First Track Day

One of the biggest life milestones this summer is getting my first project car, Spicy, to a race track. This is the first time I can put the maintenance and improvements to the test in a demanding environment. Will the car be able to handle it? Will I have to call a tow truck? Will I enjoy my time at the track? These are all the questions I had on my way to Mission Raceway. As the day progressed, each of these questions have been answered in the best way possible.

Parked

Gathering Track Day Kit

Apart from getting the car itself ready, there are several things that you will most likely need at the track. Other things you hope you will not use but bring them anyway. It is important to understand that taking a car on a race track puts the vehicle under A LOT of stress. This is something I did not fully understand until getting there. More experienced competitors brought spare wheels, brake pads and rotors, tire gauges, replacement fluids and gasoline. I thought that most of these things are just “nice-to-have” but the reality is that they are a must. All in, I acknowledge that I am lucky that my car has survived the day without going through any of the consumables (except boiling some brake fluid). Even after the first run, the brake and tire wear turned out to be substantial and this is when I realized why everyone has a spare set of brake pads and some have tires. Putting a car through so much stress involves factors that are outside of your control. You might hit a sharp rock that tears your tire open or a rock gets stuck between the brake pad and rotor. Both of these things are quite likely and I witnessed a rock come along for a ride first hand. This is why it is very important to have a good kit ready for the car and also for yourself. Below I list my updated must-haves. Note that I am still a novice and I might be missing some importnant things.

Car Kit

Brake pads
Tire gauge
Tire inflator
Brake fluid
Brake bleeding kit
Oil
Jack and jack stands
Socket set
Mallet

Personal Kit

Helmet and balaclava
Water
Sunscreen! (Don’t ask how I know)
Spare clothes
Lunch
Widebrim hat

Feelings and Atmosphere

The best way to describe my mental state on the way to the track is nerv-cited. I was both filled with anticipation and feelings of worry. My biggest concern was not being able to come back home with my car in one piece and fully operational. My second biggest concern was that I will not like my time at the track. It may not seem like a big thing as many people do not like taking their car to the track and do not do it at all. For me though, it was a defining part of the build. Will Spicy become a race car or will I focus on making it a comfortable daily driver. These two paths are very different but both are appealing and I still waver between them.

The first thing that I noticed when arriving to Mission Raceway is the immediate feeling of belonging and comradery. Everyone has a different car and most importantly, a completely different lifestyle. At the track however, we are all connected by the same passion and very similar struggles and things on our minds. Building and racing cars is a big commitment and it is very inspiring to be in the group of people who share this experience.

As the day progressed I became more confident in my driving ability but also in the car. The bigggest learning from the day was discovering the car’s limits and also of my own driving ability. After this track day I feel a lot more confident on Spicy. Not because the car got magically better, but because I know what she can do and what she cannot.

Contemplating

First Session: Instruction

The main reason I signed for for a track day with Speedy Goat is because they have volunteer instructors who will go with novices in the beginning of the day and help get a better hang of the course and the car. The first three laps were driven by my instructor Matt. Throughout each lap he would point out braking zones, recommended racing lines as well as common mistakes novices make. I am very grateful to have him join me for the first session. It is an invaluable experience to have a veteran join you for the first track day in your life.

For the latter part of the session we switched and I took over the wheel. Yet again Matt was giving great advice at every corner and pointing out any mistakes I was making. It is thanks to him that I got the confidence to gradually push more and more as the day progressed. The picture below depicts Matt in the passenger seat and me driving during the first session of the track day.

Instruction

Second Session: Free Flight

The second session was all about gradual improvements and finding the limits. This is still my first day, after all so I took it cautiosly. Perhaps too cautiosly. Still every lap was getting better and better. The car was taking the beating like a champ! There was one issue however. At the beginning of every third hot lap, a distinct smell of braking fluid would enter the cabin. The problem was that flushed the brakes with the regular DOT 3 brake fluid and it was not loving the intense braking. At this point, the third lap was always more of a cool-down than a race. Since brake fluid has become the biggest limitation, it was the first upgrade I have done after the day was over.

Aside from a slightly unsettling smell, this session was filled with excitement, pride and lots of fun. I was having the time of my life attempting to get the perfect racing line and take that corner the fastest I could. At this point I was reassured that I love racing and Spicy will become a dedicated race car. I do not know how long it will take me to get to that point but mark my words, you WILL see this car at Knox Mountain Hillclimb in Kelowna. And I will be sure to be the one driving.

Cornering

Risk and Reward

The day was filled with emotions and cannot have wished for a better experience. That being said, I got very lucky that nothing went wrong. My level of preparation would not have been enough to even to a brake job… Thus, the reward was great but the risk I took was higher than I would like to admit. That being said, do not be discouraged from attending your first track day! On contrary, I urge you to! Simply be more prepared that I was.

As a small bonus, here is one of my laps at Mission Raceway.

What’s next

Next up Spicy and I wil be going to AutoX events to become a better driver and get a better understanding of the car.

The car doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be fun.