Editing An Idiots Guide to your first track day (section)

==Choosing a day==

First thing to do is find yourself a day. Picking a track nearby can save a lot of time and money and possibly an overnight stay. However it can pay to look beyond your local track. All track days are run with marshals and medical cover, but some tracks are less forgiving than others and some track day operators (TDOs) just seem to have the knack of making the day run smoothly and keeping the occasional behavioural excesses in check.

It‘s no secret that SELOC and LoT have very close ties, and for 2011 we‘ve been working together to organise a selection of evenings aimed at track day novices – with extra instruction and safe in the knowledge you aren‘t out on track with seasoned veterans of the track day scene.

All tracks are safer than your average B-road if you stay within your limits, but Brands Hatch Indy, Snetterton and Bedford offer the best blend of a real track atmosphere whilst being a little more forgiving should you make a mistake. Tracks like Oulton Park and Cadwell are awesome but mistakes can prove costly, especially in the wet.

An event such as the Lotus-on-Track Brands Indy Novice Evening on the 11th of July can be the ideal opportunity to learn the ropes in a safe and friendly environment tailored to those with no prior experience.

If you can, book tuition. It may not seem like much, but that half an hour or so can prove extremely useful whilst learning the track.

If you can an airfield training day such as those run by Car-Limits are excellent learning aids, as you can learn the limits of both your car and yourself before heading out on track, and can even lead to lower insurance premiums.