How To Survive Your First Track Day

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Track Day Racing – What you need to know

Every car enthusiast wants to drive on a race track – whether it’s a chance to hit the oval, cut a great light at the strip, or test your skills at a road course, the allure of the race track is obvious: there are no cops, no stoplights, and no minivans to pull out in front of you. It’s just you and the pavement. And maybe some walls.

Many clubs offer open track days, driver schools, and other events where you can get your car out on the race track. Some clubs require you to join up to participate, others are happy to take virtually anyone. If your club doesn’t do track days, just ask around and you’re sure to find at least one opportunity in your area.

Fair Warning: Driving on a Race Track is Dangerous

Before you sign up, there are three things you need to know:

1. The first and most important thing to remember is that no matter how great your car drives and handles on the street, it’s likely to feel like a bowl of loose oatmeal on a race track. That’s just because everything happens faster, harder, and more intensely on the track. If you took a great race car on the street, you’d feel like you were driving a torture device.  So don’t expect to set any records in your street machine, and don’t overcook the first corner.
2. This one is harder to swallow. When you get to the track you’re going to be in the beginner group. Don’t argue about it – you are a beginner, and the quickest way to a crash is to get in over your head. There’s no shame in starting in the beginner group – everyone starts there.  Check your ego at the track gate and take the instruction that is usually offered to beginners. After 20 years driving on track, I still feel fortunate when I can get an instructor to ride with me – I always learn something new.
3. Finally, you need to know that you might do everything right and still crash. Your insurance absolutely will not cover a wreck that happens at a race track under any circumstances, so follow my simple rule: “If you can’t afford to drop it in a dumpster and hitch a ride home, don’t put in on a race track.”

That’s all the bad news. Here’s the good part – driving on a race track is like opening a whole new book in your automotive experience. It makes you a better driver on the street because you learn your car’s limits and you reduce your tendency to panic. You gain confidence in your abilities and lose the need to prove anything to anyone on the road. Plus, driving fast on a race track is just about the most fun you can have in a car with your clothes on!

In addition to driving fast on the race track, many track events will include an autocross or other driving skills training, such as a wet surface braking exercise. Be sure to take advantage of these skill-builders.

Preparing for Track Day

Here are some good guidelines to get you and your car ready for the big day:

• Once you’ve signed up for the event, you need to make sure that your car is as good as you can make it. That means you’ve got good tires underneath you, balanced and inflated to their proper pressure. Modern tires don’t benefit from low pressures, so use the manufacturer’s recommended pressures – at least to start with. You want the car to be predictable in its handling.  At the same time, make sure your shocks, bushings, and steering are all ready for heavy duty use.  Double check for leaks – no one wants to slide on your oil!

• Make sure your seat is comfortable and that your seat belts are in good shape. Remove all the junk from your trunk and anything in the cabin that might come loose and roll around. They’ll inspect your car when you get to the track and make you take that stuff out anyway, so get it done before you go.

• Get a good night’s sleep before the event. Don’t go out drinking. You need to be well-rested, relaxed, and at your best. Use common sense.
• Bring some good food and drinks to the track with you. You need to stay hydrated, especially in the summer months. Plus, you want to eat something every few hours, but eat lightly and keep the grease and yuck to a minimum. Your stomach will thank you while you’re on track.

• Finally, make sure you have a helmet. All track events require you to wear a real helmet – one that is Snell-rated. You can’t get away with a beanie on a race track. Most clubs will have some loaners, but if you plan to do this more than once, you’ll want to invest in your own bucket. Look at Bell and Pyrotect for good SA-rated helmets. SA stands for Sports Applications, and these helmets are designed differently from M-rated (motorcycle) helmets – SA helmets provide more extreme impact resistance and are made of fire-resistant materials. For your first helmet, a Pyrotect will be substantially less expensive than a comparable Bell, and almost as comfortable and light.

TIP: Get a full-face helmet. You’ll need one to drive a convertible, and while they cost more than an open-face helmet, you’ll be happy for the versatility. Plus, if your track day car doesn’t have a full racing harness, a full-face offers your nose and mouth some protection against “eating the steering wheel” in a crash. Yes. I mean that literally.

Surviving the Actual Track Day

Once you’re on track, you’ll probably get about 4 sessions of 20-30 minutes each throughout the day. That might not sound like much, but it’s all most people can handle. You’ll be tired by the end of the day. Use the downtime to rest, have a bite to eat and something to drink, and talk to others about what you’re learning.  You’ll make friends and get the most out of the experience.

As a beginner, you are very likely to have an instructor. Your instructor, at a minimum, has a lot of track day experience, and most are SCCA or NASA club racers or have other competition experience. Listen carefully to what they tell you and leave your ego back in the paddock. You are there to learn and improve – and I guarantee you that your last laps will be slower than your first if you don’t listen, and faster if you do listen.

At the end of the day, don’t forget to thank your instructor and the staff workers who made the day possible.

For 20 years, my race car carried a little brass plaque that read “Racing is a sport. We do it for fun.” I’ll leave you to ponder the truth of that. Above all, don’t let your track day become stressful – if it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth doing.

1965 Mercury Comet Caliente Pro-Touring Build

Pro-Touring Hot Rod Comet

Pro-Touring? Does this sound like grandma cruisin’ Route 66 in a Mercury Marquis? Try Again! For those hiding out in your garage working on your own hot rod in the last 5 years, Pro-Touring cars are classic muscle cars modified to be driven hard with modern hot rodding technology.

Call it Pro-Touring or G-Machine, everything on these tricked out rides is upgraded and modern: Late model or aftermarket suspension, big horsepower engine, and body mods to fit those giant wheels with low profile tires and big brakes. New school muscle with old school style. Buckle up.

OK, let’s have a look-see at Josh Martin’s 1965 Pro-Touring Mercury Comet Caliente then shall we? A few magazines are planning to feature this track day-ready Comet, but the details are not set. In the meantime, MyRideisMe.com delivers the latest and greatest in hot rodding. We say, why wait? Type in your email address over on the left and you’ll receive stories like this right to your inbox.

Filling you in on the Comet build then, meet car owner, Josh Martin.

MyRideisMe: All dream cars start with just that, a dream. Personally I’m a big fan of the Comet. Tell us about yours and why you built a Comet?

Josh Martin : I chose the 1965 Mercury Comet after seeing the 1996 movie “Swingers.” (“Baby, that was money! Tell me that wasn’t money!”) I loved the look of the car in the movie so I researched and found out it’s a ’64 Comet convertible. Then I saw a 1965 2-door hardtop and it blew me away. It was the best looking car I had ever seen, and I knew that this was the car I wanted.

MyRideisMe: Once you knew you wanted the Comet, what were your plans and why?

Josh Martin: I researched shops, and talked with a few before choosing Woody’s Hot Rodz in Bright, Indiana. Woody’s started from a small operation out of a garage and grew to a shop doing multiple high-end builds. I also knew that I wanted to do a Pro-Touring build, using the original Comet body, but upgrading everything with new parts (chassis, engine, brakes, interior, etc.). Woody’s was doing pro-touring builds based on the Art Morrison Max G chassis. So, Woody’s was a perfect fit.

MyRideisMe: So, where did you find the actual car?

Josh Martin: The 1965 Comet is not a super rare car. We didn’t care about the engine, brakes, etc., but we needed a solid body with as little rust as possible (other than the floors, which would be cut out and rebuilt anyway). We found a perfect car on Craigslist that was located in California.

MyRideisMe: So, tell us about the build itself and working with Woody’s Hot Rodz?

Josh Martin: The project started in the spring of 2006, when the car shipped from California to Woody’s. I had a list of ideas for the project from writing down general concepts that I wanted for the car. I sent pictures of other cars that had design features I liked, and then I left it up to Woody’s to fill in the blanks and execute. Throughout the three year build, Woody’s and I have been in constant communication about what parts to use, how we want certain things to look, and other details. Woody’s has done an amazing job building the car I envisioned.

[Note on Woody's: In the three years since my project started, Woody's has been busy killin' it. They had three cars built for Super Rod and other Buckaroo Buildoff-published magazines and they now tout customers such as Jeg Coughlin (2008 Prostock World Champion), Herschel Walker, and Carlos Beltran. Woody's owner Chris and partner Ryan are a couple of good guys, and they really know how to build a car the right way.]

MyRideisMe: Now, one of the coolest parts of this build is that Shelby GT500 5.4L Supercharged V8 shoehorned into that small block Ford bay!

Josh Martin: Right, we originally had planned on a 4.6L mod motor. After the build was already under way, I saw the GT500 5.4L engine. I called Woody’s and we went over all the potential problems, like, how do we get that wide/tall engine to fit, how do we control it (brand new engine not sold with a wiring harness), and is it too heavy for balanced handling. We decided that it was worth the headaches given that there really wouldn’t be many (any?) non-Mustang cars with this engine. And, once again, Woody’s came through. We located an operation that could sell us the engine, harness, and a programmed computer. Finally, a few modifications to the hood and engine bay and it slipped in.

MyRideisMe: Let’s take a look at the rest of the build. What else makes this car stand out?

Josh Martin: Both Woody’s and I would come up with ideas, and then we’d talk them through. For example, we didn’t like the original Comet mirrors so Woody’s came up with the idea of using bullit style Mustang mirrors. Since the Comet was a stable mate with the Mustang, the mirrors fit without any real modification.

Woody’s also came up with a number of original design features. The original 1965 Comet had three plastic front fender badges. We liked the general look, but wanted to update them. Woody’s came up with cool metal badges. Woody’s also added a center rear brake light between the trunk and the rear window that sits flush with the surface of the car. Custom LEDs now reside in the taillights. Check out the modern take on A/FX hood scoops too.

Woody’s also took the old grill emblem (which was red, white, and blue) and changed it to a black and silver “GT500″ emblem. I think it’s cool because we removed all the name badges from the car (it actually does not say “Comet” anywhere on the car). As for the interior, Woody’s has been using Barry Langdon Interior for years, and Barry did a great job using black leather on the seats and a really cool center console design.

MyRideisMe: Wow! I really dig the custom touches Josh. Here’s the Comet’s quick spec sheet:

Engine - 5.4L supercharged Ford SVT engine from the new GT500.

Transmission – T56 six-speed (modified).

Chassis – Art Morrison Max G (frame with pass-throughs for exhaust, Morrison IFS suspension, Morrison triangulated 4-bar rear suspension out back)

Exhaust – Borla kit (includes 2.5″ diameter stainless tubing, two Turbo XL mufflers, and two Phantom tips)

Brakes – Wilwood six-piston calipers squeezing 13 inch front and 12.1 inch rear rotors

Wheels/Tires – 18″ Bonspeed Quasars on BFG g-Force KDW 255/45/18 Rears and 225/45/18 Fronts

Gas tank – Stealth tank from Rick’s

Gauges – Classic Instruments, 6-gauge set, All American Series

Steering – Ididit shorty column, Budnik Famosa wheel

Josh Martin: We set out to create a car that looks like my favorite old car but that performs like a new performance car. It has been quite a journey (three years) , but we got to where we wanted to be. I could not have done it without the help of people on the Pro-Touring.com Forums, whether it was ideas, opinions, or just encouragement. The relationship I’ve formed with the guys at Woody’s Hot Rodz has been awesome, and I’m sure it will last a long time. I can’t wait to get the Comet on the road and to the track, but the journey itself with all of its ups and downs has been a huge part of the fun.

My Ride is Me Sponsors First Race Car!

After selling both the Nissan 240SX race cars he had owned and saying, “I’m not getting another race car…” Brady Dohrmann of Tempe, AZ picked up this race prepped BMW M3.

I work with Brady, so it was only natural to make him the first officially sponsored MyRideisMe.com race car! It also helps that with his previous cars, Brady pretty much won every event he raced in and was featured in a couple of magazines. He won his class at the 9/22-23 Track Day at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and was 3rd overall. It’s a big responsibility being Brady’s sponsor. We had to show up late and bring 3 cold Burger King Whopper Jr’s. With backing like that, I’m sure Brady will continue to be successful.

To see more pictures of Brady’s car, check out his Brady’s garage.

To see all the pictures I took from the race, go HERE:

If anyone would like the high res photos, please get in touch. There yours free.

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