Login

I just got my first set of genuine racing slicks mounted for track days, and I’m honestly a bit nervous about the warm-up procedure. Everyone says you have to get serious heat into them for the grip to come in, but I’m worried about being a hazard for the first few laps out of the pits. How do you manage that initial phase without pushing too hard on cold tires?

I did this last season and yes the first few laps were nerve wracking, but I treated the warm up like a slow lap at a road track: light throttle, smooth inputs, no late braking, and I let the tires come up to temperature gradually with those racing slicks.

I started with short gentle runs, maybe two laps at a modest pace, watching for grip coming in, then climbed a notch as the tires woke up.

Do you think the real problem is nerves or car setup, not the tires?

I fried a session once by thinking I had to push immediately; I backed off and found a middle ground by rolling on the throttle through mid corner rather than whipping it on exit.

I had a moment when the rear stepped, and I learned to stay light on the wheel and keep a steady exit pace.

I kept the brakes soft for the first lap, no heavy brake pedal, just enough to load the tires gradually.

The grip showed up after a couple of corners, and it felt like the track woke up; then it came back and faded again, like a pendulum.

Login
Username:
Password:	Lost Password?
	Remember me