Tires

Will add to this later.

Approach

Not talking about how to approach a driving line here, that can be saved for another post. This on how to approach a track day.

Remember, whether beginner or advanced, you're going out there to have fun and push your car in a proper and safe environment. That being said, it is still VERY easy for things to go wrong if you or someone around you is careless. With that said, here we go:

- ALWAYS be paying attention whether on the track or in the pits, things can go wrong quickly.
- On the track, know where all the cars are around you - USE YOUR MIRRORS
- Learn the rules of the group you're tracking with as well as the 'rules of racing' - i.e. passing off the racing line, etc., although lapping days generally only have passing zones with a signal from the driver ahead allowing the driver behind to pass
- Drive as hard or as easily as YOU feel comfortable doing. Even if there is a car on your ass, keep calm and let them pass you at the next passing zone - do not risk your car or your life by going out there and trying to be Senna on your first lap on a track
- The above goes with this - take the time to learn your car and all the nuances of it so that you can spend more time focusing on learning the track and bettering your skills as a driver than trying to 'tame your car'
- You're out there to have fun and become a better driver, part of this is experimenting. Play around with stuff like early/late/trail braking, heel-toe, throttle control, line of attack, etc.

All of the above will make you a better driver. Don't be afraid to spin your car out or lose control. If you drive with fear, you will never drive well. But, don't be reckless. Better to be cautious and slowly step it up than to go overboard and to try and tone it down. I once had a professional race mechanic/race instructor sit in with me for a few laps at Shannonville and his first comment after we got back to the pits was "You're a good a driver, but what impressed me most was how much restraint you had - almost to the point of not pushing it enough, which is rare for most, but even rarer for someone your age...." - I was 20 at the time.

As for everything else, don't blame lap times on the car. Go out there, and drive your car until you've not only reached the max potential of its current settings but have also developed enough as a driver to be aware of everything and able to properly translate a lapping day into knowing what kind of adjustments need to be made. This comment is more aimed at suspension/handling/dynamic adjustments but just in general.

Make it a goal to improve your average lap times each outing. Remember, one quick lap and a lot of slow laps is worse than consistent decently-paced laps. Excluding being held up and experimentation, ff you cannot keep your lap times consistent, you are not as good as you can be.

And before I forget - TALK TO PEOPLE. If you have questions, ask. If you want to know how to approach a corner or a racing line, ask. If you see someone throwing down incredible times, ask them to go for a ride-along - both you in their car and them in your's for some pointers. Just being in a car with someone who can put down consistent, fast laps will better you as a driver if you pay attention like you should.