Track Driving Tips: Expert Guide from Three-Time Touring Car Champion Gordon Shedden

Taking your car onto a racing circuit for the first time can be intimidating. The width of the track, the lack of traffic, and the freedom to explore your vehicle's performance create a unique driving environment that demands different techniques from everyday road driving. British Touring Car Championship race winner Gordon Shedden offers invaluable insights for anyone looking to improve their circuit performance, demonstrated behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3.

In this guide, Gordon breaks down the essential techniques that make the biggest difference on track, from proper driving position and tyre management to braking discipline and vision control.    

Gordon Shedden is a professional racing driver and three-time British Touring Car Champion. He has also competed in the FIA World Touring Car Cup, British GT Championship, and Porsche Carrera Cup GB. His extensive touring car experience and GT3 racing background provide expert perspective on track-focused sports cars.

What you'll learn in this guide:

• How to set your driving position for maximum control
• Why the first few laps are critical for tyre warm-up
• Proper steering technique and hand positioning
• Why braking in a straight line improves stability and consistency
• How to carry speed through corners with proper vision control
• Managing tyre temperatures and pressures on track
• Choosing the right tyres for track day performance

How Should I Position Myself in the Car?

Before you even turn a wheel in anger, adjust your driving position. Gordon's first piece of advice is simple: sit closer to the steering wheel than you would in your normal road driving position.

Your arms should have a natural bend when holding the wheel at nine and three o'clock. Modern performance cars like the GT3 come with supportive bucket seats that hold you firmly in place during high-speed cornering. Take time before your first session to ensure you can reach all controls easily and feel properly supported. This closer position gives you better control and feel through the steering.

Why Are the First Few Laps So Important?

When you first roll out onto the circuit, your tyres are stone cold. Cold tyres offer dramatically less grip than warm ones, so Gordon emphasises taking it easy for the first two or three laps to build heat gradually in the rubber.

Cold tyres are unpredictable and can let go with little warning. By building speed progressively, you're warming the tyres whilst also getting accustomed to the circuit, checking braking points, and settling into the rhythm of track driving. Use these warm-up laps to check your surroundings and familiarise yourself with the circuit's flow.

How Should I Hold the Steering Wheel?

Proper hand positioning makes an enormous difference to your control and consistency. Gordon's guidance is clear: keep your hands on the wheel and avoid shuffling them around. Instead, cross your hands smoothly from lock to lock when needed.

This technique means you always know exactly where your hands are on the wheel, which tells you precisely where the front wheels are pointing. In moments where you need quick corrections or to catch a slide, this awareness is invaluable.

Practise this during your warm-up laps. It might feel awkward initially if you're used to shuffle steering, but it quickly becomes natural.

When Should I Brake on Track?

Gordon's fundamental rule is straightforward: all your braking should be completed in a straight line before you begin turning into a corner. The Porsche GT3 features impressive ceramic brakes that generate enormous stopping power, but they work best when the car is travelling straight and the tyres aren't also providing lateral grip.

The braking technique sequence:

• Brake firmly in a straight line
• Reduce brake pressure as you turn in
• Be completely off the brakes at the apex

This maximises braking efficiency whilst keeping the car balanced. Heavy braking whilst turning asks your tyres to work in two directions simultaneously, compromising both jobs and making the car less predictable.

Where Should I Be Looking?

Vision is perhaps the most underrated skill in performance driving. Gordon emphasises lifting your vision and looking through the corner towards the exit point, not at the apex or immediate road. Your hands naturally follow where your eyes look, so proper vision technique dramatically improves your cornering smoothness.

When approaching a corner, your eyes should scan towards the apex as you brake. As you turn in, your vision lifts to the exit point.

This forward-looking approach gives your brain more time to process what's coming and allows smooth, progressive inputs rather than reactive corrections. The wider track surface can affect your speed perception, making good vision technique crucial for reading the circuit ahead.

Managing Corner Speed and Balance

The wider track surface creates interesting challenges for speed perception. On a normal road, narrow lanes give clear reference points for speed. On track, where you use the entire width, corners can arrive much faster than anticipated. Gordon warns against letting this catch you out, particularly in early sessions.

The key is getting the car properly slowed and balanced before carrying speed through corners. The sequence should be:

• Slow the car adequately
• Turn in smoothly towards the apex
• Keep the car balanced through the corner
• Begin accelerating once you start unwinding the steering

Smooth is fast on track. This balanced approach beats arriving too hot and struggling mid-corner.

How Do I Manage Tyre Pressures on Track?

Tyre pressures increase dramatically during hard track driving. Gordon recommends monitoring and managing these pressures to keep tyres in their optimal operating window. When you drive hard, heat builds in the tyres, causing the air inside to expand and raising pressure.

Starting pressures around 2.2 bar work well for many track situations, but expect these to rise by 0.3 to 0.5 bar or more during a session. Gordon's approach is practical: invest in a quality tyre pressure gauge and check pressures after each session whilst tyres are still hot. If they've risen significantly, bleed off some pressure to bring them back towards your target. This maintains consistent handling characteristics and ensures even tread wear.

What Tyres Should I Use for Track Days?

The Porsche GT3 in this demonstration runs on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, which Gordon describes as race-derived rubber offering phenomenal grip in track conditions. Not all tyres are created equal for circuit performance.

Track tyres are designed to work best at elevated temperatures generated during hard driving. They feature compounds that remain grippy when hot, tread patterns optimised for dry performance, and construction that resists extreme forces.

However, these characteristics come with trade-offs:

• Typically wear faster
• Cost more
• May offer less grip in cold or wet conditions

For drivers planning regular track days, investing in proper performance tyres makes a significant difference to both enjoyment and safety. Your tyres are the only contact points between car and track, so keeping them in their optimal operating window is fundamental.

Do I Need 700 Horsepower for Track Driving?

Gordon addresses a common misconception: the belief that you need 700 or 800 horsepower to have fun on track. The Porsche 911 GT3, with its 500 horsepower naturally aspirated flat-six engine, proves otherwise.

This car represents driving in its purest form, where balance between power, chassis dynamics, and driver involvement creates something more satisfying than raw horsepower alone.

The GT3's charm lies in its completeness. The engine revs to 9,000 rpm with an intoxicating sound, the chassis remains balanced and predictable at the limit, and everything encourages proper driving technique rather than relying on power.

You can use all the performance all the time, which is infinitely more rewarding than having overwhelming power that you can only access briefly on straights. The GT3 rewards smooth inputs, good vision, proper braking, and patience: skills that matter in any performance car.       

What Are the Key Skills for Track Driving?

Track driving demands different techniques from road driving, but these skills are learnable and accessible to any enthusiast.

Gordon Shedden's advice emphasises the fundamentals: proper seating position, respecting tyre temperatures, maintaining good hand position, separating braking from cornering, looking ahead, managing corner speed, monitoring tyre pressures, and choosing appropriate tyres.

Master these elements, and you'll drive faster, safer, and with far more confidence and enjoyment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Track Driving

Do I need a special licence for track days?
No, you don't need a racing licence for most track days. A standard road driving licence is sufficient. Track day operators provide briefings for beginners, and many offer instructor-led sessions to help you learn the circuit safely before driving independently.

What should I bring to my first track day?
Essential items include your driving licence, helmet (often available to hire at the circuit), comfortable driving shoes, water, and sun protection.

Check your car's fluids, tyre pressures, and brake pads beforehand. Remove loose items from your car's interior for safety. Most track days also require you to sign a liability waiver on arrival.

Can you use any car for track days?
Most road-legal cars are suitable for track days, from hot hatches to sports cars. Your car must pass a basic safety inspection, have working seatbelts, and be mechanically sound. Start with whatever you own to learn the basics before investing in modifications.

How much does a track day cost?
Track day prices vary widely depending on the circuit and format. Expect to pay £100-300 for a typical half-day session at a UK circuit. Additional costs include fuel (track driving uses significantly more than road driving), potential tyre wear, and brake pad wear if you're driving hard.

Do track days damage your car?
Track driving puts more stress on your car than normal road use, particularly on brakes, tyres, and cooling systems. However, modern cars are designed to handle this. Regular maintenance and allowing proper warm-up time minimises wear. Most track day participants drive their cars home without issues.

How fast do you drive on a track day?
Speed varies enormously based on the circuit, your car, and experience level. Beginners might average 60-80 mph on a typical circuit, whilst experienced drivers in performance cars can exceed 150 mph on faster sections. Focus on smooth technique rather than outright speed.

Is track driving dangerous?
Track driving is significantly safer than public roads when done properly. You're in a controlled environment with safety barriers, medical facilities, and no oncoming traffic. Following proper technique, warming up gradually, and respecting track limits keeps risk low.

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