So true!!

 

Put it this way, I'm old enough to have watched the Beatles make their "live" debuts on the Ed Sullivan and Jack Parr Shows and still remember it.

 

Really nice write up and contributions to the thread. Having read this before my first HPDE would have been very helpful.

 

Couple things I didn't see on here are pre-track preperation. Get a good nights sleep before hand and eat a good meal. This will help a loooong ways in keeping your brain sharp and able to handle all the information going on during the day. If you are burned out or tired from pulling an all-nighter on your car before an event, you will be much more likely to make mistakes or mis-judge thing something on the track.

 

some paddock areas have gravel (rather than tarmac) - don't go there with hot tires. The gravel will stick and then fly all over the place the next time you're on track, and a lot of people will hate you ...

 

Very good point. A granola bar, trail mix, and LOTS of water does help during your track session. Whenever you feel tired or your brain isn't working as fast, get off the track and get your body replenished as well. The track is not a place to see how much abuse your body can take when your brain says no more or time out. The simplest mistake can be made when you're fatigued. I strap a hydration pack to the back of my seat although I need to make a contraption for the "deyhydration" pack.

 

If you sense youre losing control of your car, or if you sense youre about to lose control of your car...its better to go straight off the track rather than attempt to correct it/force your car back on track, because you may end up in some disaster...like flipping your car.

Many people initially attempt to fight it out and try to bring their car back on track...but what usually happens is physics takes over and their car gets sideways. And the last thing you want to do is go off track sideways. Why? Try to imagine it. Cant imagine yet what will happen? Its like this, if youre going off sideways, once your car gets off track and into that dirt/debris, there is a very high chance that your cars tires can dig into that dirt/debris, thus causing your car to flip.

Remember, if youre going to go off track, allow your car to go STRAIGHT off track. Yes i know, its sounds crazy at first, but in reality its usually the best move. So, dont fight it, because if you do, youll prevent it from going straight off. And most importantly, dont be afraid to ask questions. It could save your life...and perhaps someone elses too.

 

as a novice autocrosser/total effing noob i highly value and appreciate this thread! even though I'm not very experienced here are a few things that really helped me personally (or i wish i had known) at my first event:

arrive as early as possible. things happen quickly and if you don't know what you're doing, it will get the day off to a bad start or be downright dangerous if you're panicking or rushed.

think about and address everything you can imagine that you'll encounter that day as far in advance as possible. the more you plan before the day of the event the less you might stress the actual day of the event. read as much as you can, try to get ahold of a track layout, pick people's brains who you know, and get all the supplies together as early as possible. i began preparing weeks in advance, and it still seemed like everything was last minute. drive a bit too.

if you have friends who have been to the track before, it might not be a bad idea to bring them. just their presence alone can be very reassuring and take some of the axiety out of not knowing wtf to do and reduce that constant panic many of us are prone to.

try to RELAX! your first time, everything will be so new, that even if it's minor it will feel like a bigger deal than it really is. clarity of thought is good, panic and confusion bad. relaxation=clarity of thought. the chances of some of the things you might be stressing too hard about having a horrible outcome is probably much less than the chances of too much anxiety having a horrible outcome. (short of car safety etc.)

 

Thanks for the tips. Very useful.

 

I would add: "Check your mirrors frequently and allow quicker cars to pass without unnecessary delay." My experience is that beginner students get really nervous when there's a faster car stuck to their bumper. Let them by. They'll be happy, you'll be more comfortable, and traffic will flow better. Everyone wins

Absolutely. Some of you might find this article I wrote helpful: Getting Ready for Your First High-Performance Driving School

I've never understood the fascination with Ate SuperBlue. Take a look at this: Brake Fluid Comparison Table

As you can see, Ate SuperBlue/Typ200 has basically the exact same specs as Valvoline SynPower, which you can find for $3-4 in every Pep Boys, Advanced Auto Parts, and Wal-Mart in the country. Edited to add: Ford Heavy Duty has an even better dry boiling point and is also much easier to find than Ate.

Emre

 

Good info.