I got this list of etiquette in the paddock from CCA Deflector of VSE Engineering. I wish everyone would follow the whole list.

Being a track junkie is more than just attending 100 or more track days per year.
It takes a little more to be considered a true track junkie.

• Bring your own drinking water. Don't go around asking for water to drink.
  
• Bring your own tools. That includes air pressure guage, torque wrench, jack etc. Whatever you can fit into the car. Going around and always asking for tools is often frown upon at unless of course you brought the trailer the entire garage and forgot that special socket.
  
• Bring your own roll of painter's tape. If you intend to borrow it due to absent-mindedness, use it sparingly. Don't use it to cover your entire car or your toilet seat.
  
• Do not borrow tools without asking and if you do borrow a tool, return it in a timely manner.
  
• If you see someone having difficulties setting or packing up an Ez-Up, please volunteer to help.
  
• If a group of people is sharing the shade under an Ez-Up, leave your belongings out in the sun. The shade is to cool people not to cool your belongings.
  
• If you see someone jacks up a car and plans to work under that car without jackstands, warn that person it's not ok.
  
• If you see a wrecked track car that was just towed back into the paddocks, do not go oohs or wahs and start snapping pictures away.
  
• Do not block garage entrances and surroundings if you did not rent that garage.
  
• Ask before parking in a spot that has belongings already unloaded and unpacked. The one thing most drivers hate is to return from a track session, only to find his/her spot is taken by someone else.
  
• Do not blast music out of a hi-fi box in the paddocks. This is not a HIN event.
  
• Be friendly and make friends at the track. We are all there for the love of driving on the track.
  
• Never lose your cool at another driver. It shows a lack of sportsmanship. Using the middle finger is prohibited.
  
• Do not ask another driver 0-60mph, 1/4-mile, 0-100mph times or who smoked who. We are there for a road race/education course event. Not drag racing.
  
• Do not sit in any seat of another car without asking for permission.
  
• Do not touch anything in the engine bay of another car without asking for permission.
  
• Do not touch anything inside of another car without asking for permission.
  
• Do not go around telling everyone that you have a fast car. It doesn't matter if you have a fast car. It only matters if you're a fast driver. Even so, just be humble.
  
• Do not speed in the paddocks. General rule of thumb is not exceeding 5 mph.
  
• Wave to the corner workers during every cool down lap. Be nice to them. They look out for you on the track.
  
• Track junkies appreciate if favors are reciprocated. We help each other out.

 

Man, I wish more people would follow this, not even just the participants, but the event organizers. I had a mechanical failure (suspension failure) a couple years back when I was starting out and hit a wall. I felt bad about the incident already due to the stoppage in track time and I drove the car to the track so I had to wait around for a tow. The whole time I was waiting people kept oohing-ahhing and theorizing about how I could have prevented this situation (one guy even yelled at me and actually GRABBED my torque wrench to check my torque settings!). I don't get it, even at HPDEs people can mess up and make mistakes, this is auto racing, not tennis, **** happens, no matter how hard you prevent it!

 

Nice list.

I would add to that:

Don't talk $hit about other cars, especially if they're not the same type of car as your own. Appreciate the fact that other people enjoy racing whatever they can afford/currently own.

l8r)

 

Nice list. Perhaps event organizers should post it on their websites.

 

Good list. We've made some great life long friends by following some of these rules. Just lending a hand to people having a bad day can really make a person feel better. We've all had those bad days at the track when nothing is going right and when someone comes along to help a brother out you're greatful. Pay it forward. Plus when you start making some good friends at the track you can start planning track days together and consolidating tools/tents/food etc. The buddy system really helps out rather you're splitting a garage at Mid-O or someone is saving you a spot close to the pits on a typical overbooked NASA weekend while you're still stuck in hellacious traffic 3 hours away.

 

There should also be a "have patience with and offer to help newb's". It's just better for everyone that way.

 

good one, not everyone has the advantage of thier first track day going with someone who already is acquainted with the ethics and know of the track.