I was thinking about getting into some track days next year and just not sure what I should do safety wise. I just autox now, and this is also my daily driver. What recommendations do you have. What should you do for a daily driver cage wise and should you turn your airbags off on track days. Thanks for all the help.

 

Just show up and have fun for now, wear you helmet , maybe a neck collar/hans and drive. The rest buy as you feel you need it, and remember at the track , the car is your DD and you have to drive it home.

 

The only safety equipement you really need for a safe track day is
1) A modern SA helment
2) A car in good working order. (with a proper safety inspection).

You can build on it from there, but there is a lot that can be said from starting stock and simple.

 

#1 thing you can do to stay safe on track in my professional opinion: Stay on street tires as long as you are still learning and having fun.

Second ... do your research on the events you're thinking about attending. What organizations have the best safety record? What organizations are going to teach you how to be the safest and best track driver you can be, and which ones are just gonna take your money and hope for the best?

When you start talking about roll bars or cages, you have to start thinking in terms of creating a NEW safety system in the car that is as good as, or better than the factory active and passive restraint systems. In most modern cars with front and side airbags, it becomes difficult to do this because putting a roll bar in often negates the airbag systems. And until you start doing any competitive driving, or until you start really driving outside the envelope of street/highway attainable cornering speeds, you're only asking for unnecessary compromises.

There's no reason whatsoever to turn your airbags off for track days. Your car is made extremely well and safe as is, so the safest thing to do for non-competitive track events is to leave the factory safety system in tact. Leave your stock steering wheel, stock belts, all airbags, etc. working properly.

Like Marty said: invest in a quality, well-fitting Snell 'SA' 2000 or 2005 rated helmet. They start in price at about $200 and go up from there. There are numerous places to buy online, and I don't know of any that won't work with you to ensure proper fitment.

Otherwise ... be sure to have your car inspected thoroughly before going to any and every track event. Get it up on a lift, check all the consumables under the car... metal and non-metal connections, joints, mounting points, etc. etc. You want to have confidence in your car mechanically as much as anything when you're on track.

I hope this helps!!

 

Basic safety suggestions:

1) Get your Z into excellent condition; particularly brakes with rotors not worn to the limit, fresh DOT 4 fluid and pre-bedded pads. If you haven't changed tranny and diff fluids in awhile, you'll want to have it done a few weeks in advance. Any mechanical or equipment issues you'll want fixed so you have confidence in your equipment.

2) As to airbags, the other suggestions here to leave them on are correct. They are part of the overall safety system of the car and can make a significant difference in a shunt. But this also impacts your choice of a SA-rated helemt. SCCA put out a bulletin awhile ago that full-face SA-rated helmets had a greater chance of causing chin or jaw injuries during an airbag deployment. Using an open-face SA-rated helmet may be a better choice; particularly for a novice.

3) There's no such thing as a "daily driver" rollcage. Either you prep your car for competition or you don't, IMHO. Having a effective rollcage (with good side impact protection) means it's a PITA to enter and exit. You'll tear up your interior to install it and spend more $$ to properly pad it with high-density rollbar padding. Put the money towards the car or finding a better run track day.

4) Stack suggests researching track day organizations before you commit and I concur. The more structure and instruction being offered usually equates to increased safety. Groups like SCCA (Performance Driving Experience) and NASA (High Performance Driving Experience) have safety requirements to fulfill, as well as dedicated safety specialists (corner workers, ambulance crews, etc.) at the track.

5) Your own mindset may be the most critical element to prepare. Most people come to track days with a confidence that they know how to drive. Listening to and being open to learning new ways of operating your Z at the limit is a HUGE safety advantage. Things we take for granted--like where to look--change radically once we're at speed! Listen to and follow your instructor's advice (or feedback from your fellow participants) at each session during the day. Remember that the skills you are seeking to develop take a lot of time (and laps) to develop.

6) Learn at your own speed and go only as fast as you feel comfortable with. Don't let your ego push you into keeping up with someone who is faster. Let your own limits be your guide and don't be afraid to express this to your instructor.

7) Finally, if you have an opportunity to pick the track, it may be wise to look at a lower speed course (with plenty of runoff area) to make your debut. In your area, you'd probably be considering a track like Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which is a highly technical (but very fun) course. Just be aware of where the high-speed sections are and what (if any) room you have to recover. Drive within your limits and remember that the prize you get is to drive your beautiful Z home--INTACT--after the day.

David Muramoto
Editor-in-chief
Nissan Sport Magazine

 

You also want to go over your car thoroughly before, during, and after the event. I normally check the torque on my lugnuts, but forgot to after my last track day. There was a weird vibration/noise coming from the back and it turned out to be loose lugnuts! It's not the first time this has happened. heat expansion from heavy braking will sometimes loosen stuff, and it can be dangerous to say the least. I keep a fire extinguisher in the glove box behind the seat, too.

 

Also:
If this is your 1st time ever on the track I would recommend taking a car control clinic event with a qualified school in your area.

This is generally a prerequisite for an HPDE lapping days for most clubs and schools.

And, some clubs require a track inspection by a qualified shop.

 

Helmet, horse collar, stay on street tires (start with lower tire pressures than you use for autox now, since autox uses cold tire pressures and track uses hot tire pressures).

Remember that your feeling of safety has a big effect on how fast you'll drive. The safer you feel at a specific speed, the more likely it is that you'll go faster.

 

David ... I must take a slight exception to this. The "bulletin" that you're referring to was a memo that got circulated and was then taken out of context. There was some testing with airbags in formula-style cars (may have even been an F1 study) with a very laid-back seating position. It was never (to my knowledge) any official bulletin from the SCCA warning against full face helmets in sedans or coupes with normal seating positions.

I haven't found any argument yet that shows me how open face helmets are better than full face helmets.

FWIW... the SCCA memo surfaced in 2004, and it appears the study it was referencing was from 4 ot 5 years prior to that.

 

As long as people realize the difference between FEELING safe and actually BEING safer. You can FEEL very safe with 4-point harnesses, "tuner" seats, and a 1" Cusco snap-together roll bar ... but would you bet your life on it?

 

Stacy- As a racer who wears full-face helmets, I certainly think they provide me with better overall protection. But in light of what that SCCA advisory states, I cannot recommend them being as safe as a good open face SA-rated helmet in an airbag equipped car. The argument that an airbag deployment COULD lead to contact with the chin area seems valid (although I've never had to test it) and I've never seen any evidence the info was taken out of context. Here's the original text:

"DATE: November 16, 2004
FROM: National Staff
TO: All Participants
SUBJECT: Airbag Advisory

It has been brought to the attention of SCCA Technical Services that the use
of full-face or closed-face helmets while driving vehicles with active airbag
restraint systems may result in injuries in the event of a crash that deploys
the airbag. Because of the location of the steering wheel relative to a
driver’s position, the airbag axis is on a level with the driver’s chin. In a
crash with airbag deployment, contact with the chin area of a full-face
helmet can be so powerful “that the risk of fractures to the jaw cannot be
ruled out“ (Hubert Gramling, FIA Institute, FT3/AF, 18.5.1999). This applies
to vehicle that may be used in Solo, RallyCross, High Performance Car
Control Clinics, etc.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that full-face helmets not be used in
vehicles with functional airbag systems. Potentially more restrictive language
is currently being considered for 2005, which could appear in an early 2005
issue of FasTrack. If you have any questions, please contact the SCCA at
(800) 770-2055."

 

Cusco or Autopower are going to be better than nothing in a roll over. I've seen too many Novice drivers drop two and snap the steering wheel to get those wheels back on the surface and physics just doesn't allow it.

4PT harness will allow submarine effect. Better off using the stock seat belt.

Padded collars are worthless.

The only time I feel completely safe when I'm tracking our race car. Full cage, 6pt, HANS and fire system. Then again it's no fun tracking that car at 7/10s driving...lol

 

PRECISELY!

This is the main reason that I have not installed a harness bar and harnesses in my car.

 

Did you actually read the original research? I have.

Here's a summary of the differences:

1) Driver in a reclined position, strapped in tightly.
2) Airbag was a special "one-off" unit, with a much higher deployment speed than those found in street cars -- even the first-generation airbags of the time.
3) Driver was positioned less than 12" from the airbag (I think that the actual distance was something like 8-10").
4) Airbag was aimed basically at the chin area due to the reclined driving position, and the relatively low position of the wheel/airbag assembly.

Even the administrator of the test stated not to read too much into that test -- it was designed very specifically to compare airbags vs. HANS devices. Once all of the information came to light, the advisory was pulled.

Having been an F&C (corner) worker, the idea of having an explosive device in the car (which is what an airbag is) is not a comforting thought, especially when having to extract the driver from the car.

 

What came to light after this was released, was that the information that had been brought to the SCCA's attention was information obtained form a test involving HANS testing in Formula cars, with and without airbags. Since a driver's head is in direct line with the steering wheel usually in the very laid-back seating position, the airbag being deployed (at Formula car velocities) would not be spread out over the chest area like it would in coupe or sedan race cars.

They way I see it too, is that I'd rather have the energy of an airbag dispersed over the face of a closed face helmet, rather than my un-protected face... or worse, impacting a protruding visor forcing more of the airbag to contact the face and not the helmet. Your jaw muscles are some of the most powerful muscles in your body, and if an airbag is designed to impact an unprotected face, there shouldn't be any reason to think a protected face would fare any worse.

The context of the information had little direct correlation to modified (or not) street cars. To my knowledge, there was never any official release or update in Fas Track... which should be an indication that the SCCA jumped the gun a bit on releasing that warning.

-Stacy

 

Why go into very complicated details? the guy just wants to have some fun with a DD and it's not like he be driving at beyond 100mph all the time.

It's pretty simple.

MW9, you got gas. you got helmet. you got the Z. Now...

-Make sure the Z is in perfect condition,
-fluid levels in check
-tyres in perfect condition
-set the right tyre pressure


At the track:
-brake in a straight line ALWAYS

-go slow in the first few laps as you learn the track and the racing lines.

-Never shut down any electronic assists (the stock Z will understeer and the ABS will help you get out of trouble)

-Never compete with other cars: drive at your own pace. Your skills determine your speed, not the car.

Stay even sharper after 10-15 HARD laps :
-Tyres may have heated too much and will cause the steering wheel to wiggle at hard braking

- brake pedal will start to feel spongy: brake fade occurs. When this happens brake a lot earlier than usual. If the brakes become too soft, it means the pads/lines/fluid are cooked. . . get back to the pits asap and cool down.

If you want to keep on lapping faster, longer and safer, get some ss braided lines, motul rbf600 and ceramic / track-spec pads.. or even better tyres (semi's, if budget permits).

-enjoy!!!

 

PDX Racer and Stack- Let's not take this discussion too far OT. I'll concede your points on using a full-face SA-rated helmet in an airbag equipped car. But I stand by the other points I made in my original post. Plenty of good novice information from different sources throughout the country. Speaking of the OP, we haven't heard anything from mw9 since he started this thread over Christmas. Surely he has other questions? Too much eggnog, or did he lose interest already?

 

You don't instruct (nor would any qualified instructor) a Novice Driver to use "Race Lines" they are NOT the safest around the track!

 

^ows? that's pretty strange. care to explain?

over here in Dubai Autodrome the racing school would teach students how to maximize speed around a bend. I mean that's what they;re supposed to do right? - teach you the right stuff. else it would be a total rip-off. lol.
beside's if you don;t follow the racing lines you're exit angle and speed will be totally screwed up and it leads to 2 things- student learns crap and the risk of him kissing the wall is higher.

Also on our track days/evenings new comers will have different sessions from the novice-advanced level drivers.

In newcomer sessions, no one's allowed to overtake around curves so that participants can freely practice their cornering skills safely.

Of course in each session they have the marshals / emergency teams standing by, strategically placed.
Each curve has wide run-off area.
each session is time-limited to 20mins thus preventing tyre/engine/brake overheats.
Track config will only allow speed upto 120mph max on a regular z.
The track's completely monitored via cctv so if anybody performs some jack-*** stunts the officials will act accordingly.
Prior to the first sessions, newcomers are given 20-30 minutes of discussion/tutorial and then they follow the pace car (08 audit tt quattro) which shows them the braking points and racing lines for about 5 laps.

im sure many tracks around the world have these types safety features. but i guess rules are different in every places. dunno.

being 'safe' at the track doesnt always mean wearing a full crash-proof gadgetry and a bunch of rules but it's also the responsibility of the track officials to set up their own safety measures to protect the participants. then ofcourse there's the driver's responsibility.

ps. dkmura's input is also very useful! thanks man!

 

This puts us into the debate about what a race line is vs a school line ... which is best served in its own thread