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i would just like to get some advice when taking your own car on a race track. is it damaging anything on my car eg.engine wear, clutch wear, brakes etc? most of all of the 'sports' cars are tested on the nurburgring and go through a massive testing phase. does that mean the car will last when you take it on the track all the time? im just not sure if im damaging and taking the life out of my car?

All use of your car wears out various parts, though how much depends on your driving style. On a track day, any weakness will be stressed - for example if you've got a problem with your cooling system, it's more likely that your car is going to overheat when pushed. If the car is in good mechanical condition you should be fine, stuffing it into a barrier is a bigger worry. Well-maintained modern cars shouldn't just fall apart when thrashed!

Aside from the engine, it's the tyres and brakes which will take the most abuse compared to normal road driving. Depends on the track though - Anglesey coastal for example isn't particularly hard on brakes in my experience.

Changing the oil and filter beforehand would be a sensible precaution to minimise engine wear. If anything like the cambelt, water pump, etc is getting towards the point of replacement (especially if the car/engine has a reputation for belts/pumps failing) having that done might be an idea too.

derekgti:

is it damaging anything on my car eg.engine wear, clutch wear, brakes etc?

There is no doubt that you will never drive your pride and joy harder than on a track day. I've seen more issues with otherwise reliable cars in an afternoon at the track than with years of enthusiastic road driving. My 5 month old Edition 30 Golf GTI fell apart around me and needed dealer rectification after only 12 laps. Its tyres were worn and the brakes were never the same gain. My RS Clio broke a wheel bearing but was otherwise healthy. My 2004 MX5 was totally reliable despite endless 7000rpm full throttle upshifts, huge slides and laps of hard braking from over 100mph.

I've seen rollovers, ecu failiures, turbo blowups, brake pad fires and huge tyre degridation. I don't think I've ever been to a track day and not seen cars taken home behind a tow truck. Heavy cars always suffer more issues.

You take your chances. 

Taking your own car out on track can be very expensive, but there are a few things you can do to cut down the costs of a trackday, like buying a car specifically for the track & stripping the insides to kill off any unnecessary weight, and when on a open pit lane, try not to do more than 20 - 30 minutes at a time, come off & sit in the pitlane que. Your car like us gets tired and punishing it at high speed with sharp bends and turns is not the way to go!

 Alternatively, buy track day tyres for your every day road car, instead of using your tyres for both the track and the road and you will find you'll get alot more use out of them!

These are just a few things I find in the long run cut down costing of my expensive habbit... For other hints and tips try joining a forum specifically for Track days, many pro's out there with more tips than me will always be able to give you some cost cutting advice!

 Also never buy the first track day you see, the prices vary from as little as £99.00 to £179 in the uk (sometimes more including extra drivers), go to www.trackdays.co.uk as they have a list of all the suppliers track days in the UK, allowing you to compare the prices and spot the days where they charge between £0 - £35 pounds for an extra driver.

 Hope this helps,

Tim