It’s happening. You have finally pulled the trigger and signed up for a track day with your 10th gen Civic. You’re both excited and nervous at the same time. It’s your first time ever on track and you want to make sure you are prepared and ready for a full day of action. Your first time on track can bring a rush of emotions and it’s a lot to take in. To help make sure your outing goes smooth we have put together this blog to help you prepare and to most importantly have fun. Here is our 101 for your first Track Day with your Civic.

WHAT TO BRING TO YOUR FIRST TRACK DAY

Let’s start from the beginning. What should you bring with you for your first track day? We are going to assume you are going to and from the track in your Honda Civic or Accord so let’s not pack like we have a full truck and trailer. Just the essentials for a good time. Some of these may seem obvious but in all the excitement it's very easy to forget the basics.

• Lawn chair

  • Lots of downtime between sessions. Take a load off and sit down.

• Umbrella and Sunscreen

  • Skin cancer is no joke, it’s hot out. Stay shaded when you can as most paddocks don’t have many coverings.

• Cooler

  • Lots of snacks and water to stay full and hydrated. Many smaller tracks don’t have food amenities on-site and you don’t want to waste time driving 30 min to a fast food joint

• Notebook and Pen

  • You will get a lot of new info thrown at you. Come prepared to take notes so you can learn and develop each time out. Bonus: You might even take some notes specific to the track.

• 5 Spare Gallons of Gas 

  • Along with coming with a full tank bring some extra fuel as you will likely need it and buying gas at the track is very expensive.

• Critical Fluids

  • A quart of oil, spare transmission fluid, and brake fluid is always good to have with you just in case.

• Helmet

  • In the case they are not renting any out during your track day.

• Portable Phone Charger

  • You are going to be taking pics and gramming the whole time so it's going to need a recharge. Remember, we are here to have fun.

• Tire Pressure Gauge

  • Use this and the notebook from earlier to monitor tire pressures throughout the day. Having the correct tire pressure is key to a good handling car.

HOW TO PREP YOUR CAR FOR TRACK DAY

Now, before you go and pack all this in the car let’s make sure your Honda/Acura is ready to rock. Be sure and do all of these things before laying any rubber down.

• Remove All Floor Mats

  • You don’t want these to slide and get stuck under the brake pedal.

• Take Out All Non-essentials

  • Water bottles, bags, extra sneakers, etc. You don’t want any loose items flying around in the car. It's unsafe.

• Clean All The Windows

  • You need to see right. A good deep cleaning so you have max visibility. 

• Buckle All Seatbelts

  • We like to do this so that nothing is banging around and distracting us from driving.

• Check Fluids and Tires

  • Make sure you are topped off and have good tread on the tires. 

• Bleed the Brakes

  • Have fresh brake fluid at all 4 corners. Super important to stay safe and be able to stop.

• Car Numbers

  • It's good to do this ahead of time. Numbers help workers and staff ID your car if they need to speak with you. Not always required but it’s a good habit.

You have shown up to the track with a car that is good to go and all your essentials. Here is what you can expect. 

For HPDE (high-performance driving events) the day will always start with a tech session. You will drive your car over to a tech official who will make sure your car is “fit” to get on track and not a hazard to you or anyone else. They will check your tires, seatbelt, that the battery is properly tied down, and your helmet (if you are not renting) among other things. Their number one job is to ensure your safety and everyone else's on the track. Once you have the inspection green light you will have a mandatory drivers meeting. This is for every driver at the event all the way from beginner to advanced drivers. Here, they go over the course, the flags, and the do’s and don'ts. This is where that notebook can be handy. Since it’s your first time you will most likely have a driving instructor to ride along with you but not always. If you do, listen to everything they have to say. They will tell you how to safely get on and off track, which line to take, how to let others pass safely and more. It will be a lot of information to digest.

Generally, a typical track day is broken up into 4 to 6, 20 minute sessions with 3-4 run groups ranging from beginner to advanced drivers. In between your sessions you can debrief with your instructor and ask questions. They will guide you on how to improve. Don’t focus on going fast right now. Focus on being safe and smooth.  

The most important thing for this first time out is to have fun! You are here to learn and get experience. Getting faster comes with time so who cares if you get passed a hundred times. Smile because you are doing what many cannot. 

Do us a solid and print these checklists out so you have them handy for your next track day. Drop us a comment below if there’s something special that you bring to the track that we’ve missed. 

Till next time.

-Vincent