[FUNDAMENTALS] GET UP TO SPEED QUICKLY ON A NEW RACETRACK, PART 3
Follow this four-step plan to get up to speed on quickly on anyone track
Finally, you’re at the racetrack. The logistics are handled, the vehicle is ready, and the homework from parts one and two is complete. It’s time to execute, so let’s jump right into it, starting with the all-important plan.
The plan
Track walk
First three laps
Post-session debriefs
Building from one session to the next
Track walk
If a track walk is available, take advantage of it. Whether it’s a track day or a race weekend, actual on-track time is extremely limited. Looking at the environment before turning a wheel at speed provides a massive advantage when you’re trying to get comfortable quickly.
Let’s pause for a second. We’ve all seen videos in which a professional driver or rider leads a track walk and dissects every inch of the circuit. The information may be incredible, but that level of detail, especially on your first visit to a new venue, can also be overwhelming.
Those details are often valuable. It’s just that they’re valuable later. Remembering every seam, line, shift point, and minute detail should not be a priority. First, you need to focus on orientation, structure, and references—fundamental, not incremental, improvements.
What should you be doing on an initial track walk?
Confirming corner types
Establishing an exit reference or track-out point
Identifying the location of the entry apex (hint: work backward from exit reference)
Earmarking turn-in references
Noting bridge references for elevation changes, blind sections, or places where the next reference disappears
Ultimately, the goal is to build a plan for every inch of the racetrack. At first, your internal map is mostly blank. The track walk begins building that map.
