you didn't know was coming. On one of my first virtual laps at GingerMan I ended up outside the track on the public road after blowing out the back of 10b and I ended up having to drive back into the track through the entrance. ??? However, on my first real lap on the track I could just go out and push and it felt like I'd been there several times IRL.

 

[Rexpelagi]

If you are a novice and you are reading this...ASK! DO NOT BE EMBARRASED OR ASHAMED! THERE IS ENOUGH COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE ON THIS FORUM FROM VERY EXPERIENCED TRACK DRIVERS THAT CAN POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

Absolutely! I'm always willing to help and honestly it seems like everyone in the track community is the same. It would be much better to post here than asking some random trolls in the FB group who just drive some back road from time to time.

 

[TW00Si]

Fair point. I should say, I don’t just watch anyone’s videos. I watch my friends videos because they are instructors and know the track.

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