Vehicle Prep

If you’ve never tracked your car please read this section and inspect your car to make sure the below components are in good working order. If you've been on track before, please download and complete our tech form here.

BRAKES - The number one safety feature on your car are your brakes. They must be in good working order and have plenty of pad left and your rotors should be smooth with no signs of cracks, or excessive grooving. If you haven’t done it lately, or EVER you should probably bleed your brakes and put fresh high quality brake fluid in your car. Racing brake fluid is one of the best modifications you can make to your brake system. I also recommend buying a set of track specific brake pads. This is not mandatory, but most standard street pads will begin to fade after a few laps of repeated heavy braking.

TIRES - Make sure your tires are of good quality and have sufficient tread depth to complete the driving event. 

ALIGNMENT - A good alignment can do wonders for the handling characteristics of your car. I recommend searching make and model specific forums to find the alignment numbers that are recommended for tracking your car.

SUSPENSION - Check to make sure all tie rod ends, sway bars, ball joints, wheel bearings and shock/spring mounts are properly torqued and free from play. Make sure your shocks aren’t leaking any fluid.

ENGINE, TRANSMISSION & DIFFERENTIAL - Make sure these components have good high quality lubricants and they are free from leaks. A slight weeping from an old seal here or there is ok, but if it leaves drip marks on your driveway or worse yet, puddles of fluid under your car, it probably won’t pass tech. Therefore address major leaks before coming to the track.

If you're a reasonably competent mechanic you should be able to handle most of the above items yourself; however, if you require assistance reach out to fellow track day enthusiasts in your area or a local car club to find some advice or help. This is a very social hobby and you'll be amazed at how willing other drivers are to help you out. Also, Google and YouTube are your friends. Almost everything you've ever wanted to know about your car is available online. If you can't handle the items yourself and you don't have a trusted mechanic in your area, please CONTACT US below and we will help get you ready for the track.

If you address these areas of your vehicle prep and maintenance beforehand, you are less likely to suffer a failure on track and your day/weekend will be much more enjoyable. Remember, if you suffer a mechanical failure on track, it’s not just you who suffers, but all your fellow track day participants miss out on valuable track time. Don’t be “that guy.” Please inspect and prep your car prior to coming to the track! Thank you, MaxSpeed staff.