Track Day Info (from NW Alfa Club)

Refer to the NW Afla Romeo Club page for more info.

1. What to Bring to the Track

The following are suggestions on what you might need at the track on any given day.

• WATER (Bring lots of water to drink, you will be surprised how quickly you can become dehydrated even if it's raining.)
• Hat (One for the rain, and one if it's sunny.)
• Sunscreen (Unless it's raining, but cloudy days at Bremerton will still give you a sunburn.)
• Comfortable walking shoes (The paddock is far away from everything.)
• Folding Chair (Unless you like sitting on the ground.)
• Plastic box w/ lid (Great for keeping stuff in, dry, cool, safe, etc.)
• Rain Jacket (Funny how wet you can get when there's no trees to stand under.)
• Snacks (Lunch is only once and dinner is a good long drive from any track, stay nourished.)
• Wet Wipes (Depending on which track, a sink to wash hands is hard to come by.)
• Drivers License (You know who you are, but we don't.)
• Towels (Wearing wet clothes on your leather seats isn't fun.)
• Change of clothes (You might get wet or stinky, depends on the day.)
• Helmet & track clothes (Yes, people forget these all the time.)

• Work gloves (Ever change hot wheels covered in brake dust with your bare hands?)
• Window Cleaner (Streaks on the windshield can impair your vision)
• Paper Towels (Grubby finger wipers.)
• Extra Oil (Your car will need snacks too.)
• Some Hand Tools (Socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, scissors, etc.)
• Tarp (A blue tarp can keep your stuff dry or shield you from the sun.)
• Duct Tape (Hey it comes in clear now so your track damage repair isn't as noticeable.)
• Electrical Tape (Loose wires can cause all sorts of problems.)

• Bungy Cord (If your vehicle requires a bungy cord to hold it together then it should not be on the track. Only for before and after the event when you haul your stuff in your car. NO bungies holding the battery in!)
• Alcohol (You will be asked to leave the premises. NO EXCEPTIONS!)
• Lunch (The club provides you with a nice meal at noon.)
• Sandals or High heels (The track can be a dangerous place for unprotected feet. You will not be allowed to drive wearing either style footwear.)

2. Car Prep

We cannot over-emphasize how important it is for you to self inspect your car prior to the event. We will perform an on-site safety inspection before allowing you to drive; however, you are responsible for the mechanical condition of your car. This affects your safety and the safety of the others out on the track with you. Especially if this is your first track event of the season, we recommend you thoroughly inspect your car or have it inspected at your local shop before coming to Pacific Raceways. Note that doing so will not replace our on-site inspection.

All participants should have their vehicle inspected by an certified ASE mechanic before attending a track event. Remember, you will be lapping at what are potentially higher than street speeds, so let's all be safe.

3. Vehicle Inspection

Have your ASE certified mechanic inspect the following items.

TIRES
No cracks or bends in the wheels
No cracks or cuts in the tires
Tire tread depth at least 50%
Lugnuts present and torqued

SUSPENSION
Wheel bearings properly adjusted
No evidence of looseness in steering components
Lower trailing arm to radius arm tight
Tie rods secure
Ball joints in working order
Front and rear shock mounting bolts tight
Trailing arms secure
Inner and outer CV Joint bolts tight
Axle boots and oil seals in good condition

BRAKES
Remaining % of front brake pads LF% RF%
Remaining % of Rear brake pads LR% RR%
Brake rotors within serviceable limit
Brake fluid reservoir full with clean brake fluid
Brake lines in working order

ENGINE & DRIVE TRAIN
No apparent leaks of any fluids
Belts/pulleys properly adjusted and good condition
Throttle return spring(s) in working order
Hoses (fuel, water etc) properly clamped
Exhaust system securely attached
Battery(ies) securely fastened
No evidence of battery leaking or corrosion damage
Driveshaft in working order
Steering gear attachment in working order
No cracks/tears in engine/transmission mounts

BODY & COCKPIT
No glass cracks longer than 4 inches
Modifications to aerodynamics secure
Pedals operate correctly with positive return
Seat/frame mounts in good condition
Seat belts/harness in good working order
Latches secure doors/hood/trunk tightly
All brake lights working properly
Roll Bar/Roll Cage in good condition
Aftermarket convertible roll-bar correct height

4. Performance Driving Basics

Performance Driving (HPD) is a safety-minded high speed event where you drive in groups with drivers of similar skills and speed. HPD provides an opportunity for you to develop the skills and knowledge to help you deal with driving situations you encounter every day and on the race track.

To drive well there are three basic tips.

Be smooth in your driving, it is the key to learning to drive quickly on the track.

• Steering input should be smooth and precise. Avoid yanking or sawing the wheel to make a turn.
• Apply the brakes or throttle with a firm, fluid, quick movement of the foot. Sudden changes in throttle, braking, or turning upset chassis dynamics and will send you in the wrong direction!

Be aware of what's going on around you. Pay attention to what your car is doing now and what you expect from it next.

• Always look up ahead. Don't just look at the taillights of the car right ahead of you.
• Anticipate what is coming up next. Know what you're going to do beforehand.

Be calm, relaxed, and alert. Keep things under control in the driver's seat. You should never be angry!

• Make sure you are driving the car. Don't let your car drive you.
• Don't get in a situation where things are happening too fast for you to be comfortable.

Good braking and turn in are the most important and the most difficult to do right. Start by driving slowly and doing things at the right time to develop a rhythm. Good driving is very rhythm oriented so smoothness and visual skills are key.

Driving a road course at a track event is mostly about brakes, tires and suspension. You can easily spend several thousand dollars on chassis, tire and brake upgrades, but they are not necessary to have a fun day at the track.

Vision

Content Coming Soon.

Tire Adhesion

Your car adheres to the road surface with four small contact patches provided by your tires. Each contact patch is about the size of half your shoe. All four combined will fit onto an 8.5X11 sheet of paper. Now, imagine your shoes supporting and guiding a 2000lb to 3000lb race car. Pretty amazing isn't it. The size of the contact patch varies with tire inflation pressure and with vehicle weight transfer from braking, accelerating or turning. Actions from your suspension determine how much adhesion you will get from your tires.

A tire can only provide a certain level of adhesion. When you exceed the tire's adhesion limit it will either be spinning, sliding or skidding. Once a tire is to this point you will no longer be in control of your vehicle.

Weight Transfer

• During acceleration, weight is transfered from the front wheels to the rear wheels, illustrated here by the difference in the thickness of the tread patterns.

  Acceleration will transfer the vehicle's weight to the back of the car. This action decreases the size of your front tires' contact patches making the car less responsive to steering inputs but you now have extra traction in the rear.
  

• Under braking or deceleration, the opposite occurs.

  Braking or lifting the throttle will transfer the vehicle's weight to the front of the car. This action increases the size of your front tires' contact patches and reduces the contact patch of the rear. You now have more traction from the front tires than the rear. Your ability to steer improves but your rear-end is more likely to lose traction.
  

• Braking while turning will transfer a majority of the weight to the outside front tire.

  Turning, around a corner, will transfer the vehicle's weight to the outside tires. When you are turning around a corner while braking most of the weight of your car transfers to the outside front tire.
  

• Result of Understeer. On an understeering car, the rear tires have the greater traction, and tend to push the car toward the outside of a turn.

  Understeer (push) - The car under performs to your steering inputs. The front tires are skidding; they've passed their limit of adhesion. The front tires can't respond to your inputs. The car wants to continue to go straight Most cars are built to understeer at their limits. Sliding in a straight line is preferable to spinning and the natural reaction to a situation like this is to get off the gas. This transfers weight to the front giving those tires more traction and reducing the understeer.
  

• Result of Oversteer. When a car oversteers, the front tires have more traction than the rears. The nose wants to point toward the inside of the turn, and the tail wants to slide to the outside.

  Oversteer (loose) - The car over performs to your steering inputs. The rear tires are skidding. The back end wants to come around.

Nascar driver Fireball Roberts once said "Understeer is hitting the wall with the front of your car. Oversteer is hitting it with the rear."

• Neutral handling - This is when all four tires will lose traction at the same time so the car drifts instead of plowing straight ahead (understeer) or spinning (oversteer). This is the ideal situation for the race track. Some cars are easier to set up than others. Car such as the mid-engined Porsche Boxster, Toyota MR2 or an RX-7 (front engine, but it's behind the front wheels) are easier to set up for neutral steering as opposed to a RWD Mustang or a FWD Civic.

Skid Control

Proper hand position on the steering wheel at the '9 and 3 O'clock' position gives you good control of the wheel and makes it easy to determine when you have the front wheels pointing straight ahead. If you are trying to recover from a spin it's good to know when the wheels are pointing straight ahead because when you regain traction the car will head off into whatever direction the wheels are pointing at that time. If skidding look and steer in the direction you want to go. If you're looking off to the side of the road chances are you will mentally and physically steer there. This is a situation where looking in the right direction helps! If you lose traction and spin; 'both feet in' Press the clutch and brake pedals firmly to the floor. This will ensure you'll stop sooner and slide in a straight line. When a vehicle is out of control and the driver attempts to regain traction, guess what happens when it is restored? The car takes off in the direction it's facing when traction is regained--like into oncoming traffic. REMEMBER; Once you've lost control lock up the brakes and slide out of the way! If accelerating and the rear breaks loose then let off. If your velocity is neutral then accelerate. If you're going off the road attempt to go straight off; not sideways. Don't try to save it.

Braking

Braking in a straight line is the most efficient way to slow or stop a vehicle. Remember the section about shifting weight to the front and away from the rear tires and how turning transfers weight to the outside? It's inevitably too much to ask of your tires to brake and turn at the same time if you're near the limit of adhesion. The best braking is just short of lock up. Lock up means the wheel is no longer turning; it's skidding and it actually takes longer to stop. If the front wheels are locked they will not respond to steering inputs due to passing their limit of adhesion.

Trail-braking is a more advanced technique to help bring the rear end of the car around (oversteer) in a controlled manner when entering a corner. You basically continue to brake when beginning your turn-in for the Apex of the corner. Two-thirds off the brake as you turn in. You still have some understeer. This is a more advanced technique. Practice on slower corners when no one is behind you.

Corners & Turning

The main principal of driving a corner is to straighten out the corner. The larger your arc through the corner the faster you can go through. This principal is directly related to Tire Adhesion.

Essentially, you traverse a corner "outside inside outside". Basically, you start at the outside edge for the turn in point and drive an arc to the inside near mid-corner, the apex, then drive to the outside again for the turn out.

If you turn in too late you won't be able to straighten out the corner as much as possible so you will be slower through the corner. If you turn in too early you'll hit the apex too early and you'll run out of track before you get to the turn out (you tried to straighten the corner too much.) As you can see turning in too early can be bad because you can get yourself in a situation where you have to turn in more after the apex where you should be unwinding the wheel and accelerating. If you're at maximum adhesion you have nothing left for turning and you will go off the track or spin trying to adjust. It's important to know that you hit the apex correctly. When starting out always turn in a bit late and apex late until you learn the corner.

If you have a series of curves to go through (S-curves) you want to be sure you're set up correctly for the last one so you can have the most speed going onto the straight at the end. This means you have to 'give up' the first corner to get set up correctly for the last. This usually means very late apexes for the earlier corners so you have proper turn in for the next.

Once you turn in the steering wheel should stay at the same angle until the apex. If you're sawing the wheel then your turn in wasn't correct. Ideally, if you are smooth and the car neutral you'll start drifting after turn in. Hold the wheel lightly. Turning should be smooth, soft and firm (yeah, 'soft' and 'firm' are hard to image together). Enter the corner at a constant velocity and maintain a constant speed from turn in until apex. . The car is neutral and easier to handle this way.

Begin adding throttle as you unwind the steering wheel. Remember the part of the limit of adhesion--once you start unwinding you now have available traction for accelerating.

To learn a particular corner: Keep the turn in the same, late apex and see where your track out is. Add speed until you run out of track at the turn out.

Look at the turn in, then look at the apex, then your turn out point as you pass them. Watch the cone until you're at it so you know how close you're getting to these points. Drive to the apex if you can, but don't lift off the throttle to steer to it or you may spin. If you miss it then you miss it. Do better next lap. Drive to the track out if you have to. Next time add speed so you'll drift out instead.

It's better to turn in too late than too early. You're pointed off the road after apexing if you turn in too early.

Cones

The Bremerton course is marked by cones. The course is laid out in orange and green cones on the large paved tarmac surface (the old landing strip and taxi way). Cones are flexible and will not damage your cars, except for small scuff marks which can usually be buffed out. The following are common cones used at Bremerton events and their meanings.

Orange Cone (small)
Defines the road course layout

Green Cone (small)
Identifies the apex of the corner

Orange Cone (large)
Defines the braking zone or passing zone

Traffic Delineator
Defines the Chicane and/or braking zone Bremerton

Pointer Cone
Small orange cone laid on it's side pointing to upright cone. Informs you which side of the cone to drive on. You would drive on the side opposite of the inclined cone. Also can be used as directional markers.

4. Auto Racing Flags

As sophisticated as auto racing has become with spotters, computer links and radio communications, the key to understanding what is happening on the track is the flags used by race officials and corner marshals (corner workers).

Drivers rely on the flags to tell them what is happening during practice, qualifying and racing. As a spectator, either at the track or via television, you can tell what's happening as soon as you see a flag. It only takes a few minutes to learn what the different flags mean.

While many of the flags have similar meanings, there are variations between racing series and, sometimes, from track to track. Meaning also can differ depending on how the flag is held. A stationary flag can have one meaning while the waving flag can have another. It's up to the race officials and corner workers to make sure the proper flag is used and held or waved appropriately.

The following guide to auto racing flags includes the most commonly used meanings. Racers and team members should always check their individual series rule book and ask at the track for any variations. NOTE: The NWARC does not use all of the flags described below during track events.

GREEN FLAG GO!

The green flag is waved by the starter to indicate the beginning of a race, qualifying or practice session. It is waved after a caution to tell the drivers that the race has been restarted. The green flag also is an indication that the course is clear of any obstacles or debris.

• Motionless: Track is clear.
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• Waved: Start of race, or cancellation of a danger previously signaled.

YELLOW FLAG Caution

The yellow flag is the signal for caution. When it is held stationary it is an indication that there is a problem ahead. Drivers must slow and refrain from passing. A waving yellow flag indicates immediate danger ahead. Drivers must be prepared to stop and cannot pass, although they can close the distance to the car immediately in front. Yellow flags can indicate problems in one area of a track when waved by only one or two corner workers. A "full course caution" (or yellow) is when all flags around the track are being waved. This is initiated by the starter. Passing under the yellow is a serious infraction and drivers may be severely punished. When a driver is penalized for passing under yellow it is often a controversial call and may be appealed.

• Motionless: Danger, no passing, slow down. Motionless yellow flag is generally used to advise of an obvious danger or to forewarn of a more serious danger ahead. Drivers should stop racing until they are past the danger zone.
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• Waved: Extreme danger, no passing, slow down, be prepared to stop. Waved yellow flag may mean imminent and serious danger such as a partial track blockage, fire on or near the track, or a crowd control hazard.
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• Double Flags Motionless: Safety car.

RED FLAG Stop!

When a race is "red flagged" it is stopped due to some condition that has made the track un-raceable. These conditions can range from weather problems to accidents to surface problems such as oil on the track. A red flag often means the track has been completely blocked by an accident or debris and there is no safe route through the problem. The red flag generally is preceded by waving yellow flags. As soon as a red flag is shown, drivers must come to a stop as quickly and safely as possible. Unless it is specifically authorized by the Race Director and announced to all competitors, no service of any kind may be performed on any cars from the time the red flag is shown until the race is restarted. This includes cars which may already be in the pits. Each series has different rules on what drivers and teams can do during a red flag stop and how the restart is handled.

• Motionless: Drivers will slow down to a slow speed and be prepared to stop at any time. No passing. They will proceed in a line, slowly and carefully around the circuit to the pits where they will be directed further.
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• Waved: The race is stopped. This flag is used exclusively at the discretion of the Race Director to stop the race and displayed exclusively by the Official Starter. All other corner stations shall display a black flag or motionless red flag.

WHITE FLAG Last Lap

When waved by the starter the white flag indicates that a driver is entering the last lap of practice, qualifying or a race. It is waved continuously to all cars following the leader until the leader approaches the finish line. In some areas the white flag is used by corner workers to indicate an ambulance or slow moving vehicle on the track. To avoid confusion, some tracks use a white flag with red cross to indicate an ambulance is on the track or needed.

• Motionless: Display of a stationary white flag anywhere on the circuit denotes an ambulance, fire truck, wrecker or other service vehicle is on the circuit, or a slow-moving race car is ahead.
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• Waved: One (1) lap to go. When the Official Starter displays a waving white flag just prior to the scheduled conclusion of the race, it means the leader has started his/her last lap regardless of the elapsed time or distance. The Official Starter will also normally hold up one finger at this time.

CHECKERED FLAG Finish Line

One of the most familiar symbols worldwide, the checkered flag says "racing!" It is waved by the starter to indicate the finish of the race or practice session. The checkered flag is waved for all finishers. The race winner usually collects a checkered flag for a victory lap around the track. In many race series the checkered flag has the race logo embroidered on the flag and it is given to the winner as a memento.

• Waved: End of a session or end of a race. Return to the pits at reduced speed and stop at the pits.

BLACK FLAG (Infraction)

Drivers hate being "black flagged" because it always means bad news. While the use of the black flag and the black/orange flag can vary between series, the all-black flag generally means that there has been an infraction. The driver must bring the car to the pits on the next lap. The flag is displayed along with a pit board listing the driver's car number. Drivers sometimes ignore a black flag. Doing so can result in severe penalties, including disqualification and loss of points. If a competitor should fail to obey the black flag after it has been displayed to him/her on four consecutive laps, the Race Director will instruct the Timekeeper to stop timing and scoring the car.

• Furled: WARNING. (Flag is rolled-up and pointed at car.) You have committed a dangerous or un-sportsman-like action. Desist or you will be penalized.
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• Waved: Stop in the pits for a consultation next lap. This flag is usually displayed along with the number of the car concerned for infraction of rules of the circuit or act of poor sportsmanship.

• Motionless: The Official Starter will display a stationary black flag, all corner stations shall display a stationary black flag, a waving yellow flag will be displayed at and/or leading up to the scene of the incident. Interruption of practice or qualifying session. Return to the pits at reduced speed and do not overtake any other car during your slow lap back to the pits. Expect session to be resumed when temporary difficulty is corrected.

BLACK/ORANGE DISC FLAG (Mechanical)

The black flag with orange circle means the driver must bring the car to the pits on the next lap. This flag indicates there is a serious mechanical problem with the car that can endanger the driver or others. Ignoring this black flag can bring severe penalties as it represents a dangerous situation.

• Motionless: Your car has a mechanical fault of which you may not be aware. Stop at your pit next lap.

BLUE or BLUE/YELLOW FLAG Passing and Overtaking

The blue or passing flag has different meanings depending on how it is held and whether it is used during practice, qualifying or racing. Generally when it is held motionless it is an indication to a driver that there is a faster car following closely behind, but not yet close enough for a pass. A waving flag generally indicates that the driver is about to be overtaken and should take care to permit the following vehicle a safe pass. Some drivers resist moving over for an over-taking car when they feel they are racing for position. Controversy can follow the use of the passing flag. Some series use a blue flag with a diagonal yellow stripe.

• Motionless: Another competitor is following you and may be trying to pass you.
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• Waved: Make way for another competitor who is trying to pass you. Blue flag will normally be used in a case where the overtaken driver is obviously unaware of the following car, or is clearly obstructing another car.

YELLOW/RED FLAG Surface Problem

Often called an "oil flag", this indicates there is a problem with, or change in, the surface ahead. This commonly means there is oil on the track. It also can mean water or another substance causing a change in the racing surface. The number of stripes on this flag varies (some are yellow with two red stripes) but the meaning remains the same.

• Motionless: Slippery surface and/or debris on course.

5. Common Beginner Mistakes

1. Turning in too early. This happens because you think you're going to get through the corner faster because if you turn in early you're not turning in as tight, but by doing this you wind up sliding through the apex to turn out. Your speed through a corner should be "slow in fast out."
2. Entering the slower corners too fast, then scrubbing off speed as you squeal all the way through the turn. This may sound like #1 above, but it's not. Most new drivers are too fast into the slow corners, but too slow through the faster ones.
3. Braking while turning in. It is a better learning experience to brake too early and be on a constant throttle well before turn in. As you progress on later laps you can slowly move your braking zone closer to the turn in. This is especially good for the faster corners.
4. Not looking ahead to your next reference point (apex, turn-out, etc). Know where you are going next to prevent making any mid-turn corrections. Just before the corner turn-in visually pick up the apex. When you get almost to the apex look for the turn-out point. Hand-eye coordination is what's going on here. Look where you want to go.
5. Not using the whole track. Most of the first-timers quickly forget about hitting the turn in, apex and turn out cones. You shouldn't have more than a couple of feet between your wheels and the berms on the higher speed corners. Many inexperienced drivers will be eight feet away. On the slower corners actually being slightly on the edge of the berm may be good. When you pass by one of these points take a quick glance over to see how close you are. Sometimes having a rider or someone following helps critique this.
6. Coasting. Either be using the brake or the accelerator. Coasting means indecision because you haven't planned ahead well enough.
7. Trying to be fast right away. Start off by worrying about technique and smoothness. Speed will come later. If you start off wanting to be the fastest car out there after a couple of times at the track you'll get frustrated by a lack of progress in your times. Inexperienced, fast drivers are usually very unbalanced, choppy and very rushed in the driver's seat.
8. Frustration. Even though you are doing everything you've been told, you still feel like you're getting slower. If you practice doing it right after a few open-track or autocross events you'll come to a point where you think you've gotten slower, but you're actually faster. That's because if you're really smooth and anticipate your next moves then this lack of hurriedness on your part will seem like you're slow, but you're actually just better!
9. Communication On the track, the NWARC wants windows down, to facilitate communication between cars and your own car. Passing is indicated by hand signals, not turn signals or flashing lights.

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