First Track Day Checklist

Start with your organiser's rules, not a generic list

Every organiser publishes its own tech sheet and rules. They agree on the big things and disagree on details such as helmet labels, how old a helmet can be, what to tape and whether convertibles are allowed. A generic list cannot settle those, so print your organiser's tech sheet first and use this page to fill in the gaps.

Track Night in America, Chin Track Days, Road America, NASA and PCA all publish a tech form for you to complete before you arrive. Hooked on Driving and the motorcycle organiser Trackdaz publish prep pages and requirement lists. If you cannot find one, ask the organiser before you book.

Why the tech inspection is mostly your job

At many organisers the inspection is a form you complete, not a check done for you. Chin Track Days says the inspection must be done before you arrive and that it does not perform it for you. You can do it yourself if you are mechanically inclined, or have a qualified tech do it. Hooked on Driving makes you electronically agree to be responsible for your own inspection at registration. Road America's tech sheet says the owner is solely responsible for the car's safe operating condition, and that a mechanic's inspection does not transfer that responsibility.

Some clubs are stricter. PCA's Alpine Mountain Region does not allow self-tech and has no tech at the track, so you need a form signed by an approved shop or person before you arrive. NASA Mid-Atlantic asks for its HPDE pre-tech form to be filled in and signed by a qualified inspector. The practical lesson is to book the inspection in the week before the event, not the night before, so a shop has time to fix anything it finds.

Car prep: brakes, tyres and fluids come first

A track day puts far more heat and load through brakes and tyres than the road does, and organiser tech sheets focus there. Hooked on Driving asks for at least 50% of your brake pad thickness, recommends flushing the brake fluid and replacing it with high-temperature synthetic fluid, and says tyres should have about 50% of their wear left, because tyres already at the wear bars will not make it through a track day. Road America's tech sheet has a line for 'Brake Fluid Clean - new'. PCA's Alpine Mountain Region says many drivers have ended their weekend early with thin brake pads or corded tyres.

Hooked on Driving also asks you to clear the car out: child seats, garage door openers and anything loose in the cabin or trunk have to be stowed. Fuel should be full but not topped off. Road America's tech sheet lists 'all loose objects removed' as a pass or fail item.

Check your organiser's car rules before you pay. The National Capital Chapter of BMW CCA, for example, does not allow convertibles or SUVs, requires HANS with 5-point or 6-point harnesses, and asks drivers of cars with driver-assistance systems to switch off lane keeping, collision avoidance and auto braking. Hooked on Driving and Road America require rollover protection for convertibles.

Bike prep: tape, tether and tyres

Motorcycle track days ask you to remove or tape the parts of a street bike that can shatter and leave debris on the track. TrackTime says mirrors and turn signals need to be taped over because they can break and leave debris on the track surface, and asks for headlights and tail lights to be taped too. Trackdaz asks you to tape or remove mirrors, remove or cover the licence plate, tape over wheel weights with duct tape, and disconnect the brake light. It uses painter's tape for clean removal afterwards. If you use a camera, Trackdaz requires it to be tethered with safety wire or something equally strong.

Tyres matter more than the type of tyre. Trackdaz says street tyres with plenty of tread and the right pressures are fine, and asks for new tyres or more than half the tread life remaining. Its recommended checks are that the throttle snaps closed by itself, that all controls work, that fluid levels and chain tension are right, and that nothing is loose. Safety-wiring the oil fill and drain plugs is recommended but not required there. TrackTime does not accept leaks of oil or coolant on the track, and for track-only bikes it does not allow antifreeze, only approved propylene glycol coolants such as Engine Ice or Redline Water Wetter. Rules on coolant differ between organisers, so ask yours.

Your kit: helmet first

The helmet is the item most likely to be refused at check-in. For cars, many US organisers want an auto racing helmet with a Snell SA label, and Hooked on Driving's 2026 events require SA2020 or newer, though NASA and Track Night in America also accept Snell M2010 or newer. Hooked on Driving does not allow motorcycle helmets, BMW CCA's National Capital Chapter says M-rated helmets are not acceptable for its 2026 events, and NASA's 2026 helmet rules for HPDE are listed in our HPDE guide. At Track Night in America, find the label before you get there: in many helmets the sticker is under the flap of padding above and behind your right ear. Track Night cannot loan helmets, Hooked on Driving says first-timers can rent one, and a NASA Arizona event listing offered rentals at $20 a day. Check your organiser first.

For motorcycles, Trackdaz asks for a DOT full-face helmet with Snell, ECE or FIM certification that is no more than 5 years old and undamaged, a one-piece or two-piece suit (a two-piece must zip together), a CE-approved back protector at minimum, gauntlet-style gloves and calf-length boots. WMRC, a Canadian club, asks for a separate CE level 2 back protector and says soft pads sewn into a suit do not count. Check which standards your organiser accepts. Fit matters for helmets and suits, so follow each maker's sizing guidance. Our gear guides cover helmets, suits, gloves and shoes.

Tools, fluids and spares

Track Night in America's list is a good model for a car: a torque wrench and a socket that fits your wheel nuts (and your wheel lock key), basic tools, a jack and tyre-change tools, a screw-in tow hook if your car has one, a tyre pressure gauge, spare oil and other fluids, and towels and glass cleaner. It explains that cars driven hard can use more oil than on a commute, and that a tow hook is how a car gets pulled out of a sand trap. Put a board under your jack so it does not sink into asphalt or sand.

For a motorcycle, Trackdaz suggests 8mm and 10mm sockets, hex keys, screwdrivers and an adjustable wrench, plus spare fuel in a proper container, because the bike will not get its street mileage on track. Add painter's tape, duct tape and safety wire for the tape-and-tether jobs. Trackdaz also asks you to check you have the bike key, which it says riders forget more often than you would think.

Comfort and paddock

Track days are long. Track Night in America advises bringing drinks and snacks, sunscreen and a hat, rain gear because events run in all weather, and a tub or tarp to protect what you take out of the car. Hooked on Driving advises arriving fresh and staying close to the track the night before if you have more than a 90-minute drive each way. Trackdaz recommends a canopy tied down with something heavy, a chair, cash for gate fees and food, and a friend who is licensed and can drive your vehicle if needed.

Leave some things at home. Track Night in America says no unsupervised kids, no pets you cannot watch, no alcohol or drugs, and no drones, which most tracks have banned. Check what the venue provides: for example, Track Night's Pocono listing says there are no concessions at the track, so bring your own snacks.

On the day: arrive early and use the meetings

Arrive early enough to park, unload and get through tech without rushing. NASA Arizona recommends 45 to 60 minutes before the drivers' meeting. At Track Night, check-in means signing the waiver, showing your licence, collecting a wristband for your left wrist, a helmet check and handing in your tech sheet. Novices have a mandatory briefing before their first session, and the Hawk Novice group has three briefings with its coach during the evening. Hooked on Driving tells you to be at all your group meetings and to listen, because that is where passing rules and track-specific rules are explained.

On track, the aims are simple: know the flags and passing rules, stay on the track surface, and look after the car between sessions. Hooked on Driving suggests checking tyre pressures after the first session, because they rise as the tyres heat up. Trackdaz suggests a simple goal for the day, such as working on your lines and consistency. Take the cool-down lap after the checkered flag so brakes and tyres can cool, as Track Night asks. At a motorcycle day, Trackdaz typically opens the gates at 7am, holds the riders' meeting at 8am and sends bikes out at 9am, running until 5pm. It does not schedule a lunch break, and says there is time between sessions to eat.