Preparing your car for a track day

You’re taking your car out to a track day, but you’re not sure what steps you need to take in order to prep it. You’ve got a checklist, but this isn’t just like putting your shoes on or going grocery shopping—it’s more complicated than that. You could even consider using a checklist for yourself as well as your car. In this post we’ll go over exactly what needs to happen before you head out for a track day, including prepping yourself, checking fluids and tire pressure, knowing the rules of the track itself, and more!

Prepping your car

Before you hit the track, make sure your car is ready to go. We’ve put together a list of checks you should do before taking your car out on a track day.

  • Check for leaks. Leaks can cause serious damage to your engine, so it’s important to check for them before driving your car at high speeds on a racetrack or open road course. You may want to bring along an oil pressure gauge with you just in case something looks suspicious during pre-track inspection—and if so, don’t hesitate to call up your local mechanic and get them out there as soon as possible!
  • Check tire pressure and tread depth if necessary; this could mean filling up spare tires (if applicable), inflating tires after they’ve been sitting idle for too long, or replacing worn out rubber with fresh rubber from our online store! Don’t forget about checking those brake lines too; we recommend bringing along some extra brake fluid just in case there’s any leakage during practice sessions or races!
  • Make sure that suspension components are properly lubricated with grease so that they don’t slip off while going around corners at high speeds – otherwise this would result in expensive repairs down the line due to the lack of proper maintenance over time which might happen sooner than expected depending how well maintained these parts were kept under normal conditions such as ideal temperatures. 

Checking fluids and tire pressure

  • Check the oil and coolant levels: You want to make sure your car is running at optimal performance, so check all levels of fluids—including oil and coolant.
  • Tire pressure: The tires on your car are essential when it comes to how well it will perform on a track day, so make sure they’re properly inflated before hitting the road.
  • Brakes, steering and suspension: There’s no better way to find out if something is wrong with your car than going through a thorough assessment of all its systems before taking off for that big event! Check everything from the brakes to the steering system for any issues that could hinder your performance once you hit the track.
  • Battery life: If you know there’s a chance you’ll be driving around in cold weather conditions (like winter), make sure that your battery is charged ahead of time so it doesn’t die during those harsh winter months!

Prepping yourself

  • Wear appropriate clothing. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required on the track. You can wear a baseball cap, but if it has a bill, consider ditching it because they can get in the way while you’re strapped into your seat.
  • Avoid flip flops or sandals as they have little traction on the pedals and can easily slip off when getting in and out of them.
  • If you normally wear loose clothing (e.g., sweatshirt), consider wearing something more fitted so nothing gets caught in any moving parts or gear shifts—this is especially important for women who want to retain their femininity while still being safe at speed!
  • Don’t wear jewelry like bracelets or necklaces; these are potential choking hazards if they catch on anything moving around inside your cockpit! Also avoid loose fitting clothes like hoodies/sweatshirts that could end up becoming tangled in something important like belts, harnesses or pedals during sudden movements while turning corners at high speeds (again: think safety).

Dress appropriately

  • Wear a helmet. No exceptions. If you don’t have one, borrow or buy one now!
  • Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. You don’t want to get hurt in the event of a crash (of which there will be many).
  • Wear a shirt with long sleeves so that you won’t burn your arms when it gets hot out on track day.
  • Wear gloves so that your hands don’t fall off if they come into contact with an errant wheel or brake disc after an incident on track…because it’s going to happen, trust me! Also, if your fingers are exposed for too long during the day at high speeds, they can get cold and numb from lack of blood flow—not something you want happening while racing around corners at 80 mph+. Finally, wearing gloves helps improve grip when steering and shifting gears (which are both hard enough as is). The last thing we need is another reason why someone might have trouble getting their car moving properly: too much grip!

Know the track rules

Although you may have done your homework in preparation for your track day, it’s always a good idea to check with the organizers before you go. You don’t want to be the guy who shows up and finds out that a mandatory helmet is required, or worse yet—that there are no helmets allowed at all!

Beyond safety, it’s also important to make sure that you’re legal on the track. For example, how many cars are allowed on a particular road course? How many can run together in one group? Are there any particular requirements (or restrictions) related to tire size or width? If so, make sure your car fits the bill before heading out onto the tarmac.

And finally: do yourself a favor and ask if anyone has ever gotten hurt while driving here! While we hope all of our readers will emerge unscathed from their track experiences–we also know how unpredictable things can get when on-track accelerations exceed 200 miles per hour…

Prepare your toolbox

Make sure you have the following tools in your toolbox:

  • Jack
  • Lug wrench
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Torque wrench

If you’re taking your car out to a track day and expect it to survive, you have to be prepared.

If you’re taking your car out to a track day and expect it to survive, you have to be prepared. That means knowing the rules for the track you’re going to, taking your car out on a track day before you take it out to a race, and having everything in order.

When preparing your car for its first time at the track, start with all of the standard safety checks: check fluids and coolant levels; make sure brake pads aren’t worn down too far; check belts and hoses (and replace them if necessary). After that, consider buying some safety equipment: a fire suit for yourself (you might think about getting an HANS device as well), helmet visor inserts or goggles with plastic shields over them so dirt doesn’t fly into your eyes when you’re driving through puddles on the track. If there isn’t much chance of rain—or if there is rain but none will fall while we’re driving—then skip those items entirely.

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you some valuable insight into what it takes to prepare your car for a track day. While I know that it can be a lot of work, I think that the payoff is worth it! And remember: if you’re in doubt about anything, just ask someone who knows more than you do—such as your friends at Apex Euro