5 must-do things to prep your car for a track day!

If you’re gearing up for a track day soon, you will want to ensure your car is in tip-top condition. Here are five ways to prepare your car for a day of intensive driving. 

1. Check your tyres and change them if necessary

More grip = faster lap times. It’s a simple equation, and making sure your tyres have enough life left in them should be near the top of your pre-track day to-do list. A worn-out tyre is not just slower, but also less safe to drive on as the high stresses of track driving may lead to a tyre blowing. Changing your existing tyres out for a set of performance tyres can also give you loads of extra grip on the track.

2. Check your brakes and use high-temperature brake fluid

Your brakes are the most important part of your car. Not only do they stop you from flying straight into a wall, but pushing the braking zones is also where you can gain a lot of lap time. Checking to make sure your brake pads have enough meat left on them is vital, and changing your pads for high-temperature performance ones is a good idea too. Using high-temp brake fluid is also recommended as its higher boiling point means a lower chance of brake fade.

3. Adjust your car’s alignment 

Sending your car for an alignment is a good way to ensure that you have even tyre wear and that the car will respond predictably to your inputs. You can also give your car a more aggressive alignment with more camber or more toe, while this is less optimal for everyday driving, it would make the car more aligned (heh) towards track driving. 

4. Change your engine and gearbox oil

Doing an oil change can ensure that your car is receiving lovely new fluids to maximise engine performance. Using new fluids can also ensure that your engine and gearbox are lubricated enough to protect them during an intense track session. While you’re at it, topping off on coolant is also a good idea to combat the extra heat you’ll produce with sporty driving. 

5. Use MotorCheckUp to give your engine a health check 

MotorCheckUp is an ingenious solution to quickly ascertain the condition of your car’s engine and whether there are any possible issues that might develop. Think of it as a blood test for your car, much like how a doctor tests your blood, MotorCheckUp’s test kit uses a drop of oil to determine how healthy your engine is.

The testing is able to diagnose a variety of issues including the condition of the oil itself, the presence of contaminants in the oil, or whether there’s water, coolant, or fuel in the oil. The test kit can also be used to check on the health of other components by using gearbox oil, brake fluid, or power steering fluid instead.

Pro driver Gladys Lam drove the MotorCheckUp Lotus Elise to the second fastest lap time overall!

We recently had the chance to experience a track day with MotorCheckUp in a Lotus Elise at Sepang and it was a great feeling heading out on track for extended periods safe in the knowledge that MotorCheckUp’s testing had declared the Elise’s engine healthy. This was a road car that myself and pro racecar driver, Gladys Lam, were pushing to its absolute limits and not once did it even show a hint of an issue. 

Check out MotorCheckUp’s website or watch our video for more information and give your car a blood test before your next track day!