Do you need a racing license for track days?

Track days are opportunities to drive your street car on a real racetrack for minimal cost. All that's needed is a car in good condition, a valid driver's license, and an approved racing helmet.

Can you race on a track day?

A track day is an event where you take your own car or motorcycle to enjoy on the track, usually for a full day or evening. No racing experience is required but attendees require a full valid driving licence (full unrestricted licence for motorcycles) or a race licence.

What you need for a track day?

Can you take any car to the track?

As we mentioned, you can bring almost any vehicle so long as it passes a basic technical inspection before the event. During the technical inspection, someone will check your car's brakes, drivetrain, tires, body, safety equipment, and more.

How much does it cost for a track day?

Expect to pay about $200 for a day of lapping. Rules and requirements vary from club to club, so be sure to find out ahead of time what's needed to lap your car. Some car clubs restrict events to their club's make, or they have other restrictions, such as a roll-bar or hardtop requirement for convertibles.

Beginners Guide to Track Days with Northern California Racing Club

Do track days damage your car?

Not as much as you might think – if you drive with a degree of mechanical sympathy. Hammering round for lap after lap, stamping on the pedals, will destroy brakes and tyres very quickly. However, if you drive smoothly they can last well.

How do you get into track racing?

If you want to race professionally, you'll need an SCCA competition license. The good news is that even if you have no driving experience, you can still apply for a novice permit that will enable you to learn to drive high-performance vehicles and participate in organized racing and driving events in your area.

Can you take your own car on a race track?

A car track day is where you take your own car to a Circuit to drive it on the track. There are no restrictions on speed, but drivers are required to drive within their limits and abide by track regulations.

How do you drive on a track day?

The key things to remember when driving on a track are: stick rigidly to the rules of the day, especially the ones about overtaking. Don't try and break the lap record on either your first or last lap, or any of the other laps in between. Start slowly and gradually get quicker throughout the day.

Can you buy a stock car?

The $125,000 vehicles aren't street-legal, but will motor you around the track like Jimmie Johnson's whip.

Can anyone do a track day?

The driver must have a valid driving licence and you must have it with you on the race day. Even so, many car track days operate a junior race track driving experience. In this case, a valid driving licence is not needed. Note: You must wear a crash helmet and the majority of the events have helmets for hire.

What happens if you crash on a track day?

'If the vehicle is damaged during a trackday, the trackday organiser would arrange for the vehicle to be removed from the circuit itself. The insurer would then collect the vehicle if it was undrivable, or in a non-roadworthy condition after the accident.

Do you need a helmet for track days?

You will be asked to leave the circuit if you are found to be over the noise limit. All drivers and passengers must wear crash helmets before being permitted on the track.

How old do you need to be to do a track day?

Passengers must be over the age of 16 and sign an indemnity which will name the driver of the vehicle they are a passenger in. Any passenger over 16 years but under 18 years will have to have their indemnity countersigned by their parent or guardian.

Does a track day ruin Tyres?

Driving on a race circuit will work your tyres much harder than on the road generating significant heat. As the tyres heat up the pressures can increase quite dramatically which stiffens the tyre and increases the temperature yet again so it's important you bleed some air out to restore the right working pressures.

Do you need gloves for a track day?

You might not think you need driving gloves for a track day, but grip the wheel hard enough and long enough, and the blisters on your fingers will say differently. This pair from Sabelt is FIA approved, and looks great.

What is a good track car?

Can you wear shorts on a track day?

Preparing yourself

Most circuits insist that your arms and legs are covered inside the car (no shorts and T-shirts) and if you have some overalls and boots it makes sense to wear them.

How long does a track day last?

Cars and drivers are usually split into three groups with sessions that typically last 20 minutes, so you'll get one session per hour.

How can I race with no money?

Is racing a good career?

Becoming a professional racing driver is more of a lifestyle choice than a career. It requires complete dedication. You will need to invest time, effort and, quite often, a lot of money into your racing career. What's more, in order to be successful, you will need to keep your body in peak condition at all times.

What is the easiest racing to get into?

Autocross. Autocross is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get into racing. Typically, autocross is where an organization rents a parking lot and sets up a temporary racetrack using cones.

Can a 16 year old do a track day?

TrackDays offer supercar driving experiences for kids between 10 and 16 years old, depending on the venue. For kids younger than that, we offer a great range of high speed passenger rides in supercars, famous movie cars and classics, available for juniors over the age of 6.

How many miles do track cars last?

Around 100K miles would be better but 150K miles or more would probably be too many (as a starting point). Hope this helps. Disclaimer: Your mileage (and engine life on the track) may vary.