Wakefield Track Day preparation for a newbie

Alex · Postby **Alex** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:05 am

a friend of a friend has a small shop that sells heaps of car related products, he had some in stock for $110, just cheap ones but I figure it's my first helmet if i really get into motorsport then I'll spend more for a better one when I'm more experienced, and it is AS 1698 certified, full face, 1510g I'll bring it around on thursday and you can take a look at it

Alex · Postby **Alex** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:32 pm

ok so after my track outing on monday here is a quick rundown for any new people who might read this
things to bring

Full face helmet AS1698 (or you can rent one)
Long sleeve shirt
Full length pants
Enclosed shoes (they don't have to be leather for a Speed off the streets day)
tyre pump (to change pressures) and gauge
Water (they have taps there but most are unsuitable for drinking)
remove spare tyre, jack, tools and stuff like that when you get there
oil, coolant(or water) just incase
club membership card, CAMS licence, wakefield license and/or drivers license
sunscreen
insect repellent
windscreen cleaning stuff
camera

rundown of the day
when you get there park in one of the garage bays directly to your left then walk to the office which is in the direction of the track
wait around for a while as everyone madly rushes around trying to fill in their forms
fill out a form and pay (if you need a wakefield license just tell them when you have filled out the form, they will take you into another room for a photo) (don't worry about class of car on the form it's not required just model and date)
after that they should give you a wristband for the day
head back to the pits, prepare your car and wait for the call
when you hear the \"street cars to marshalling area\" or something similar drive over past the office and into the carpark sort of thing on the left
wait in line and have fun
each time you come past the straight look out for the flags and the traffic lights(it's a good idea to know what they mean as well, I had NFI for the first round :shock:

)
follow everyone off
don't forget to check coolant and oil levels between sessions
track time stops at 4pm you need to be out of there by 5pm

other helpful tips for first timers
if possible try and get an experienced driver to come out as an intructor in the passenger seat in the first or second session, they will give you a general idea of how to drive the track and after that it will seem as though you have halfed your lap time
you are not allowed to have your passenger window down

marcusus · Postby **marcusus** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:56 pm

Another useful tip:
Don't use your handbrake when you've finished your lap. Roll the car into whatever position you want it in, foot on the brakes, engine off, and put it in gear then leave it. Apparently having the handbrake on when the brakes are mega hot will cause warping.

Alex · Postby **Alex** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:34 pm

good point, i also left my engine running with bonnet up for a few mins after I got back as well

marcusus · Postby **marcusus** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:34 pm

I didn't bother with that for the most part. I figured the cool down lap would do the cooling. Occasionally left the bonnett up, but only usually to inspect how much dust I got in the engine bay, then just wouldn't bother putting it down.

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:34 pm

Bumping this up because I'm a noob who gets his first track day on Monday with the NSW Club

Alex wrote:ok so after my track outing on monday here is a quick rundown for any new people who might read this
things to bring

Full face helmet AS1698 (or you can rent one)
Long sleeve shirt
Full length pants
Enclosed shoes (they don't have to be leather for a Speed off the streets day)
tyre pump (to change pressures) and gauge
Water (they have taps there but most are unsuitable for drinking)
remove spare tyre, jack, tools and stuff like that when you get there
oil, coolant(or water) just incase
club membership card, CAMS licence, wakefield license and/or drivers license
sunscreen
insect repellent
windscreen cleaning stuff
camera

And I've got a few questions of my own...

I have a full face motorbike helmet. Its still at my parents place right now so I'm unsure of the standard but I'd assume that it would be ok?
Do sneakers count as acceptable shoes?
A mate told me for one of the OzMazda days he was asked to remove any stereo components from the boot. I've got an amplifier bolted to the recessed bit of the boot floor of my NA. I was contemplating removing it when the spare, tools, etc come out anyway; but does the club require it to be removed? What about my head unit's brain box, a metal box about the size of an average car amplifier that's bolted to the bulkhead behind the passenger seat?

I assume I should be checking oil and coolant levels before leaving for the day. Anything else that needs doing? My brakes are fairly healthy and tyres have still got a fair amount of life left.

Any Canberra people know what time I should be leaving home?

Guran · Postby **Guran** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:56 pm

Jeo wrote:I have a full face motorbike helmet. Its still at my parents place right now so I'm unsure of the standard but I'd assume that it would be ok?

Yep no problem. I use a motorcycle helmet too. Provided it has a sticker on it saying it complies with AS1698. If you want to drive with the top down, you'll also need a visor that is stamped with the relevant standard (AS1609).

Do sneakers count as acceptable shoes?

They're fine. Best to wear cotton socks (not nylon). Make sure you have a long-sleeve cotton shirt too.

A mate told me for one of the OzMazda days he was asked to remove any stereo components from the boot. I've got an amplifier bolted to the recessed bit of the boot floor of my NA. I was contemplating removing it when the spare, tools, etc come out anyway; but does the club require it to be removed? What about my head unit's brain box, a metal box about the size of an average car amplifier that's bolted to the bulkhead behind the passenger seat?

Don't know for sure, but I would think that provided it is solidly bolted down, then you should not need to remove it. On the other hand, why would you want to lug around all that extra weight! :wink:

I assume I should be checking oil and coolant levels before leaving for the day. Anything else that needs doing? My brakes are fairly healthy and tyres have still got a fair amount of life left.

Definitely check all those and that should be fine. You should also keep an eye on your oil level throughout the day, and bring some extra oil to top up if you need it. Ask daffyflyer about what happens if you skip this step.

Any Canberra people know what time I should be leaving home?

Make sure you arrive with plenty of time so you don't need to rush and can relax a bit. I'd suggest you leave by 6:30am which should get you there soon after the gates open at 7:30pm (depending on exactly what part of Canberra you're coming from.