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If you do enough trackdays, you WILL eventually crash! Everyone I know who’s done at least 10 trackdays has crashed at least once. Whether it’s your fault (usually) or someone elses, matters not. It’s the law of averages when pushing yourself near the limit in an extreme environment. You may get away clean many times, but don’t count on your luck being eternal. You could easily crash the very first time. Be prepared for this eventuality. Have alternate transportation arranged for your bike and stuff. Make sure you have medical insurance before you even sign-up. And be mentally ready to total your bike (this is why lots of people have a separate trackbike).

It’s expensive! The entry fees are only the tip of the iceberg. Lodging, meals, tires, gas (bike and transportation to the track), brake pads, oil, filters, coolant (water-wetter), leathers, helmet, back-protector, knee-sliders, bodywork are just a few of the additional expenses you’ll potentially encounter. And that doesn’t even include the additional maintenance expenses to your bike. It’s cheaper than racing, but not by much.

You don’t have to ride EVERY session. I know it will seem that in order to get your money’s worth, that you need to be on the track every moment your entitled to. Don’t fall for this false value. If you start feeling tired after 10 minutes of a 20 minute session, pull into the pits and rest for 5 minutes or just stay in until the next session. If you feel bad (tired, ill, uncomfortable, harried, off) skip a session and see if things improve. If the very beginning of the session intimidates you with large groups of bikes all dicing with each other, let them go out first and get tired and you come out 5 minutes after the session has started and when everyone has finally strung out along the track. Don’t feel compelled to be on the track unless you WANT to be there and feel like you are physically and mentally 100% ready to be there.

Don’t obsess about lap times. In fact, if you are thinking about getting a lap timer DON’T. Nothing takes the fun out of a trackday faster than worrying about how “fast” you are. It also inhibits learning because you become focused on times rather than techniques. And if it turns into a competition with other riders, then it’s likely to lead to a crash.

There are many more suggestions I could offer but ya gotta end this somewhere.