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Get trained
This page explains the principles. It is not a substitute for instruction from a racing school or a sanctioning body's driver education program, and it does not replace the rules and tech requirements of the event you enter.
How to use this list
This checklist is built only from the sources listed at the foot of the page. It covers what to sort out, bring and wear; it does not cover how to drive. The NASA and SCCA items are national rules as each club publishes them, and the tech items come from one example form, the SCCA Milwaukee Region's 2025 form for an event at Road America. Your club, region or track may ask for more, less or something different, and the event's own rules and drivers' meeting govern. For how the events run, see track days.
Before the day: paperwork
| Item | Who asks for it |
|---|---|
| A valid driver's licence | NASA HPDE; SCCA Track Night (SCCA says no extra licence is needed) |
| Club membership | NASA HPDE requires NASA membership; SCCA requires SCCA membership for under-18 Track Day drivers |
| Age: 18, or 16 with parental consent; passengers at least 18 | NASA HPDE |
| Drivers 17 or younger: contact officials in advance, with parental consent, a minor's assumption-of-risk acknowledgement, SCCA membership and a valid licence; passengers at least 12 | SCCA Track Day Rules (2026) |
| A completed HPDE Tech form, brought to tech on the morning of your first event | NASA HPDE |
| Your insurance policy read before the event. Both clubs warn that ordinary car insurance often excludes track driving and mention optional Hagerty track coverage, which NASA notes covers physical damage to your car, not liability | NASA; SCCA |
The car: ready for tech inspection
Your car is inspected before it goes on track, and on the Milwaukee Region form the driver signs that the car was prepared. The detail behind each item, including what the federal brake fluid standard says and how pad makers say to bed in pads, is on track day car prep. If you are not sure your car is ready, have a qualified mechanic check it before the event.
| Item | Who asks for it |
|---|---|
| Brake fluid clear, with a full reservoir (the form recommends DOT 4; check your car maker's specification before changing fluid type) | SCCA Milwaukee Region form |
| Brake pads less than half worn; rotors not cracked or discoloured; no leaks at the calipers or master cylinder; a firm pedal | SCCA Milwaukee Region form; SCCA Track Day Rules check pad and fluid condition |
| Every lug nut present and torqued; hubcaps removed | SCCA Milwaukee Region form; SCCA Track Day Rules check lug nut torque |
| Tyres with adequate tread, a suitable speed rating and in good condition | SCCA Milwaukee Region form; SCCA Track Day Rules check tyres |
| Battery tied down (no bungee cords) with the positive terminal covered | SCCA Milwaukee Region form; SCCA Track Day Rules |
| No loose items in the cabin or the trunk | SCCA Milwaukee Region form; SCCA Track Day Rules |
| Seats and working three-point belts | SCCA Track Day Rules; NASA requires working seat belts |
| No excess play in the suspension or steering; fluid levels checked; a throttle that returns | SCCA Track Day Rules |
| Padding on any roll bar section a helmet could hit | SCCA Track Day Rules |
| Working mufflers (sound limits vary by track) | NASA; SCCA Track Day Rules |
| A car no taller than it is wide (NASA discourages trucks and SUVs) | SCCA Track Day Rules; NASA |
| Convertibles: rollover protection. NASA requires it; SCCA highly recommends an aftermarket roll bar for all convertibles and sets different requirements for cars built before 2006 and from 2006 on | NASA; SCCA Track Day Rules (read the convertible section in full) |
| If your event or class sets a treadwear minimum, tyres that meet it | Check your event's rules |
Two notes on parts. EBC says its RP Series race pads are for closed-circuit use only and are not ECE R90 approved, so check whether any track pads you fit are suitable for the drive to and from the event, and follow the bedding sheet supplied with your pads. On tyres, a Maxxis engineer, in a sponsored 2021 Grassroots Motorsports article, recommends R-compound tyres for dry competition only and says 200-treadwear tyres are made for events that require a 200 treadwear minimum.
What you wear
| Item | Who asks for it |
|---|---|
| A helmet whose certification label is on the event's current list. Lists differ: see track days for the NASA and SCCA lists | NASA HPDE; SCCA Track Night (loaner helmets are often available there) |
| Shoes that cover the whole foot | SCCA Track Day Rules |
| Natural-fibre clothing | Recommended by the SCCA Track Day Rules |
| In a car without a windscreen, a full-face helmet with an impact-resistant shield; in a car without a DOT windshield, impact-resistant face protection rather than ordinary glasses | SCCA Track Day Rules |
Helmet rules vary more than anything else on this list. Snell, which certifies SA helmets, sets no expiry for racing use and says organisers set their own cutoffs, most accepting the current or immediately previous Snell standard. In practice some accept more: as of October 2026, SCCA's national Time Trials rules still accept SA2015 at Safety Levels 2 and 3. Some accept fewer: SCCA's 2026 Track Night listing for New Jersey Motorsports Park and its page for Virginia International Raceway accept only SA2020 or SA2025. Check your event's current list and the label inside your helmet, and never rely on a helmet that is not on it.
On the day
- Arrive for tech. NASA asks for its tech form on the morning of your first event.
- Go to the drivers' meeting. NASA's 2019 passing guidance for HPDE 1 and 2 says the rules given at the drivers' meeting override its general advice.
- Go to the classroom sessions. SCCA gives novices classroom sessions on rules and procedures, and NASA follows sessions with classroom debriefs.
- Know the flags before you arrive. SCCA makes yellow, black and chequered flags mandatory at every track day, plus blue where passing is allowed, and says they must be obeyed immediately. See flags.
Optional: recording your laps
Driver61 recommends a GPS-based data logger paired with video, so you can review the numbers and the footage together; see data and video. Do not mount a camera on your helmet: for FIA-homologated helmets, Appendix L (2026) says unapproved modifications or accessories such as cameras void the homologation. Ask the organizer where cameras may be mounted in the car.
Gear for the list
Snell SA helmets
Buy against your event's current list, not a general rule, since accepted Snell years differ by club and track. Our helmet guide covers the labels.
Best for: Drivers who want their own helmet rather than a loaner
Torque wrenches
The Milwaukee Region form and the SCCA Track Day Rules both check that lug nuts are torqued. Use your car maker's torque figure.
Best for: Anyone preparing their own car
High-temperature brake fluid
FMVSS 116 sets the minimum dry and wet boiling points for each DOT grade. The Milwaukee form recommends DOT 4; check your car maker's specification first.
Best for: Cars due a fluid change before the event
Track brake pads
Follow the bedding sheet supplied with your pads, on a closed circuit where the event allows it, and check whether the pads are suitable for road use.
Best for: Cars whose pads are close to half worn
Lap timers and data loggers
Driver61 suggests a GPS logger paired with video. Optional, and never a substitute for an instructor's feedback.
Best for: Drivers who want to review their sessions
Sources
- NASA, High Performance Driver Education
- SCCA, how do I get on track
- SCCA Track Day Rules (updated 23 December 2025, PDF)
- SCCA Milwaukee Region, track event tech form (2025)
- 49 CFR 571.116, FMVSS 116 motor vehicle brake fluids (Cornell LII)
- EBC Brakes, RP Series racing brake pads: instructions for use (2022, PDF)
- Grassroots Motorsports, a tire engineer on R-comp vs 200-treadwear tires (2021, sponsored)
- Snell Memorial Foundation, FAQ
- SCCA Time Trials, national event safety rules
- SCCA, Track Night 2026 at New Jersey Motorsports Park
- SCCA, Virginia International Raceway location page
- FIA Appendix L to the International Sporting Code, 2026 (published June 2026)
- Driver61, how to use data logging
- NASA Speed News, passing in HPDE 1 and 2 (2019)