HPDE: A Beginner's Guide to High Performance Driving Events

What HPDE is, and what it is not

An HPDE is a non-competitive day on a real race circuit. Hooked on Driving says it is not a racing organisation. Chin Track Days describes its format as no racing, no time trials and no finishing order. Porsche Club of America says its driver education events record no times or placings and give no awards. Road America's track day rules say it is not a race or a test day, with no timing, no racing and no trophies.

Time trials and racing are separate things that some of the same organisers also run. NASA, for example, describes a ladder from HPDE to Time Trial to racing, and its Arizona region says HPDE groups are not timed, time trial entry needs a NASA Competition or Time Trial licence, and wheel-to-wheel racing needs a NASA competition licence and a current medical examination.

• HPDE: you drive your own car at your own pace, with passing rules and (at first) an instructor. Not timed.
• Time trial: drivers compete for the fastest lap. Needs a licence at NASA.
• Racing: wheel-to-wheel competition with a competition licence and a race-prepared car.

Run groups and instructors

Every organiser sorts drivers into groups by experience so that fast and slow cars are not mixed. The names differ, but the ladder is similar: a novice group with an instructor, an intermediate group for drivers who have been signed off to drive alone, an advanced group, and sometimes a top group for instructors or experts.

NASA runs four HPDE groups. Group 1 is for drivers with zero or very few track days who have never been signed off to drive solo, and signing up for it requires an instructor. Group 2 is for drivers who have been signed off on at least one track. NASA Mid-Atlantic's page says Group 2 also requires an instructor, while NASA Arizona's event page lists HPDE2 as no instructor required, so regions differ. Group 3 is for drivers with 10 track days on more than one track. Group 4 is for certified instructors. Hooked on Driving uses four groups, A (Novice), B (Intermediate), C (Advanced) and D (Expert). Chin Track Days uses three colour groups, green, blue and red, and Track Night in America uses Novice, Intermediate and Advanced.

Instructors are the main difference between HPDE and a plain open track day. Hooked on Driving says every novice gets a dedicated coach in the passenger seat for each session, though it adds that it cannot always guarantee one for every beginner every time. Chin Track Days assigns an instructor to novices, adds two hours of indoor classroom, and says a new driver should expect to stay classified as novice for at least three days of track experience. Road America's novice group is a lead-follow format guided by instructors and includes classroom time.

Moving up is called getting signed off to solo. Chin Track Days says solo qualification is track-specific, so you may need a check ride again at a new circuit. Hooked on Driving advises starting in the novice group even if you have some track experience, to learn the facility, and says it is generally possible to move you up if the day goes well.

Passing rules: the point-by

Passing is where most beginners worry, and it is the most controlled part of an HPDE. In the novice groups you cannot pass anyone unless the driver in front gives you a signal. That signal is the point-by: the leading driver points out of the window to the side you should pass on, and lifts off the throttle. Track Night in America's drivers' meeting notes say a point-by takes two things, your arm out of the window and your foot coming off the throttle, and that all passes at Track Night are by point-by only.

What changes between groups is where you are allowed to pass. These are the published rules from four organisers:

• NASA (Mid-Atlantic page): Group 1, straights only and only after the lead driver signals. Group 2, straights only after a signal. Groups 3 and 4, after a signal but anywhere on the track.
• Track Night in America: novice and intermediate, point-by only and only in marked passing zones. Advanced, point-by only but anywhere it is safe, unless the drivers' meeting says otherwise.
• Chin Track Days: green group needs a point-by and passing is on straights only. Blue and red need a point-by, with unrestricted passing zones.
• Hooked on Driving: B group passes after a turn signal or point-by in pre-set zones, usually straights. C group allows indicated passing on most of the track. D group is open passing without a signal from the car being passed, with a request for cooperative passing and no last-minute dive-bombs.

Who runs HPDE in the US, and how to find one near you

There are three kinds of organiser. Clubs such as NASA, the SCCA, the Porsche Club of America (PCA) and BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) run events through regions or chapters, and usually expect some sort of membership. Commercial companies such as Hooked on Driving and Chin Track Days run their own schedules. Some tracks run their own track days: Road America, for example, lists Novice, Intermediate and Advanced track days on its own site.

Track Night in America is the SCCA's national weeknight programme. The SCCA says it runs between March and October at more than 30 tracks, and its how-to-get-on-track page has a zip-code event search. SCCA regions also run their own weekend track days. For NASA, Hooked on Driving, PCA and BMW CCA events, the registration pages are on MotorsportReg, which is also the quickest way to search for 'HPDE near me' by date and distance. Chin Track Days runs its own schedule and registration system. Its schedule covers 15 tracks in the eastern US and Texas.

The table below compares what each one publishes. It is a starting point, not a rulebook.

What the organisers require: helmet, age, licence, tech

The basics are the same everywhere: a car in sound condition, a helmet, a driver's licence, and a signed tech inspection form. The details are not. The table lists what each organiser's pages said when we read them. Where a field says 'not stated', that page did not cover it, and that is not the same as 'not required'.

Helmets are the item that trips people up. Many US organisers want an auto-racing helmet with a Snell SA rating, not a motorcycle helmet with a Snell M rating, but not all: NASA and Track Night in America's 2026 lists also accept Snell M2010 or newer, while Hooked on Driving, BMW CCA's National Capital Chapter and Road America require an SA label. NASA's own news column says that from 1 January 2026, HPDE and Time Trial helmets must meet or exceed Snell 2010 (SA2010; M2010) or ECE 22.06, and that racing is stricter. NASA's 2026 HPDE tech form lists Snell SA2010 or M2010 and newer but does not mention ECE, some regional NASA pages still show older wording, and the column gives notice that from 1 January 2027 helmets must be Snell SA2020 or newer (in its paragraph on racing helmets). We could not read NASA's rulebook itself, so confirm with your region before you rely on an ECE-only or older helmet. BMW CCA's National Capital Chapter says helmets must be SA-rated 2015 or newer, that SA2015 helmets remain acceptable only until SA2025 helmets are widely available (which it expected in late summer 2026), and that M-rated helmets are not acceptable for its 2026 HPDE events. Hooked on Driving says to buy a Snell SA auto racing helmet and does not allow motorcycle helmets. Some states are stricter again: NASA's column notes that New Jersey regulations require Snell SM or SA 2020/2025 for sanctioned events.

Standards also move on. The Snell Foundation says SA2025 took effect on 1 October 2025, and that manufacturers will stop producing SA2020 helmets by the end of 2026. Organisers then decide which older labels they accept. The Snell Foundation's FAQ says an unused helmet stored in good condition does not automatically expire after five years. It still recommends replacing a helmet after five years of normal use, because wear compresses the pads and liner and loosens the fit, and it says to replace any helmet that has taken an impact while being worn. Organisers set their own age limits, so read yours. Hooked on Driving's FAQ and example tech list say an SA helmet within 10 years, but every Hooked on Driving 2026 event page we read (Thunderhill, Carolina Motorsports Park, VIR, The Ridge and Watkins Glen) requires Snell SA2020 or newer, and two say SA2015 is not permitted. Our helmet guide explains labels and fit.

If you plan to use a harness, ask about head and neck restraints first. BMW CCA's National Capital Chapter requires a HANS device with any 5-point or 6-point harness, and says the harness and the HANS tether must be no more than five years old.

What the day looks like

A weekend-style day usually starts early. Hooked on Driving's Thunderhill listing says gates open at 6:30am with check-in from 7:00am, and NASA's Arizona region recommends arriving 45 to 60 minutes before the drivers' meeting so you can park, check in and get through tech. Hooked on Driving also suggests staying near the track the night before if you have more than a 90-minute drive each way.

Track Night in America's check-in is a good example of the steps. You sign the waiver (or show a current SCCA annual waiver), show your driver's licence, collect your packet and a group wristband for your left wrist, have your helmet checked, hand in your completed tech sheet and put the tech sticker on the upper right-hand corner of your windshield.

Then come the meetings and the sessions. Track Night's sample schedule has a gates-open time, a mandatory novice meeting, three sessions per group with a briefing between them, and track close in the early evening. Hooked on Driving runs three or four run groups with 5 to 6 sessions per group, 20 to 25 minutes each, and says average track time per driver is 100 to 120 minutes. Chin Track Days rotates its three groups every 30 minutes, with about 3.5 hours of track time and an 'all drivers open track' session in the final hour.

Between sessions you look after the car. Hooked on Driving suggests checking tyre pressures after the first session, because pressures rise as tyres heat up, and says it is common to let air out. Track Night's list adds checking fluids and keeping a torque wrench handy for the wheel nuts. Our first track day checklist covers all of this in order.

Flags explained

Flags are how corner workers talk to you. Your drivers' meeting will cover the ones your organiser uses, so listen to it. This list is from Track Night in America's drivers' meeting page and Road America's 2026 track day flag sheet. Meanings differ slightly between organisers.

• Green: the course is clear (Road America).
• Yellow: something is on or near the track, such as water, oil, sand, rocks or car parts. A waving yellow means it is on the track and a stationary yellow means it is off the track. Either way, lift and be ready to change your line (Track Night in America). No passing under yellow. Road America says passing under yellow costs you the rest of the session, and a second time you will be asked to leave.
• Yellow with red stripes: slippery surface or debris on the track (Road America).
• Blue: check your mirror and let the faster cars behind you pass at the next passing zone. Ignore it and it becomes a black flag (Track Night in America).
• Black: pit now. Waving at a station is for everyone, usually because the session is over. Stationary and pointed at you means you. Hooked on Driving shows a number with the black flag to bring in a driver who went off or spun, so staff can check you and your car before releasing you.
• Black with an orange ball (the meatball): something is mechanically wrong with your car. If you are dropping fluids, pull off the track safely and stay belted in with your helmet on unless there is a fire. If not, go to the pit lane (Road America).
• Red: pull to the side of the track, on the asphalt, smoothly and safely, and wait for further signals (Track Night in America).
• White with a red cross: a slow-moving safety vehicle is ahead (Road America).
• Checkered: the session is over. Take a cool-down lap so brakes and tyres can cool, and wave to the corner workers (Track Night in America).

Getting your car ready

You do not need a track car. Hooked on Driving says any regular street-legal car is welcome in its beginner group, although heavy SUVs and high-centre-of-gravity vehicles are not. Road America excludes trucks, vans and SUVs. Many organisers require rollover protection in convertibles, and the National Capital Chapter of BMW CCA does not allow convertibles at all. Ask before you register if you are not sure.

The common thread in organiser tech sheets is brakes, tyres and fluids. Hooked on Driving's FAQ says to check brake pads for at least 50% remaining, to flush and replace brake fluid with high-temperature synthetic fluid (it highly recommends this), and to start with about 50% tread remaining, since tyres at the wear bars will not make it through a track day. Its example tech list also asks for all four tyres above the wear marker, tight lug nuts, no wheel bearing play, no fluid leaks, a secured battery, a covered positive terminal, a secured gas cap and no loose objects in the car or trunk. Road America's tech sheet has a line for brake fluid, clean and new. PCA's Alpine Mountain Region warns that many drivers have ended their weekend early because of thin brake pads or corded tyres.

Who inspects the car depends on the organiser. Hooked on Driving and Chin Track Days make you responsible for the inspection, either yourself or a mechanic. Chin says the inspection must be done before you arrive and a signed form handed in at the tech line. PCA's Alpine Mountain Region does not permit self-tech and has no tech inspection at the track, so a signed form from an approved shop or person is needed before you arrive. NASA Mid-Atlantic asks for its HPDE pre-tech form filled out and signed by a qualified inspector. No matter who signs, Road America's tech sheet states that the owner is solely responsible for the car's safe operating condition.

Cost and insurance

Entry fees on the 2026 event pages we read run from $150 for a Track Night in America evening (SCCA member price at Thunderhill) to $425 for Road America's novice track day. Hooked on Driving lists events from $349 a day, Chin's Virginia International Raceway two-day event is $749, and NASA Utah's October event listed HPDE 1 at $349 for a single day. The table has the sources.

Entry is not the whole bill. Some organisers add a novice coaching fee (Hooked on Driving lists $50 a day, Chin $100 for two days), a membership (Chin's annual fee is $50, and Track Night charges non-SCCA members an extra $25 weekend membership), and optional extras such as Hooked on Driving's $99 a day track damage waiver. Fuel, tyres, brake pads, fluids, a helmet and travel come on top. Our track day cost guide breaks all of that down.

Insurance is a separate question. Hooked on Driving's FAQ warns that many standard auto policies will not cover incidents at a race track, and suggests a review of your policy and a quote from OpenTrack. Track Night in America points to Hagerty for track insurance. Motorsport Australia says the same about road car insurance generally. Our track day insurance guide covers what is on offer.

HPDE outside the US: UK and Australia

The UK uses a different format, mostly the open pit lane track day. MSV Trackdays, which runs days at Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Cadwell Park and Bedford Autodrome, says the majority of its days are open pit lane. After the compulsory three sighting laps, you go on track when you like and for as long as you like. Passing is by invitation between corners. It also runs novice-only days in a group format, 20 minute taster sessions for £35, and says adding a session or two of instruction at booking costs £25. Its calendar on 19 October 2026 showed general days from £189 (Cadwell Park, 31 October). You need an unrestricted DVLA licence (or the foreign equivalent), a suitable crash helmet that is not an off-road or MX style helmet, and your legs covered. Cars face a noise test and must meet MOT minimum standards or Motorsport UK regulations for track cars. UK organisers set their own helmet requirements, so check the one you book.

In Australia, Motorsport Australia's route for beginners is Come and Try Days run with affiliated car clubs. For untimed events you need only a $40 introductory licence, and club membership is not required if you hold it. You complete a self-scrutiny checklist for the car. A helmet is required for everything except Motorkhana in a road car. Your local club confirms any other requirements, such as gear or vehicle rules.