Excellent advice Brendan as always. Based on coaching in my usual MX5s, plus other people's 911s, GTRs, Astons, Gallardos and R8s since I came back to the UK, also consider: Watch KZread videos of the track. If official tuition is available on the day, pay for it, at least for your first half a dozen days. I didn't, and wasted years of potential improvement. If unofficial tuition is available, grab that, and buy your tutor at least a coffee while you pick his or her brains*. Say hello to everyone around you and tell them you're new and ASK FOR ADVICE. Anyone who looks down on you will never be on your Christmas list so meh. But anyone who offers assistance and advice needs to be grabbed with open arms - literally. A trip to a wreckers yard to strip all the electrical fuses, relays, sensors etc off a similar car will be worthwhile. Have a look at Brendan's other KZread stuff on KZread. If you learn easily from technical teaching, have a look at Driver 61 also on KZread. Take it easy. Be smooth. Jagging the steering around and being harsh on and off the pedals only upsets the car. Get good at letting faster cars past and at keeping your concentration when you do. Start at what you think might be no more than 65% of your ability and the ability of your car and of how fast you can go on the track in the conditions. Do no more than 15 minute sessions to start off with as 1) you'll be mentally tired by then if on your first day and 2) you might find things with your car that need to be improved for longer sessions - such as pads, brake fluid, engine cooling etc. Give the car a rest between sessions and allow yourself time to stretch your muscles and to reflect on what you've done well. As you go through the day so you'll learn the track and what your car can do. You might still only be working at 65% of your ability but the size of your ability has increased. Stay smooth with all inputs. Start thinking about squeezing the brakes on more heavily and for shorter periods so you can get off them earlier to let the car settle before turn-in. Turn in gently at first then add steering if needed. Start gently winding steering off as soon as you can while getting progressively back on the throttle. The latter parts above are what most novices are doing by the end of their first day with me. On day two they come to usually a different track and find that a lot of what they learned on day one has magically become muscle and brain memory which makes new stuff easier to learn. Seriously, the improvement from day one to day two with no track time in between is considerable and enables us to then look at going at 80% or more while always being aware that over-driving is slower and less safe. * I'd done 3 seasons before even having a passenger ride with a better driver. I wasn't improving but the car was going faster because I kept turning up the boost. Then I was lucky enough to get a ride in a similar car at Winton. I was terrified for the first three laps but then started to learn what an MX5 can do in the hands of a better driver. I got out of that car and jumped straight into mine and did six seconds under my PB on lap two of the session. SIX SECONDS on a 90 second track! Any guesses as to who the driver was?

Great tips for beginners and veteran track ppl! Short and sweet

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙂

Not a MUST but a map of track on which you can make notes on like reference markers for turn in points etc

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

Nice tip, not something I've ever done myself, but maybe I should keep that in mind for the future.

Good video. Regarding suspension checks - after checking each bolt is tight you can mark across the bold/nut head and the surrounding metal with a paint pen to mark the position. That way it is MUCH quicker next time to visually confirm nothing has backed-off (unless it's done a 360 degree rotation of course...)

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

Good tip too, thanks.

Yes

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

:-)

Thank you so much for this. have you got any tips for those who might be taking their daily on a track. Really want to test her out. Without going hard.

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

Ensure your maintenance is up to scratch, oil, coolant etc... and take it easy particularly on the brakes.... generally for road cars the first thing to suffer is the brake pads.

@demon1954

7 ай бұрын

Add high boiling point brake fluid and track pads. Take spare pads. Be gentle on the tyres. Take it easy. Build up speed smoothly through the day if the car and you are both coping. Don't be hard on yourself if it doesn't come naturally straight away.

Tha ks Brendan. What order would you buy safety gear in? Helmet, gloves shoes? I only have a non hans helmet. Don't feel I need gloves but shoes would help

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

Helmet always always always comes first. An appropriate shoes can help ensure proper pedal control. Gloves are probably last.

@andrewmartyn7171

8 ай бұрын

1st full face helmet (as have witnessed broken screens at Phillip Island) and as far as I am aware all recent helmets can be fitted for HANS. Yes shoes that give good feel (ie flex and thin sole) but be aware race shoes can be skinny which can make "heel/toe" more difficult on road cars with wide pedal spacing. Gloves if spending long sessions behind wheel or you get sweaty palms. Also loose cotton breathable clothing.

I'd be very interested to hear where I can get track day insurance from?

@Bbeavis

Ай бұрын

Depends where in the world you are located. Some businesses are: Lockton, One Underwriting, Hagerty, Open Track Google search is probably the path you need to go down.

@animalchin1972

Ай бұрын

@@Bbeavis same as you, Melbourne, Australia. What's the recommendation for us?

@Bbeavis

Ай бұрын

@@animalchin1972 Try discuss your needs with either of these: oneunderwriting.com.au www.lsvcarinsurance.com.au

@animalchin1972

Ай бұрын

@@Bbeavis Thanks, I'll see what they can help with.

New garage?

@Bbeavis

8 ай бұрын

Not new, just moved the road car out of the way to make room for the MX-5.