I'm going to try this one more time, with gusto...
Who am I? I am Mike Kelly. Driving instructor with a BUNCH of car clubs regionally and a few you may recognize. I have been tracking, racing, coaching and writing about cars for a very long time. Longer than some of you have been alive, I am sure. I have been in racecars that were on fire, upside down, on their side, in tire walls and in pieces on and slightly off track in 28 years of doing this thing we do. I've built race cars, helped develop components to be sold world wide and played in wind tunnels in the hopes of understanding why cars do what they do. I have been at speeds of up to 206mph and 181 on the back straight at VIR. I've also raced very SLOW race cars, like the mighty for Escort GT. I think I am qualified to help explain why YOU should take THIS Focus ST and enjoy it where Ford designed it to live, at a racetrack near you.
HPDE and trackday driving can teach you far more than anything you could ever experience outside of controlled environments. So what are these track days and what can I as a noob expect? Does it cost a lot? Will I crash my car?
Let's break it down for you. Every club I am affiliated with conducts track driver instructional days to assist new drivers on the fundamental basics of driving on race tracks. But it gets down to more than just learning apex and threshold braking. We teach the etiquette of track driving. And teach vehicle dynamics.
Generally every club run four on-track sessions and 2-4 classroom sessions. Your instructor will provide instruction in-car, and you will be evaluated by your instructor for progress. You will also have a chance to provide an evaluation on your instructor at the end of the day or weekend. The goal is to constantly learn, from both sides of the relationship.
First question I always get is WILL I Be on the track with other cars? YES. And you will only be allowed to pass or be passed in controlled locations on the track WITH a point by in the direction dictated by the track marshal and the chief instructor.
Will I come into contact with other cars? In the beginner groups I have been a part of in as long as I have been doing this, I have NEVER seen car to car contact. You might spin out. You potentially could slide into a tire barrier. You could hit a guard rail. But the speeds new novice drivers are running are low enough that in general we don’t see damage to novice cars. In all honesty I see far more damage in the senior ranks as we explore the limits of man and machine.
Will I hurt my car? Not generally. If your car is in GOOD running order, and has fresh fluids (BRAKE/OIL/TRANSAXLE) then you should be fine for your first outing. You will wear your tires and use your brakes a lot. But you should not be concerned with damage to your car. Any local shop can swap your fluids for cheap, or you can do it yourself. Read the owners manual for more info. This is really inexpensive for this car, but whatever you do, BUY GOOD BRAKE FLUID (I recommend Motul RBF600 or 660).
What should I buy besides my “KIT”? leave the “KIT at home”. Nothing drives me nuts more than a novice student in a driving suit with shoes and gloves. Buy an SA2010 helmet from Summit or jegs or wherever you can find it closest to you for the least money. Buy a cheap torque wrench from your local tool store. Come to the track with a tire gauge, the torque wrench (19MM or ¾ socket) and a folding chair and LOTS of water. Your instructor will help you out with your first day/weekend at the track. Have money on hand for Gas (Expect to burn a tank at the track), Lunch (you can pack a cooler to save money), and bring snacks you might need.
You will need to remove everything loose out of your car, including the tire kit, the owners manual and anything else loose, to include your floor mats. You will come to the track with a tech sheet filled out and you will have your car inspected at the track by the tech staff. They will check to make sure lights work, tires are to spec and brake pads are fine. They will check for a bolted down battery and a nice throttle blip with no concerns for hanging. They will confirm all your stuff is out of the car and they will install a sticker on the drivers upper corner to insure your car is track worthy, ie SAFE.
While you are on track you will learn things like:
Entering a hot track
Flag station locations (I get my students to wave to each station going out on the first cold lap and again on their exit lap)
What each flag means
Checking mirrors
Passing zones
Passing etiquette
Corner entry/Mid corner/Corner exit
Apexes
Threshold braking
Vision & breathing
You will NOT learn any of these things your first or your 3rd weekend. You WILL learn that High Performance Drivers Education is at its core Situational Awareness and process management at its best. Over time the things required to go fast around a racetrack safely will become second nature, but at first, you will start to learn to become FAMILIAR with the skills required for this sport of ours.
Bring a good attitude, prepare to listen and communicate, don't be shy about saying "I dont feel comfortable doing THiS" and prepare to have fun with a lot of other like-minded souls.
I will provide more information as time allows. I will warn you all, I am short on time some days and short on patience other days. I enjoy this sport and sharing. But I am not much on the silly side of the interwebs.