Doing my first ever DE on Monday at NJMP. Any pointers or advice for a newbie to this? What to bring etc and what not to do? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

Let your instructor drive your car for a few laps on your first session. Leave your ego in the toolbox and just listen to what he tells you for the whole day. Have fun!

 

Have fun. Push yourself. Focus! If you don't feel comfortable, then dial it back some. The instructor knows what to expect and you should be paired up with someone who is familiar with the limits of your car, be it a 991, G Model, 997, etc. The instructors will push you if you let them.

Relating to city driving, then some of the corners you take at speed will make you feel skittish. The car will let you know when it is starting to slip by the squeals of the wheels. If they aren't making noise, then you have more room to push. As the laps go by you will get more comfortable with yourself and the car. The 991 has gobs of grip even with the Pirellis. In addition, the car will assist you if it feels slippage.

Listen to your instructor!! He/she should know the track well and let you know where, when, and how much to push or pull. I found the hardest part to be the braking into a turn. Going from 140+mph to a hard turn can be hairy. But always remember to brake in a straight line!! Until you get more experienced, never brake hard into a turn. You will spin. It's the nature of a rear engined car.

Listen to your instructor and have fun.

I never let my instructor drive my car. I paid for the lap times! I'm getting mine in!! If you can ride shotgun in an instructors car, then have at it.

I'm sure there are others on here who will give you some pointers too.

Oh yeah, bring pen, paper, helmet, chair/s, something to read. Unless you are a very social individual. If you can get with others you may recognize, swap stories and impression. It'll be a great time.

 

one word - smooth.

don't do anything abruptly to upset the car's balance.

always point by the faster cars behind you.

you will have lots of fun.

 

Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. If you can not hear the instructor make sure he (she) knows that. Often times they will have a wireless earpiece that they will give you so you can hear them better.
Take everything out of the car and trunk (no floor mats, etc).
Be smooth and you will get faster with every lap. If you encounter any hotshots (tailgaters,etc.) wave them bye in passing zones. Make sure you wave each waiting car individually. Have fun!

 

most coaches forget to mention looking far ahead

 

1) Check your mirrors constantly. You may have the fastest car, but you won't be the fastest driver - at least not on your first day.

2) Getting the line right is more important than braking later or hammering the gas. You will go faster quicker by learning the line at a comfortable speed and gradually working up to the limits of the car.

3) There will probably be other cars running similar laptimes, but at different speeds, either due to faster engines and slower cornering, or the reverse. Don't let them intimidate or frustrate you or pull you into a "race" - no trophies are being awarded, and Roger Penske is not scouting for new drivers. If necessary, back off for a few corners to get some clear track to drive within.

4) The car has more capability than you realize, and more than you can use yet. Be respectful of it, and let it tell you what it wants to do.

5) The vast majority of driving errors can be recovered without damage to the car; if something happens, put both feet in hard (clutch & brake), and try to recover by steering into the direction of the spin/slide. I know that this seems basic, but at full speed things happen FAST, and you don't want to hit the wall because you needed ten feet more space than you had.

Have you done a tech inspection on the car? Check EVERYTHING before you go on-track - you don't want to lose half the day because you ran out of brake pad, or even something more minor.

Enjoy! Track driving is the best and safest way to learn how to use your car, so make the most of it.

 

Smooth is fast. Focus entirely on following the racing line and and being smooth with the inputs. Everything else follows in time.

Try to download and read Ross Bentley's speed secrets, especially the chapter on cornering. It is excellent.

You are lucky. Lightning is the best track to learn on. Plenty of runoff, short (half the battle is memorizing the track), mostly sweepers, and only one tricky turn. Enjoy.

 

Take lots of water...easy to get dehydrated!

 

Thanks so much for all the helpful tips! Much appreciated.

Do I need anything else besides a helmet and gloves?

 

Air pressure gauge, cooler, and a chair. Torque wrench if you have one and if not borrow one to check wheel lugs.

 

It's a little late now, but clearplex for the windshield is an excellent investment. I bought a GoPro for my first DE last Monday and sure glad I did, it's a great learning tool if you plan to return to the track.

I brought a whole bunch of stuff last week to mine and didn't use anything but the torque wrench and some quick detailer/microfibers (since it was 4 hours away). Didn't use the chair since there was so much to look at and the event sponsor provided refreshments.

All the above is great advice, learn the line at a slow pace and then increase your speed. By the end of the day I was lapping way faster cars because they weren't driving the line and had ditched their instructors. My instructor happened to have a GT3 there and was nice enough to stick with me all day.

Good luck, dont forget track insurance.

 

This is the only one that makes me nervous. Yes, keep an eye on your mirrors. But not while you are headed into a corner. I am assuming you will be in the beginner group. They will not be allowed to pass you in the corner. Know what is around you but as you line the car up for braking don't worry what is behind you. Too often new students get nervous about the car behind then and watch their mirrors as they go into the corners. At track out, once the wheel is straight, then check your mirrors.

HAve fun.

Marc

 

You guys all rock!! Great inputs!!

Thanks DBYT for this valuable thread ...subscribed!

 

OP - like most tracks I've been to, the classroom at Lightning is a great place to relax and stay cool between sessions. On a hot day it's important to decompress when you can and the classrooms are rarely crowded.