I'm planning on doing my first track day(s) next month at Searspoint with the Shelby Club. (Could be hot, maybe not.) I'm taking my car to BR Racing in Los Gatos for fluids, a general going over, and to repair what may be a broken timing chain tensioner which showed up this morning. The car has 88,600 miles on it and is in generally good shape. It's an '06 cabriolet 6 speed with every possible JCW option including the front strut brace, LSD, and aero kit. So, I have a few questions:


1. I'll be running brand new Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2's. Normally, on the street, I run 38 front, 36 rear. What might be a good starting point for tire pressures at the track. (I will likely be driving it pretty hard.)


2. I've heard that the crank pulley likes to fall apart after a while. And BR Racing says there's no way to tell it's condition by looking at it. How advisable would it be to replace it proactively?


3. Getting opinions on brake pads is like starting an oil thread. So, I'll tell you what I'm running brake-wise and let the comments flow. Centric/StopTech Powerslot rotors front and rear. Hawk HPS pads front and rear. SS lines all around. Rear rubber caliper bushings have been replaced with aftermarket metal ones.


I'll also be getting fresh oil, coolant, and trans lube (Redline MTL most likely).


'Anything I'm missing?


Thanks!

 

you realize a good day at the track can eat a set of tires right ?

 

Oh, of course. 'Not worried too much about that. I need new rubber regardless and I'm used to only getting 14,000 street miles or so out of a set of tires (rotated once). JCW Mini's, driven hard, eat rubber.


I've been happy with the Hankook Ventus V12's. The stick really well, are quiet, and are very predictable and easy to read as you approach their limits which are fairly considerable. A few years back, Car and Driver rated them very highly, taking 2nd place in their test right behind the Direzza. Here's an excerpt from the test:


“Deceptively quick” is a good summation of the Hankook Ventus V12 Evos because they often didn’t feel as strong as they actually were, particularly in the dry. Their fourth-place autocross time wasn’t spectacular, but they did outlap the benchmark Michelin PS2s. Geswein said the Hankooks felt “somewhat soft” and “imprecise,” although they were forgiving, yielding consistent laps with no surprises. Despite that feeling of softness, the V12 Evos somehow managed a second-place skidpad run of 0.93 g and were above average in braking.

 

Start with your tire pressures maybe around 32 psi cold. Measure your air pressure immediately after your session and expect to have to bleed off pressure to achieve 38 hot front and 36 hot rear. As each session happens you may have to keep bleeding air to maintain hot pressure as you get quicker and push harder, along with air and track temp rising, pushing the tire temp [and pressure] up too.

Be easy on those pads and tires; they're fine for the street but will get overworked in a hurry on a track. Check your lug torque *before* each session, when the bits have cooled off. Chances are after the first big heat cycle the lugs will lose a few pounds of torque, but will stabilize for the rest of the day. There's only one way to be sure, check the torque before each session.

Proactive maintenance is always a good idea, but also keep in mind that a track day will very quickly highlight anything you forgot. Have your AAA towing package up to date, just in case!

Also, take care of yourself. Stay hydrated with water, not soda, and snack on granola and/or protein bars and fruit. No junk food. The better you treat yourself, the clearer you'll think out on track. Don't forget shade and sunblock and chairs.

Enjoy!

 

As for tire pressures, run the recommended pressure for the vehicle and tire at first. Each track will require different tire pressure set ups. I ran 38 PSI fronts and 39 PSI in the rears at Streets of Willow. Keep an eye on them and their wear at the track to also help determine what pressures are needed and then adjust accordingly. Also, listen to them. Tires will talk to you on the track so that will be helpful too in regards to pressures being too high or low. All from personal experience of course.

Slotted/vented rotors front and rear is a great choice. I run R1 Concepts front/rear slotted/vented rotors. I steer away from drilled due to personal experiences of witnessing stress/heat cracking them fairly easily. Of course, a good cool set up will help with this, but I'd rather not have to worry about this. HAWK HPS should be good on the track. I got a deal on StopTech so I run their performance pad. Wish they had more bite, but I do not have any issues with brake fade. Stainless steel lines are perfect and are what I run as well. What fluid are you running? I run ATE Type 200 brake fluid. Fluid will drastically improve your braking capabilities. I swear by the stuff. I've been racing with it and have had zero complaints. It does, however, require you service the fluid more frequently though.

I'd also recommend bringing an extra qt or 2 of oil with you to the track. If it's a hot day, your car may consume some oil and you want to make sure that you're never running low when you're driving the car pretty aggressively.

Hope you have fun and be sure to post pictures!

 

I would recommend starting the weekend with fresh pads and fresh fluid. Not six-month-old fluid; maybe six-day-old fluid. I boiled the heck out of my brakes on my other car on my first track day on six-month-old ATE fluid.

And you'd be astonished with how quickly you can eat through a set of pads on the track.

 

Thanks for all the advice. Though I've never participated in a track day, I've spend years working at tracks as a medically oriented corner worker. Plenty of on track experience in that regard so hydration, etc. is well known to me.


I'm going to go with BR Racing's recommendations on brake fluid. I've run ATE gold and blue in the past. 'Might go with Motul 600 this time. But I've got lots of options. BR Racing sponsers track days and has lots of experience not only with Minis but with high performance BMWs, Porsches, and others. They're also big fans of StopTech but until the day I upgrade, they say I'll be fine with the setup I've got now.


I'll definitely have extra oil as well as distilled water (for the cooling system), power steering fluid and various tools including a torque wrench for the lug nuts. I'm hoping for a nice day in the low 70's to mid 80's but who knows. I've worked Searspoint in freezing rain all the way to 112 degrees.


I think I know the answer to this one, but for the first gen JCW, is burning through a quart in 1000 miles not all that uncommon? I drive it pretty hard on the street but even if I back off and it's steady state highway cruising, I still burn nearly that much.


The guys I'm going with are very experienced. One has a full race Dodge Viper. Another has a VERY modified '65 Mustang that has graced the cover of Car Craft and Hot Rod magazines. And another has a street driven but track ready Miata.

 

I use Motul 600, EBC yellow pads and Yoko AD08's - 35 psi hot for track days. Check the tires after every session and adjust as needed to make the car rotate. BTW- I liked the way MTL works in the trans.

Drink lots of fluids, then drink some more. Take an antacid before the first session - it really calms the stomach. Pay attention to the instructor and remember not to push it until you comfortable.

The most important thing to do is have fun, and don't sweat the stuff that will come after you have found out how much fun it is.

'Just my .02

 

That's what I'm worried most about...."Sticky Tire" syndrome. The friend with the Viper bought it with the intention of doing track days and didn't plan on making a lot of modifications, basically, just putting sticky tires on it. Some years later, as well as many thousands of dollars and hours later, it's morphed into a full on race car that makes over 700 HP and weighs less than my Mini. He used to hold the record at the Virginia City Hill Climb and still holds the record for fastest up the hill with a passenger.

 

All. Very good info above. Some are personal preference so you have to weed thru that. I thing everybody forgot. FUEL. Fill up at gas station as close as possible to track. I bring a 5 gallon can with me and fill it up also at same time. After the 3rd session or 4th depending on schedule I dump in the 5 gallons so I never run low in the corners.

In my 128 that I use to track a lot at limerock park I would average 7 miles to the gallon in a 4 or 5 session day and never make it on 1 tank. I would have just enough to get back to the gas station.

Of course this is mute if you like paying 10 11 or 12 dollars a gallon at the track.

If ur going with buddies some body bring a 49 pop up tent. Its worth every sent ! Example below

And have fun. And remember Slow in fast out !



Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring

 

Personally, with those miles on the car, I'd change out the crank pulley while the tensioner is being fixed. As for tire pressures, it all depends on whether you have a stiffer rear bar and how much oversteer you want/can get. To reduce understeer, you want lower pressure up front, higher in the rear. I also heartily recommend a more aggressive set of pads up front or, at least, take a set of HP Plus along in case you eat thru the HPS. As for brake fluid, the ATE TYP200 will be fine but bleed just a few days before the event. Finally, since this is your first track event, please take it easy. Don't go out there and try to run with the "big dogs". Just learn the line and concentrate on looking ahead and thinking ahead, rather than going fast. Once you get the line down pat and are confident that your car is handling properly, the speed will come naturally. Be aware that, as your speed increases, your brake points will have to change, assuming that you are using your brakes efficiently, i.e., using them as hard as possible over the shortest distance possible in order to slow the car down sufficiently to make the turn. Finally, 1)be safe 2) learn something and 3) have fun!

 

I didn't see in your last couple of dozen posts that you have a set of racing seat belts? Highly recommend for your track day, really hugs you in place.

 

Thumbs up for BR Racing, they know what they are doing. They did my alignment after I installed my new suspension, they are really good at understanding how you use the car and guiding you to the right solution.

Tire pressures: Don't worry about it for your first session. Take it easy and learn the line. You'll have a coach, right? The car will probably feel a bit squirrelly for the first lap until you get some heat in the tires, because even "taking it easy" on the track you'll likely be driving harder than you ever do on the street. Remind yourself that the only person you're trying to beat is yourself by driving your current lap better than your last. Check and adjust tire pressures after your first session, you'll probably want to drop 2-3 psi but it depends on the tire. For your first time out, I wouldn't worry about trying to change the handling or balance of the car. If you're not comfortable dealing with oversteer, the track is not the place to experience it for the first time...

Crank Pulley: sounds like a great excuse to put in a 15% pulley...

Brake Pads, Fluid, etc: I went with EBC Yellowstuff pads and Motul RBF600 fluid. This worked great for my first 3 track days. You are probably fine with the Hawk pads for your first time out, ask Bruce at BR Racing what he thinks. Your first time on the track there is so much to learn and so much to get used to that brakes probably won't be the limiting factor, but make sure that pads, rotors, and fluid are in top condition.

Gas: my first two track days I could fill up at home, drive to Laguna Seca, do 5 sessions of 8-9 laps each (roughly 100 miles), then drive home all on the same tank. My last track day, I filled up about 10 miles away from the track and was close to empty by the end of the day. Just arrive with a close to full tank and you'll be fine.

Seatbelts: If you don't have a 4 or 5 point harness, then a CG Lock for your shoulder belt is a nice inexpensive option to help keep you planted in your seat.

Video / Data / Analysis: really fun to have a GoPro camera with a suction cup mount on the inside of the windshield so you can replay your laps for later analysis. Also if you have an Android phone, get RaceChrono or a similar app plus an OBD2-Bluetooth adapter for lap timing and data logging. Warning: this can become an obsession. Don't bother with any of this for your first lap session, just concentrate on learning the line and getting comfortable, but after that definitely go for the video and data.

Finally: look up the "Fun at the track" thread and post a writeup and video about your day. Also some really good advice from everyone above. Enjoy!

 

Thanks, everyone, for all your advice. I do have a CG lock for keeping me snug inside. Interestingly enough, BR Racing does not like EBC at all. They do say that I'll be fine with the HPS pads so I'm going to go with what I've got installed already. I'm betting they'll be fine. Though I may have a set of HP+ pads for the front should I end up toasting the HPS's. And since BR Racing has a lot of experience modding and racing Mini's, I'll get their tire pressure recommendations as well. I'm also comfortable with both understeer and oversteer. And I know what can happen if I get into an oversteer situation with the Mini and lift. I've also got years of motorcycle experience so going fast and picking lines is something I'm familiar with. Oh, and I'm getting an ATI pulley put on just to be safe. 'Might as well as I'm having that area of the engine torn into because yesterday morning, what sounds like my cam chain tensioner decided to go FUBAR. What a clatter!
So, I'll be going to the track as long as I can get my engine running right.

 

Not long after I made my last post, I started my Mini to drive to work and was greeted with a terrible and loud rattle at idle and just off idle. I'd had that rattle before but it always seemed to go away just after starting and I figured it was the typical diesel sounding rattle that many Mini's have. So, it was off to BR Racing sooner than I'd planned to. Turned out the cam chain tensioner suffered a complete failure. Fortunately the chain and all the guides were fine. They also found that one of my power steering hoses was leaking badly so they took care of that as well.


Other work done was a complete inspection of shocks, suspension, fuel lines, brakes, etc. All were good and I've got plenty of pad and rotor left. They said the HPS pads I've got in there will be fine and I won't burn them up. Apparently having the Powerslot rotors is a good thing from a temperature standpoint as they run cooler than stock. They did flush the fluid and used Stoptech 660 in the system.


I also got new transmission/LSD lube: Redline MTL. Plus fresh coolant, fresh power steering fluid, and a few other minor things.


They also recommended something other than the Ventus V12's which they said were good but can get a little greasy at the track. (Plus they get lousy mileage. I've never gotten more than 14,000 out of a set.) Based on my tire size of 215/40-18, they recommended three tires. Conti's Extreme Contact DW if price was a consideration, Bridgestone RE71R if I wanted the best sticky tire, and Michelin SuperSports as best all around for both street and track. I went with the Michelins. We'll see how they perform. The people I've talked with really like them.


I also made the decision to replace my crank pulley so I now have an ATI crank pulley. No more worries about the stock unit grenading.


So I'm ready to go. I've signed up, picked my number, paid my fees and there's just a few more things to do like buy a canopy to park under, get my tools and gear together, and I'm going to buy a set of HP+ pads for the front just in case I fry the HPS pads. Though BR Racing, with all their experience tracking and racing Minis, says I won't.


I also asked them about tire pressure. They said to start at about 29 psi all around and after the first session, check my pressure and set it to 36 hot. Then keep checking and resetting until the stabilize at 36 hot. Then, if I want, I can lower just a bit, though not too much as I risk rim damage if I drop it too much. And if it's under steering too much, I can try dropping the front or raising the rear pressure.


Thanks much for all your advice!

 

Sounds like you are ready to go. Good thing to catch the failing cam chain tensioner before your track day rather than in the middle of it...

You will like the Michelin PSSs. Starting at 29psi sounds a bit low, but that may be where I ended up at the end of the day (cold) on my last track outing as I was seeing over 40 at the end of the first few sessions.

Also a fatter rear sway bar rear sway bar is highly recommended to reduce understeer. Then you'll want coilovers and camber plates and lightweight wheels and bigger brakes and and and...

Keep an eye on your mirrors and point by faster traffic as soon as you can, have fun, and let us know how it went.

 

Nice thread. I get my mini serviced with BR also. I had them do my brake fluid and LSD install for my 2015 JCW Coupe.

I have the hawk HP+ pads and motul 600 combo. The hawk pads never faded for me during my two Laguna Seca track days. I have yet to take them out since my second track day. I do a ton of canyon runs and the car stops like a champ.

I have Bridgestone RE11 tires which held up for the two track days and copious canyon carving. If I rotated them I likely could have gotten one to two more days.

Definitely listen to the BR guys. They know what they are doing. Have a great time at Sonoma raceway or whatever they call it now.

I'm heading to thunderhill 9/4 with HOD in the coupe. PM me if you are interested.

 

Ok I don't want to step on any toes but I'm going to try and dispel rumors and keep things simple:

#1 Oil - fresh oil, keep it topped off to the top of full and check frequently between sessions. Make sure you are using a quality FULL synthetic not just random garbage that thins out too fast due to heat. Personally, I use Motul 300v on my track machines and toss my oil every 3 track weekends.

#2 Brakes
- FRESH FLUID!!! If you aren't using the stock slider type system make sure to use a 600+ temp brake fluid. Contrary to popular belief most of the 600 class fluids are the same manufacturer including: Stoptech, Brembo, Motul RBF600, Maxima Synthetic so just buy whatever you can get your hands on the cheap. Don't bleed or fill your brake fluid that has been sitting opened for awhile - brake fluid absorbs moisture and becomes less effective.
- Good Bleed - make sure you can literally stand on the pedal, if your pedal is "mushy" that's not good because air is very compressible and when your foot goes to the floor before the pistons can engage you are going to have many "oh ****" moments.
- Pad compound: Do not stagger pad compound!!! This is mistake #1 most people make. Unless you have the tools to absolutely determine your brake balance and extensive bank account to try different compounds; just keep it simple and use the same PAD FRONT AND REAR. Manufacturers have already balanced the brake bias in the stock system. Get a compound designed for your capability. If you are new and slow; don't get the raciest high friction, narrow temperature pad, you won't be able to extract the performance out of the pad. First time HPDE drivers I usually recommend Hawk HP+ because they are fairly affordable with a wide temperature range with better than stock mU ratings.
- Rotors: Do not get fancy with your rotors....BLANKS BLANKS BLANKS. Forget Cross Drilled, Forget Slotted and Definitely forget Cross Drilled and Slotted Rotors - that's just a SCAM!!! It's very simple, the more surface area you have for your pad to grab the better your braking is going to be. Do not buy crappy chinese centric rotors or any of their permutations (stoptech, powerslot, e coat, heat coating) they are all terrible in terms of cracking. I like bosch and auto zone duralast rotors because of the warranty and ease of exchange. After those 2, I prefer stock and brembo.
Final thought on brakes: Want to improve braking performance...GET BETTER TIRES.

#3 Tires
A wider tire is not the answer, a better tire compound or class of tire is going to increase performance.
For track, do not get fooled by brands. ANY Extreme Class tire (i.e. Hankook RS3, Nitto NT05, Kumho XS, Dunlop Direzza Star Spec Z2, Bridgestone RE71R, etc) are going to be the pants off any branded UHP or Ultra High Performance summer tire. I can't tell how many times I have heard people say the Michelin Super Sport is amazing. The slowest EHP is going to be seconds faster and tolerate heat better than any Michelin Super Sport or substitute.
Tire Pressure:
There is no OPTIMAL tire pressure value. PSI is a tuning option that is very powerful with enough knowledge. Since this is your first track, again keep it simple. Start with 34 cold in the pits. Go out run a few laps and come in a lap or two early so that you can dive in to the hot pits from an aborted hot lap (NOT A WARM DOWN LAP) and check the tire pressure in the hot pit. Taking a cool down lap or waiting till you are parked can result in a 3-6 degree psi change.
Roll Over of the tire:
Ideally you want the tire to be as wide as possible while you are on track. Too much pressure and the tire becomes too round which reduces contact patch. Too little patch and now the tire will be sloppy as the sidewall flexes. All tires have Triangles to mark the sidewall beginning. Use this indicator and a combination of tire pressure to try get the tire wear to the apex of the triangle. This is beginners tire pressure tuning. Later on you can tune understeer/oversteer with tire pressure.

Advanced tire setup:
Think of tires as heat sponges. In reality, the tires need to be in a happy optimum tire heat range. So if you are a slow driver, buying R compounds or race slicks will only hinder you because the tire will be constantly cold, like wise too fast of a driver who generates too much heat will destroy a UHP in a couple of sessions as a fast driver can generate a lot more heat than a slow driver can. Tire heat really needs to be measured at the tire core with a penetrating probe type thermometer. Ideally, if we had infinite money and infinite help all 4 tires would be sampled simultaneously by 4 probes probing 3 regions on each tire (inner, center, outer). In the real world we want to sample the coolest, then the hottest corner, then the two middle corners last. Within each corner; we want to the measure outside, middle then inside. In general and for the end user, you don't want to use Laser IR temperature probes due to their inaccuracy and also because the surface of the tire will bleed heat faster than the core. But I'm sure you f1 fans are now about to say but the f1 broadcasts have live Thermographs. Well that's the dream case scenario to have realtime data acquisition of all 4 corners in high speed and accurate. For the track day enthusiast this is pretty much out of the realm of financial possibility. Mostly, what we are concerned with is making sure the heat across the 3 segments of each tire is even and within the operating range of the tire. Generally, we control heat with camber until the tire is heating up uniformly so as to maximize available grip of the tire.

#4 Alignment
The most important aspect of the setup of the car!!! I repeat, you can have all the laundry list of bells and whistles, but if your alignment isn't spot on, your handling will suck, your braking will suck, your acceleration will suck - succinctly put your car will suck!!!
Do an alignment before your track day; it's cheap and track time is expensive.
Here's my alignment:
Front:
Max Caster Even; 0 cross caster
-1.5 degrees camber Even; 0 cross camber
0 toe; 0 cross toe
Rear:
-1.5 degrees camber Even; 0 cross camber
1/16 toe in per side; total 1/8 total toe in; 0 cross toe

Note: This is my camber setup for street driven daily mini, which I occasionally instruct in and occasionally auto cross. Alignment is always a compromise between, straight-line braking/accelerating vs corner speed, tire wear vs steering response, stability vs agility. In general, the minis and any macpherson suspension can use as much static camber as possible for a skilled driver because a macpherson setup loses negative camber as the suspension compresses. Toe in makes a car more stable, while toe out makes a car twitchy but fast in transition; both will accelerate tire wear more so than "aggressive" camber. Caster increases high speed stability because of it's self center characteristic and increases steering feel; too much and you loose steering precision and the steering goes from responsive to vague. There is no perfect alignment; just like their is no perfect girl/guy - it's all a compromise by how large your funds are. Racers or DIY guys will change their alignment like people change clothes for the rest of us normals; you have to find a balance.

On my track S2000, I only drive it to the track and back I use the following alignment settings:
Front: 7 degrees of caster; -3.25 degrees of camber; 0 toe (I would use a bit of toe out if I trailered the car)
Rear: -3.25 degrees of camber; 1/32" toe in per side

In the pits:
-Don't park your car with your e-brake!!! leave it in gear, or bring a wheel chock or a sacrificial harbor freight torque wrench
-do a lap in the pit when you come off the track to get the engine and brakes cooled
-check your oil level on a FLAT surface
-even out your tire pressure levels so that all the values are square when you start a session
-check the torque of your wheel lugs

Want to go fast?
-don't fiddle with things like adjustable suspension, sway bars, tunes, etc. The least adjustable your car is the faster you will learn and fully adapt to the car
-keep your hands at 9 and 3; muscle memory is key to learning how to HPDE well and safely. The only time your hand should be off the steering wheel, is to change gears (then immediately back to 3 o'clock)
-study the track before you go. Find a GOOD mini driver (or civic SI) with a similarly configured car to yours and on the same track and watch their youtube videos. Dissect their lap by counting gear changes, corner entry position, position on track, throttle application points.
-Breathe while driving on the track; it's a sport so make sure you keep a good rhythm of breathing in and out.
-If instructors are willing to give you rides around the track; take them up on it and observe and learn.
-Stay hydrated. People underestimate how much they sweat or how much of a workout driving all day at the track so stay hydrated and eat healthy meals.
-Data Acquisition: Harry's Lap Time + Ram Mount + iPhone (lock auto focus) - done! This is an invaluable tool to get immediate feed back. Back in the day we use to have to wait till we got home to collate the data from a G2X GPS data acquisition device with the video from a Go Pro. Now it's so damn simple, run harry's lap timer, overlay your laps between sessions and review your videos.

sorry if I have inundated you with too much information.

 

Again, thanks all for the info!


The suspension is stock except for some new aftermarket front bushings. some day I'd like to go through the suspension with better shocks, a 19mm rear sway bar (recommended by BR Racing), better control arms, etc. BR set up my alignment, though not for the track. But it's good and though my car has nearly 90,000 miles on it, it drives and handles like new.


I've already got the Centric/Stoptech Powerslot rotors (not cryo) and they, too, were recommended by BR. I've also used them on my wife's Murano and I have zero complaints. I'm going to get their opinion about mixing pad compounds.


I thought about using stickier rubber but this is also a daily driver. And again, the Super Sports came highly recommended in that regard. I thought about using the RE71's but then I'd be replacing them too soon.


As for the Hankook RS3's, in a recent summer performance tire test, the Super Sports bested the Hankooks.


And I use the top of the line Amsoil 5w-30 in the engine.


Thanks all again!

 

yeah every year they put the Hankook RS3 against the Michelin Super Sport and every time the michelin super sport comes out on top. I do not know how this is possible. If you go to any track day, ask any time attacker or check auto-X clubs the tire to have is the Hankook RS3 or Dunlop Direzza Z2. We are talking about from temperatures of +40 F all the way up to +110 F ambient - these are the tires that hold the lap records in their classification. It is impossible for any UHP to beat these tires unless it were raining and/or below freezing. The new hotness is supposedly the Bridgestone RE71R but if it were to pass the smell test everyone in the paddock would have that instead of the RS3

I use to daily drive on RS3s, I have no problem daily driving on RS3s, very good tire life, in expensive. They use to be terrible in the rain but supposedly when they reformulated the V2 version for faster warm up time to acquiesce to the autoXers it improved the wet grip, too. But I'm not going to deliberately find out.

Centric/Powerslot/Stoptech or just about any crappy oem rotor replacement would be fine for street driving. But I promise you, get fast or abuse the rotors and you are going to crack the crappy metallurgy of the chinese rotors. The idea of slotted rotors is to keep the Pad face clean by essentially cleaning the rotor face with the slot. The slot essentially acts like the shave of a razor blade. The problem is you cannot just put arbitrary slots in the rotor. The direction and design of the slot has to take into account the veining of the rotor such that the slot does not further weaken a rotor when compared to a blank. Their is also engineering involved at the slot design as well but I don't exactly remember the principles involved.

 

Post of the year. Sums everything up perfectly. This post should be a must read for any track novice.

 

All great advice, would like to emphasize GPToyz item on the brake/clutch fluid change (within a month before of track day) as an easy and inexpensive upgrade that shows immediate results you can use under track conditions.

 

Great summary for anyone going to the track.

A couple of things:
In your summary you state that you should torque your wheel lugs. However, it is very important to do this once they have cooled to ambient temperature. If not cooled and they are torqued, they could be over torqued when they do cool and the bolts could break.

Also, you seem to be reluctant to suggest that a novice or intermediate student should not use a race brake pad because they may have a narrow temperature range....I think that is a myth that needs to be dispelled. For example the Carbotech XP 10s are designed for ~200 to 1400 deg. Similarly, the Hawk DTC 50 are for 300 to 1400 deg, the DTC 30 are for 100 to 1200 and the Wilwood race pads are all effective from 100 to 1300+ deg. And, from personal experience, all of these pads are very effective at 70 deg F. This is all in comparison to the HP+ which has a usable range of 100 to 800 and an optimal range of 100 to 600 deg. More than likely a student who isn't at their 1st or 2nd time out will be at the limits of the HP+ pads and really should be on a race pad. There is no reason to not go to a race pad once a driver has decided to do more than a couple of track days. If nothing else it is the safest thing to do; they won't have to worry about brake fade as they learn to brake later and harder.

Another item to have is a set of CG Locks for the safety belts. These are inexpensive and invaluable for keep the driver and instructor safely planted in the seat. An alternative is the Schroth Quick Fit harness.

Most of all - have fun and be safe.

 

I checked into the Quick Fit harnesses and apparently they're only for the second gen cars. Though perhaps a call to Schroth would be in order.

 

First of all operating temperature range is half the story.

you really need to be able to see what's going on during that temperature range.

for example:


I wish more companies would publish their mU vs temp performance.

Regardless, ask 100 people their opinion on brake pads, get 100 answers.

My s2000 track cars run DTC 60 front and rear

But for those who are on the border of mostly street and a track day or 2, I see nothing wrong with the following pads:
Project Mu HC800+
Hawk HP+ or Racing Street 5.0
Carbotech AX6

But again, this is a beginner track day thread let's not get too far into the science of brake pads, compounds and what not. That should be saved for a different thread. Less noise, more signal.