Track Day Prep for Bedford Autodrome: A Practical Checklist

Bedford Autodrome is on our doorstep, and it’s one of the best places in the country for a first track day: a flat, open former airfield with long straights and big braking zones. It’s also hard on a car. Sustained full throttle, heavy braking and heat find problems that a month of commuting never will. Here’s the checklist we’d work through before you go.

1. Admin and kit

• Helmet: check the organiser’s helmet rules. Some will hire you one.
• Driving licence: you’ll usually need it at sign-on.
• Insurance: most road policies don’t cover you on track. Check yours, and look at specialist track-day cover if it doesn’t.
• Noise limit: every organiser publishes one. Cars over the limit can be sent home, so check it before the day, not at the noise test.

2. Tyres

• Plenty of tread, and no cuts, bulges or old repairs.
• Set pressures cold before you leave and bring a gauge. Pressures rise as tyres heat up, so check them after the first session and adjust.
• Torque the wheel nuts, and check them again after your first session.

3. Brakes

Brakes take the biggest beating at Bedford. Check pad thickness and disc condition, and if your brake fluid is old, change it for a fresh, high-boiling-point fluid. Old fluid boils, and a soft pedal at the end of a long straight is the last thing you want.

4. Fluids and the engine

• Oil level at the top of the dipstick, with the correct grade. If a service is nearly due, do it before the event.
• Coolant topped up, with no leaks.
• Fill up with the fuel your map is written for. If the car is mapped for high-octane fuel, use it.

5. Inside the car

• Take everything loose out of the cabin and boot, including the floor mats if they move.
• Make sure the tow eye is fitted or in the car where marshals can find it.

6. Your map and the engine under load

A track day is the hardest test your engine will get: long periods at full load and high temperatures. If your car is remapped or modified, or you’ve never seen it on a dyno, it’s worth checking before the event. On our 4WD dyno we can check power, fuelling and temperatures under sustained load, and spot problems like boost leaks, misfires or heat soak before they show up halfway round a lap.

A power run is £70 and gives you a baseline figure and a graph to take away. If your map has pops and bangs, remember they add to your noise reading, so talk to us before the event if you’re close to the limit. More on pops and bangs.

After the day

• Check pads, discs and fluid level again.
• Look over the tyres for uneven wear or damage.
• Note any warning lights or odd behaviour while it’s fresh in your mind, and get them looked at.

Close to Bedford Autodrome and Santa Pod

Our workshop at Little Staughton is close to both Bedford Autodrome and Santa Pod Raceway, so a pre-event check fits easily around your day. We’re also about 15 minutes from St Neots and around 25 minutes from Bedford and Huntingdon. For more power before your next event, see Stage 1 vs Stage 2 vs Stage 3 and our 4WD rolling road.

Frequently asked questions

Book a pre-event check

Tell us your car, the event date and what’s been done to it. Call or WhatsApp 07460 752897, Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm.