First time out? Awesome, you're going to have an absolute blast!
Each event has a Drivers Orientation you can download & read through that will explain how everything works & what you need to do on the day of the competition. They can be found on each of the event's pages on this site.
However, here are some extra things to consider if you’re new.
Registration
These events tend to sell out so it's best to register early to ensure you get a spot! All event registration is done online through motorsportsreg.com. There is an orange "View Upcoming Events" button on the homepage that will take you to the registration listings, and so will the red "Register" button on each of the event pages.
Sign the online waiver
This is a once per year waiver, and is done right through your phone. This needs to be done before coming out to the events. A link to it can be found on the Online Self Tech Form.
Check over your car
You will want to have a look over your car a couple days or more before the event, to make sure you have time to fix any issues that you may find. Each event requires you to send in a Online Self Tech Form to ensure that you have checked over your car before coming out. The form is a checklist of important safety items to go over. If you have some basic mechanic knowledge you can easily do this yourself.
Things you’ll want to check
Check the fluids - Ensure all the fluids are at their proper levels & have been changed within the manufacturer recommended intervals including the brake fluid. Brake fluid should be changed at least every 2 years as it absorbs water as it ages & can boil under heavy braking, leading to a very dangerous situation!
Check the battery - Give it a forceful wiggle to make sure it's secure, and check that the positive terminal is covered.
Check for any leaks - Vehicles that leak fluid onto the ground will not be allowed onto the track. The track gets used by motorcycles & karts, an oil spot can create a very dangerous hazard for them.
Check the brakes - Ensure that you have at least 3mm of brake pad material left & your rotors don’t have any major cracks. Make sure your e-brake works & your calipers and brake lines aren't visibly damaged or leaking. Push your brake pedal down and make sure it feels firm & doesn’t sink to the floor.
Check the suspension & steering - Go around your vehicle and give each wheel a forceful wiggle to see if there is any play due to worn out parts. This is easiest when done with the tire lifted off the ground and forcefully pushing & pulling the wheel side to side and up & down. Check that there is no visible fluid leaking out of your shocks too.
Check the tires & wheels - Make sure the tires are properly inflated & have no cords showing or major damage to them. Check that the lug nuts are tight & are not missing.
Check that you have a tow point - Make sure you have a place to attach a tow rope to on your car! This can be a factory or aftermarket installed installed hook or the factory screw in eye bolt.
Clean out the junk - Loose objects in your car can create a hazard when participating at these events. Remove anything that is loose that you don’t need, including floor mats that are not secured down, from your vehicle before heading out to the track.
Adjust your expectations
Leave your ego at the gate - It's OK to suck at these events. Just like in every sport, these driving competitions take awhile to get good at! Every fast driver at these events sucked terribly when they started out. Even experienced drivers have came out and completely blew it. Nobody is going to laugh at you for being slow. The community around these events is very beginner friendly. We all enjoy seeing new people getting started in our sport & helping them get faster.
Your main goal for your first few events should be learning to stay on the proper side of the pylons, not hitting the pylons & building confidence on how far you can push your car while staying in control of it. The only person that cares what position you finish in is you.. and possibly the person behind you.
This year there will be a “Fastest Newb Award '' handed out at each event, so you can battle it out with a group of other drivers that are just getting started. This is only for people with no previous racing experience, have not won the award before & have not participated in more than 3 events.
Other tips
Tire pressure - As you do your runs, heat will build up in your tires which in turn increase tire pressures. The higher the tire pressure, the less grip you will have. A good starting point is 35 psi and maintaining it throughout the event by adjusting it after a couple runs. As you get more experienced you can play around with the psi and find out what works best.
Low speed practice runs - These are critical if you're new. You get to drive the course pressure free to get a feel for it. What you’ll want to do is get behind one of the fast drivers to watch the lines they take or get someone experienced to sit in with you to give you some pointers.
First few competition runs - Be careful, your tires & brakes are cold meaning your car won't grip or brake as well. Focus on getting on the correct side of the pylons and getting a feel for your car vs going fast. Once you get the course down, then you can start getting more aggressive with the throttle.
Driving position - Sit more upright & closer to the steering wheel than you normally do. You should be able to grip the top of the wheel with both hands without lifting your back off the seat while still having a bend in your arms. This will give you better control of your car.
Co-drives - Ask to sit in as a passenger for a run with someone more experienced or have them sit in with you to give you some pointers. You can learn a lot from this, and almost every experienced driver will be happy to.
-Dan
Check out local shops RA Motorsports & Motorsports Supplies for all your go fast parts
Check out The Flying Penguin for pictures & write ups about the events