Taking your Porsche to the track is about the closest thing a human can feel to the exhilaration a dog must experience when they get to go for walkies. After being cooped up and playing by so many rules — don’t go too fast! don’t get in anyone’s personal space! stop chewing up that asphalt! — we get to finally let loose, stretch our legs and see what our gorgeous German-engineered machines are capable of.
At the same time, going on walkies does not create the risk that you could come back sans dog. You will want to prepare adequately for your Porsche’s first track day, gain knowledge to get in the right head space and be willing to trade off fun risks for smart decisions.
To prepare you to go for a spin and truly get mileage out of your Porsche for the first time, here are some pointers to get ready for bringing your Porsche to the track:
Have Your Porsche Inspected
If you do not know how to check the wear on your own brake pads, you may want to consider having a mechanic give your Porsche a once-over just to make sure it is ready for its first intense outing. Otherwise, a quick at-home inspection could do the trick.
Check all fluids, test all of your systems and review your owner’s manual maintenance schedule to ensure that important tasks have been kept up with. For example, do you know the last time your brake fluid was flushed? Old brake fluid can mean precious inches of stopping power lost on the track, spelling the difference between a close call and an unplanned off-road experience.
One element to inspect closely is your tire tread. Track running requires a certain type of flat, gripping surface. If your 911 is currently sporting all seasons, you may want to invest in a set of four slicks to get the maximum out of your track time.
Finally, review your tracks rules on fire extinguishers. You may need to install a vehicle mount for one depending on the event you intend to run.
Pack Your Own Essentials
Tracks like AMP have most of the resources you’ll need for your track day, but it never hurts to bring along your own supplies.
Some items to include:
- Window cleaner and paper towels
- A high-quality tire pressure gauge
- A torque wrench for tightening lug nuts — no soft sockets!
- Your car’s tire change kit and jack
- A full tank of gas in your car
- A few extra quarts of oil
- A few cotton towels
- Sunscreen
- Rain gear — just not red or yellow!
- Comfortable but close-fitting tennis shoes or driving shoes
- Lots of extra water
- Some snacks like energy bars
- A change of clothes
- A helmet sock — you can purchase one on-site at AMP
Make sure to dress in breathable long sleeves and long cotton pants like jeans or athletic sweats.
Put Yourself in the Right Head Space
We already covered the basics of how track driving differs from road driving, but the most important thing to remember is attitude. Even a second of getting distracted could mean making a costly mistake. Also, remember to go slow when learning a new track. Speed comes with comfort, but AMP’s winding road course will challenge even experienced track-goers if they bite off more than they can chew.
Bringing Your Porsche to the Track Is Easy at AMP
AMP can help break in your Porsche to the track life with our expert instruction, inviting community and convenient on-site garage services. Get everything you need to make your Porsche right at home on the track when you sign up for one of our life-changing memberships.
Once you’ve got a taste for speed, you’ll never look back in your rearview mirror at the life you left behind.