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Hello 350z forum! I am signing up for my first driving experience on a track doing a Performance Driving Experience (PDX).
The track day is 3 weeks from now.
Yes, I have read the sticky post about what to expect at your 1st Track Day.
Brakes. - I want to make sure my brakes are great for driving on the track so I was wondering if you guys recommend just buying new brake pads / fluids. Or should I go ahead and upgrade to a better brake package such as
Hello 350z forum! I am signing up for my first driving experience on a track doing a Performance Driving Experience (PDX).
The track day is 3 weeks from now.
Yes, I have read the sticky post about what to expect at your 1st Track Day.
Brakes. - I want to make sure my brakes are great for driving on the track so I was wondering if you guys recommend just buying new brake pads / fluids. Or should I go ahead and upgrade to a better brake package such as AMAZON Brake Full Kit
~Also going to be buying a helmet and maybe driving? clothing for the track so any recommendations on that would be appreciated.
My budget for everything after registration fee is about $300-500.
Thank you!
$300-500? For a first time outing with helmet? Good SA15 (Snell auto racing approved, 2015) helmets start above that. You can buy ones cheaper but your gray matter is important, isn't it? You need to go to a place where you can try various helmets in your price range as FIT is one of the most critical aspects of buying a helmet. You might be tempted by a $300 helmet that looks like it's sporting a Troy Lee design on it but doesn't fit very well. Don't do it. Function over form. I'm not up on the latest designs but shop around and again, have a professional help you with the fitting. One of the things I'll mention here is that VISION is key. If there's anything you don't like about the visor opening, steer clear right away. That "little obstruction" you noted at the store will absolutely drive you nuts on track and your focus needs to be on the track, other cars 10/10ths of the time, not that protruding visor swivel.
Another thing critical for HPDE is helmet-helmet communications. When you are with an instructor, you'll want to be able to hear everything s/he is telling you. "Correct! Correct! Brake at 4!", that sort of thing. This is a valuable "option" for a helmet.
On brakes, fresh fluid (PROPERLY BLED SYSTEM!) and a set of good performance pads on good condition rotors (no ridges, no excess runout and over mic values) should be all you need for your first event. But if you swap the pads before your event, give them bed and run-in time well in advance of the event. NO NEW, FRESH PADS ON TRACK (especially for a first timer)!
On clothing, read what your HPDE "sanctioning body" recommends. Shorts, t-shirts that aren't too loose (as they may interfere with cockpit controls) but not so tight as to restrict your movement. Of the clothing, your shoes are KEY. Good sport shoes without "offroad" soles are generally the ticket. No Chuck Taylors or All Stars, you need to have some stiffness in the soles. Not cycling shoe stiff, a good walking shoe is a good place to start until you're comfortable; then, later, if you continue on, investing in a good racing shoe will pay dividends in lap times and car control. You will find that mastery of heel-toe, trailing, roll-on is best accomplished with the right shoe.
OK, that's all I'm going to say as my last true on-track high speed event was nearly forty years ago so I'll let the people with current experience make better recommendations. But in 40 years since my last school, the above still holds true and I doubt there will be much invalidation.
I'd advise against drilled rotors, as your stocks are fine. Drilled rotors will crack after repeated track use. I'd look at quality brake pads, like Carbotechs, though the EBC pads are more budget friendly. I've run both, and while the Carbotechs are superior, the EBC blue pads did great for my first 3 track events.
Also, what MicVelo said. You'll want DOT4 brake fluid though. I run Motul RBF 600 without issues.
And probably the most important thing is to relax. My first instructor told me "relax, this is fun!" I found myself gripping the steering wheel, and riding the clutch. Just relax, and listen to the instructor, and you'll do great.
$300-500? For a first time outing with helmet? Good SA15 (Snell auto racing approved, 2015) helmets start above that. You can buy ones cheaper but your gray matter is important, isn't it? You need to go to a place where you can try various helmets in your price range as FIT is one of the most critical aspects of buying a helmet. You might be tempted by a $300 helmet that looks like it's sporting a Troy Lee design on it but doesn't fit very well. Don't do it. Function over form. I'm not up on the latest designs but shop around and again, have a professional help you with the fitting. One of the things I'll mention here is that VISION is key. If there's anything you don't like about the visor opening, steer clear right away. That "little obstruction" you noted at the store will absolutely drive you nuts on track and your focus needs to be on the track, other cars 10/10ths of the time, not that protruding visor swivel...
Mic always had good advice. You can get entry level helmets, SA2015, from trusted manufacturers, Bell, Simpson, HJC? for 300-500$. The entry level helmets will generally be hever, might not have as nice interiors, and may not fit as well or have adjustability of the fit. Trying on helmets is really required. My friend and I very recently got helmets and while the one I expected to fit ended up being the best for me the one he though would fit was not even close. He ended up going with a bell that he had expected to be the worst fit.
New fluids and pads for sure. You can't upgrade your brakes on that budget.
I wouldn't waste money on clothes/suit just yet. For a helmet, check out Zamp. Its a budget company that and I believe they were affiliated with Bell. But I can't remember. Haven't had any issues with mine, its nice.
Check over the entire car. Its better to find issues in your garage than in the pits.
For brakes, a fresh flush off good DOT4 will be helpful. If on a budget, Valvoline Synpower brake fluid is a good value at something like $8/qt at auto parts stores. Make sure you have some pad life left and the rotors are in good shape.
Required clothing will vary depending on the organization, but typically it's cotton (as little poly blended as possible) underwear w/ pants & a long-sleeve shirt. Some allow t-shirts and/or shorts, YMMV.
I'd double-check all the critical fasteners (calipers, suspension, etc).
When you go to the track, take a few hand tools (floor jack and stands if you have them), a chair, and maybe some rain gear depending on the weather. You'll drive rain or shine!
I intend to be at Carolina Motorsports Park for the SCCA Time Trials national tour event.
So helmet. Before dropping big bucks on one you need to know if you actually like doing track days. I've invited my car buddies to the track before and after the first track day they never wanted to do it again. There's several type of car guys and some of my other friends are car show/ meetings/ club guys and not track dudes. So I would NOT spend any big $ on a helmet at this time.
Helmet Options.
1. See if the track has some for rental. Mine does. (Pittsburgh International Raceway or Pitt Race)
2.
As for brakes.
1. Rotors: Like others said, do not get drilled rotors, slotted are good, drilled no. They crack easily. I ran stock rotors for 2 years on track days. No issues at all.
2. Fluid, Fluid FLUID - Motul RBF600
3. I recommend the Pneumatic Brake Fluid Bleeder form Harbor freight. It works very well. Keep in mind this will not swap the brake fluid in ABS unit, but if you swap most out of the lines, the little in the ABS unit will not matter.
4. BRAKE PADS - Do NOT go on track with stock pads. I've been through several companies and different level of pads and the Carbotech pads are great. I'd recommend the XP10 front pads and XP8 on the rear. That's what I used last year and they worked well. Full discourse, I did opt for the XP12 front pads for this season. I'm a very late braker and thought the XP12 would match my driving style better. I also recommend spending the extra bucks and get them pre-bedded.
5. As for cloths there shouldn't be big restrictions on you for this. Jeans, closed shoes, t-shirt. Some companies require a long sleeved shirt, but not many at all.
Last edited by Franknbeans; 03-31-2019 at 11:23 AM.
Update: I had to miss my April track day because I accepted a promotion at work and my schedule changed quite a bit. Good news is I have a lot more funds for my Z!
(Don't worry I already signed up for my May 11th track day PDX/ HPDE event)
Upgraded all the brakes from stock to EBC yellowstuff with RK series rotors (slotted not drilled, thanks for the advice) Bled the brakelines and replaced the fluid with DOT4.
I'm not used to working on cars but I want to learn so it was great working w/ my friend who's a mechanic as we replaced the brakes. I learned a lot about my car like I have a NISMO exhaust? and NISMO air intakes? The air intake cone filters were super dirty though can these be cleaned or should I buy new ones? I've read yes they can be cleaned but also read I'm better off buying new ones so let me know what you guys recommend!
After replacing the brakes I really wanted to just driiiiiiive so I took a spontaneous road trip to a state forest and did some exploring.
About 115 miles one way of pure highway bliss.
The Nismo filters are reusable, they can be cleaned with a K&N cleaning kit. I'd only replace if there's visible damage on them, but it sounds like they're just covered in grime lol
03-26-2019, 06:16 AM
My 1st Track Day (PDX)
