Thinking of doing a track day. What do I need?

J

JohnV

Member
As per the title really, I'm thinking of taking the car to a track day. It would be my first, and I was thinking of possibly Bedford as I hear it gives the track experience while having a healthy amount of run off.

What would you recommend I buy/change on the car, and would I essentially be taking the decision at the same time to take it off warranty, e.g. BMW see any mods or driving history someone and refuse to honour it? It currently has a BMW extended warranty through Mondial which I was considering cancelling in any case and simply having a fund for when things go wrong, but it would be good to know for sure.
 
Just make sure you either have fresh brake fluid installed or replaced with higher spec one. The rest you'll be fine for a first outing. The brake fluid is so that you stave off the mushy brake pedal feeling as much as possible.
 
Track day I nuance in case something goes wrong :cry:

No reason to cancel the warranty though unless as you say you were planning to anyway.
 
Check oil level is full - but not overfull.
Check brake pads, as a guide you'd probably want to have as much pad as the thickness of the backing plate.
Take a tyre pressure gauge and a foot-pump (though usually easy enough to borrow on the day)
Clean out all the junk from the car, spare sunglasses, CDs etc, or take a crate to put it in while your out on track.
Make sure battery clamp is tight.
Book an early instruction session.
 
Hopefully this advice will not be needed :-

Make sure you have the screw in towing eye in case you end in the kitty litter, some tracks make you screw them in before going on track so that you can be quickly towed out ( I have no experience of Bedford) .

Don't know if Bedford requires crash helmet or not.
 
Bedford is a great track for a first outing. As the previous post you will need a crash helmet (you can hire one there) and you will need to fit your towing eye as a precaution. Not that there is anything to get stuck in at Bedford...

Also second (or third...) the great suggestions from geepee


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Cast Iron Bollocks :thumbsup:

Have fun! Bedford is a superb track, I've driven the various Palmersport cars on their tracks five times now. They're professional and the circuit is forgiving.
 
Thanks for all the replies - very helpful.

Question about the warranty was really if I start replacing brake pads, hoses, etc with non-standard parts (probably not this time, but perhaps if it becomes a semi-regular occurrence) if they get a bit suspect when you take it in with the engine, etc. in pieces.

Are they any specific track day organisers to go with or conversely avoid?

P.S. I take it you can rent large crash helmets. I have a big head!
 
I did my trackdays with MSV & Lotus on Track. Both of which I highly recommend. Not too crowded & manners strictly enforced (ie overtaking only on the straights by consent) - overly aggressive driving will get you black-flagged & a good talking to.
Avoid the £15 arrive & drive jobbies & the really cheap events as they tend to be very crowded & lots of cheapo Saxos etc, which dont mind spinning depositing fluids etc...
Lotus on Track are very welcoming of sportscars that aren't Lotus' - they even blue-flagged an Elise to let me pass in the rain when I had my MX5! :driving:
Bedford is a goodish starter track - the turn in points can be difficult to place as the corners tend to look the same, but then there is not a lot to hit if you get it wrong. The downside to that is because of the wide open spaces you never really feel the speed as you would say at Cadwell, but then it is a LOT safer!

Don't worry too much about upgrading the car at first, it'll cope better than you. Brakes will take a hammering, so if you are doing sessions, do a slowish lap every 3 or 4 laps to let them cool down. If Open pit lane,the same applies - though you may want to come in yourself to catch your breath.

Enjoy it, you may become hooked.
 
Think it's all been covered.

Track insurance. (only covers your car) :thumbsup:
Put some decent, Brake Fluid in. :thumbsup:
Check your oil level is good. :thumbsup:
Check your tyres and pressures. :thumbsup:
Towing eye. :thumbsup:
Crash Helmet (Can be hired) :thumbsup:

Put the roof down and apply right foot. :driving: :D

Oh and don't run out of petrol like I did on my first track day. :oops:
 
what do you need ? ... a check up from the neck up ! have a look at u tube track day crashes, especially the black z4 roadster, very heavy smack into the armco and double spin, nasty,... still, could have been worse,...it could have been a coupe :thumbsup:
 
Gloves, extra shirt (can be sweaty), full tank of gas and if you have one, a jerry can.
The mpg will go through the roof, expect as much as 3-4 times higher consumption.
Some more experienced friends recommend a higer tyre pressure (+10%).
And lots of water, a banana or chocolate bar.

You will have fun. Good luck, drive safe.
 
I hope you don't mind a newbie chipping in? Although I know next to nothing about Z4Ms (only having had mine for a few days) I do know something about track driving.

The best advice I could give you would be to not worry about the car and worry about yourself. The single most important thing that you can do to get the most out of your first track day, both from a performance and a safety point of view, is to aim for consistency.

Don't worry too much about what you're doing to start off with - just make sure that you *know* what you're doing. Each time you get to a particular corner, know your reference points - come into the corner on the same line, brake in the same place, turn in, apex, apply throttle and track out in the same place every lap. If you're consistent like this, you can then change it *slightly* (turn in earlier, brake later, or whatever) and be confident that the effect won't be too large and won't catch you out.

Without consistency, however, you've got no basis to build upon.

Don't underestimate how difficult it is to achieve this consistency - when you're out on track the first time, things seem to be happening very quickly and you're getting used to all sorts of new things, so it can be hard to concentrate on reference points. But it'll pay for itself in spades if you can.
 
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