Interactive guides
Understand it. Then drive it.
Each guide gives the short answer first, then goes deep with diagrams you can play with.
Getting started
HPDE, your first track day, what to bring, passing tech and the safety gear you need.
- 018 minWhat is HPDE?HPDE is coached, non-competitive driving on a real race track in your own car. How run groups, instructors and classroom work, and how it differs from racing.Read →
- 028 minYour first track day: what to expectA timeline of a first track day: arrival, registration, tech, drivers’ meeting, your first session, classroom, and when to call it a day.Read →
- 037 minTrack day checklist: what to bring and prepareA practical track day checklist for the car, the driver and the paddock: fluids, tools, tire gauge, helmet, clothing, food, water and paperwork.Read →
- 047 minPreparing your car for tech inspectionWhat a track day tech inspection usually checks: brakes, fluid, tires, wheel bearings, battery tie-down, loose items and your helmet. Rules vary by organizer.Read →
- 059 minHelmets and safety gear for track daysTrack day helmets explained: car vs motorcycle ratings, fit, age limits, head-and-neck restraints, clothing and fire safety. Your organizer sets the minimum.Read →
Events and etiquette
Formats beyond HPDE, flags, passing and the paperwork.
- 066 minRacing flags explainedWhat every racing flag means at track days and club events: green, yellow, red, black, the mechanical black flag, debris, passing, white and checkered.Read →
- 078 minWhat is autocross?Autocross is a timed run, one car at a time, through a course marked by cones in a parking lot or airfield. How classes, runs and course walks work.Read →
- 088 minTime attack explainedTime attack is timed lapping where your single fastest lap wins. How formats and classes work, what out laps and hot laps are for, and how to manage tires.Read →
- 097 minPassing rules and point-bys at track daysHow passing works at track days: point-bys, passing zones, run-group rules, mirror habits and the etiquette that keeps everyone safe.Read →
- 106 minTrack day insurance: what it coversWhy most road car policies don’t cover track days, what specialist per-event HPDE policies typically cover, and what to read before you buy. Not advice.Read →
Driving technique
Lines, braking, car control and the habits that make you faster and safer.
- 119 minThe racing lineThe racing line is the path that lets you carry the most speed through a corner and out onto the next straight. How turn-in, apex and track-out fit together.Read →
- 1210 minTrail brakingTrail braking means easing off the brake progressively as you turn in, instead of finishing braking in a straight line. Why it works, when to learn it and how to practise.Read →
- 138 minOversteer vs understeerUndersteer is when the front tires lose grip and the car runs wide; oversteer is when the rear lets go and the car rotates too much. Here’s how to tell and react.Read →
- 148 minThreshold brakingThreshold braking means braking as hard as the tires allow without locking up. How to find peak deceleration, with or without ABS, and practise it safely.Read →
- 158 minHeel-toe downshiftingHeel-toe lets you brake and blip the throttle at the same time, so downshifts stay smooth and the car stays settled. Step by step, plus pedal setup tips.Read →
- 168 minWeight transfer explainedBraking, accelerating and cornering shift load between the tires, and load decides grip. How weight transfer works and why smooth inputs make a car faster.Read →
- 177 minSlip angle explainedSlip angle is the difference between where a tire points and where it actually goes. How the tire curve works, where peak grip is and how it feels.Read →
- 187 minLift-off oversteerLift-off oversteer is when the rear steps out after you lift off the throttle mid-corner. What causes it, which cars are prone, and how to avoid and catch it.Read →
- 197 minVision and reference pointsWhere you look decides where the car goes. How to use vision and fixed reference points for braking, turn-in, apex and track-out, and how to build them.Read →
- 2010 minCorner types: hairpins, double apexes, esses and moreHairpins, double apexes, esses, decreasing-radius corners and sweepers each want a different approach. How to read each corner type and where to put the apex.Read →
- 217 minGoing off track: how to recover safelyDropped two wheels off? Don’t jerk the wheel. How to straighten, slow down and rejoin safely, when to stop, and what to do if the car spins.Read →
- 228 minDriving on track in the rainRain changes the line, the grip and what you can see. How to drive a wet track: smoother inputs, standing water, visibility, tires, and when to sit out.Read →
Car and setup
Brakes, tires, alignment and balance: what to change, and why.
- 237 minHow to bed in brake padsBedding lays an even layer of pad material on the rotor so new pads bite smoothly and resist fade. A step-by-step procedure, plus how to spot brake fade.Read →
- 248 minBrake fade: causes, signs and fixesBrake fade is lost braking as the system overheats. Pad fade vs fluid boil vs green fade, what each feels like, and how fluid, cooling and technique fix it.Read →
- 258 minTrack tire pressures: hot vs coldTire pressures rise as tires heat on track. How to set cold pressures to hit a hot target, measure as you come off, bleed correctly and stay consistent.Read →
- 267 minBrake bias explainedBrake bias is the front/rear split of braking force. Why cars are front-biased, how proportioning and ABS manage it, and how bias affects rotation.Read →
- 279 minAlignment for track days: camber, toe and casterWhat camber, toe and caster do on track, which directions people usually go for track days, how alignment affects tire wear, and how to read tire temperatures.Read →
- 287 minPolar moment of inertia explainedPolar moment of inertia is how hard a car is to rotate. Why mid-engine cars feel agile, front-engine cars feel stable, and how mass placement shapes slides.Read →
- 298 minCorner balancing and cross weightCorner balancing sets the weight on each tire with scales and ride-height adjusters. What cross weight is, why 50% matters, and a step-by-step process.Read →
Data and lap timing
Read your laps like an engineer: delta, traces and how accurate your timer really is.
- 307 minDelta time explainedDelta time shows if you’re ahead of or behind a reference lap right now. Predictive vs reference delta, reading the bar, distance alignment and limits.Read →
- 3110 minHow to read your lap dataPlain-language motorsport data analysis: speed traces, braking points, minimum speed, throttle, the g-g diagram, and comparing laps one change at a time.Read →
- 328 minLap timers and GPS accuracy: 1 Hz vs 25 HzHow GPS lap timers work, why sample rate matters, how interpolation at the timing line improves accuracy, and when an external 25 Hz GNSS receiver is worth it.Read →