Everything has to start somewhere, and that includes your first time driving on a race track. Most of us have seen videos of inexperienced drivers cracking up their cars on a track, be it on the famed Nurburgring in Germany or some local road course. It’s ugly and nobody wants to be that guy or girl.
Much of the drill for avoiding such unpleasant and expensive shunts, and making your track day the joyful experience it was meant to be, can be summed up in one word: preparation. Both car and driver, by the way, since you should know something about performance driving before taking the plunge. Many track days have instruction available. Go for it. It’s like skiing lessons; you gotta know the basics.
But taking your daily driver or hobby car out for its first track drive also requires some basic steps. This British video is a good primer for newbies, entitled “10 secrets for getting a great first track day.” While it’s set in England and the steering wheel is on the wrong side, i.e. the right side, these tips translate well to U.S. events.