Don't Grind My Gears

A track day is the most honest conversation you will ever have with your car. It takes all the little compromises of daily driving and turns them into heat, load, and repetition. The point is not to show up with a race car. The point is to show up with a healthy car that can do the day and drive home.

Heat is the enemy you can plan for

Track driving turns brakes and tires into temperature problems. A street car can do it, but only if the basics are solid. If the brakes are marginal on the street, they will be dramatic on track. If the tires are old, they will feel fine until they suddenly do not.

Consistency beats bravery

Most first track day issues come from trying to go fast too early. The best drivers look boring at the start because they build repeatable laps, then speed arrives as a side effect of clean habits.

The goal is to leave with the car feeling intact

If you treat the day like a stress test, you get value even without chasing lap times. You learn what gets hot first, what feels vague first, and what you should upgrade later based on evidence, not hype.