I dont think I've ever had a 100% clean HPDE yet. Granted, I've only done 4 full weekends total, but none the less. This last one was the closest, and we "only" had one major event: a mechanical failure on a Mustang's tie-rod caused him to have a wall impact at the end of a longer straight.

Subd

One thing I haven't seen mentioned but it is something I like to do if I have the time is drive the car around the pits or outside the track after a session. This helps cool the brakes, coolant, and oil more before turning off the car. This is really important on turbo cars (or at least a turbo timer) but it also helps on NA cars as well.

I can't wait to track my car come Spring. Will be installing my oil cooler this weekend. Also have Whiteline sways on the way :)

I'll install my XP-10s and flush my fluids once the time draws nearer.

This thread is great

Definitely. Very important, and I'm usually only one of a very small number of people doing it after a session.

Plus you really should fill up after every session so if you drive to the closest gas station it kills two birds with one stone.

This thread is great. Thanks for all the advice.

One more question, how many of you use the same pads for both track/daily?

Does one session of hpde kill them? I intend to have 2 sets eventually but for my first hpde I probably will only have hawk hp +

Driving around on track pads wears them and the rotors down at a high rate plus they aren't as effective as street pads at street temps. They also typically dust more and squeal more than street pads. Finally my track pads are 3 times the cost of street pads and my track rotors are 5 times more expensive than my street rotors.

I can get 2-3 weekends out of a set of track pads and 4-6 weekends out of a set of track rotors. If you watch my videos you will see I'm very hard on the brakes.

Anyone else get interesting wear on their track pads? My outer pads on each corner seem to wear a little thinner at the top of the pad versus bottom (by top, I mean the widest radius of the rotor, and bottom, the smallest radius).

I cant imagine I'm getting odd pressure with my calipers, the boots on each piston look just fine...

Agree with all the above, would like to add:

In the word's of our lead instructor,"How many of you drove your cars here? How many would like to drive them home?"

It sounds like a joke, but it is a grim reality of tracking your car and once you realize that, you won't chuckle anymore. The track is not go-karts, the track is for real.

That being said, brakes, brake fluid, SS brake lines, I think are the most important things you can do. I so far have not needed anything but the OEM BBS pads. But, if you are going to spend money on upgrades, that should be first.

OEM tires are fine, in fact they are quite good for starters. Your first time out, you shouldn't be pushing them that hard anyway.

Also here's another recommendation but not necessary-go to a sporting goods store and buy a left and right handed golf glove that match. Bingo, you now have driving gloves for <$20.00.

Driving the socal canyons is more dangerous than the track. Simply because at the track the othere drivers are paying attention. And of course a deer is very unlikely to run in front of your car in the middle of the desert ;)

What part of socal you in?

That is called "pad taper" and it will make you think your brakes are going soft whereas the actual fluid is fine... the pads themselves are trapezoids and require a little extra push before the entire pad surface meets the rotor.

My solution: Swap sides of the caliper for the pads. Even's them out. :tup:

HP+ should be pretty good, but for the love of god do not track with the OEM pads. They will be gone in ONE day, dead, to the backing plates.

eek :icon14:

Thanks! I had a feeling it was normal, just wasnt sure.

Also, that was my plan: just keep swapping the sides. :)

That's assuming you dont put your car into a wall, first...