What To Know Before Driving on a Racetrack

Ready for your first track day? Let’s get started!

Driving on track for the first time can be extremely intimidating. In fact, you might have never considered it until today. Which means, you’re probably wondering, where to start. The good news is, you’re already in the right place!

What You NEED to Know Before Getting on Track:

Getting Set Up: Your seating position is paramount when preparing to drive on track. Not just the first time, but every time. It’s equally as important to check tire pressure, oil and coolant levels, and your rear and sideview mirrors.
Hand Position:Your hands should be in one position and one position only. That position is 9&3. Those number refer to a clock, and therefore your left hand is where the 9:00 position is, and that leaves 3:00 which is where your right hand will remain. With the proper arm and hand position, you will be able to completely rotate the wheel.
Markers and Cones: Xtreme prepares the track by placing cones (mentioned in episode) on the track for reference. It’s best get a visual of the track layout, as well as its brake markers (if available) to better understand what you will encounter while you’re on track.
Research: There’s going to be a lot thrown at you on your first track day. Most racetracks post detailed track maps to help you better understand the layout of the track – analyze this. At XX we produce tips from our pros for each track we visit; these articles included tips from our chief instructors, as well as in-car video of the track (based on the configurations we run). You can access those here.

Episode 1