Getting off Track
After you've completed your track sessions, in order to take the best care of your car, there are a number of situations that it very helpful to know about in advance of their arrival. Track sessions put your car through a short duration workout, and it's a good idea to give your car adequate time to relax before you park it and turn the key off. Depending on whether you have an automatic or manual transmission, or have a turbocharged or non-turbocharged engine, you'll need to address a different set of concerns.
Here is a list of situations to be on the lookout for.
Hot Brakes! : After 20 - 30 minutes of track time, your brakes will be very hot. When brakes are hot, you must take proper care of them to ensure that no costly repairs are required.
1. Driving back to your parking spot
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After receiving the checked flag indicating your on track session is over, drive at a moderate pace back to the paddock area. This will give your car time to begin cooling off. After exiting the track, your instructor will do a debriefing and can be dropped off. If you need additional time to cool down your car drive your car slowly around the parking lot for 1 - 2 minutes. During this time, try to make very minimal use of the brake system.
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Driving around the parking lot allows air to circulate through the engine compartment, and the brake rotors. This air circulation will allow the greatest heat dissapation, and provide maximum benefit
2. Parking brakes
- Manual Shift Car - Do not use the parking brake to keep your car secured in your parking space. Instead, use a block of wood, or a wheel chock to keep the car stationary. Car can also be left in first gear.
- Automatic Shift Car - It is perfectly safe to let the car rest with the transmission in "P" (park). Do not however put on the parking brake. When the parking brakes are on there can be uneven cooling of the brake rotors causing warping.
Tire Pressure: It is very important to know at what pressure the tires on your car provide the best handling
1. Checking tire pressure
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It is wise to check the air pressure in all 4 of the tires as soon as is possible after you exit the track.
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Understanding how the pressure of your tires changes over the course of a session will allow you to anticipate the amount that a tire will likely increas, and set your tires accordingly.
2. Filling your tires with air
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Fill your tires to the automobile manafactures specification. The tire pressure recommended is located usually on the inside of the cas cap cover or on the door jam. Never exceed the tire manafacturers recommended inflation.
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Changing tire pressures can dramatically affect cars handling. Be catious in making adjustments different from the manf. specifications.
Hot Engine: Engines get hot after a short session on the track. Turbo engines get especially hot and should be taken care of properly.
1. When you exit the track with a hot turbo-charged engine. It is important to...
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Make note of the temperature reading on the turbo guage. If the guage reads an excessively hot number then
let the engine cool for a little while after you get off track
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Opening the hood is a good method to cool the engine. As noted before, you can also do a lap around the parking lot as a way to assist in cooling down the engine. Maximum speed in the pits is 15 mph.
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