For your first few HPDE, without question, your most important priority is for your car to be up to date on maintenance, and the only modifications necessary are those that will help it (not you necessarily) be "comfortable" on the track.
- Make sure there are no leaks (they won't let you on the track if there are any).
- If any suspension bushings are marginal, the track will make them junk, so replace them if they are marginal, especially the FCAB and also the control arms and anything else with a balljoint if it's marginal.
- I highly recommend getting some track only brake pads. You will need to change them at the track once you get there and change back before you leave. Track pads will last a LOT longer and work better, resisting fade, BUT you must only use them on the track or you will chew up your rotors, even on the way to and from the track and the braking on the street will be dangerous because they need heat in them.
- You definitely want fresh brake fluid. I recommend racing fluid. It resists fade, so it could save both you and the car. If you're going to do more than a one-off HPDE, it behooves you to take the time to do this.
- DO NOT resurface the rotors unless there is a problem. Actually, considering the cost of rotors, if there is a problem, just get new. It is recommended to avoid using fresh pads on fresh rotors. Learn to bed your brakes properly. I can recommend a site for info if you need it.
- Tires better be up to snuff. They don't have to be race tires, although they will likely last longer. Try not to take brand new street tires to the track because tread squirm will cause the tread to overhead and could lead to premature failure. This is not 100% these days, so don't freak out if you have to bring new tires as long as they are performance tires.
- I'd recommend adding Water Wetter to your coolant. It is a surfactant that lowers the water tension and helps any air bubbles in the coolant collapse. This will help prevent overheating. It's not expensive. Get some.
You shouldn't need to worry about resurfacing brake rotors. If they're straight, they're good. BMW rotors should always be replaced if bad rather than resurfaced.
AMEN
Any good DOT4 brake fluid will be fine. Ate Type 200 is a good start. Wilwood 570 and upward are good if you're going to be using actual race pads. Important to note that DOT 4 is cross-compatible with DOT 3 - you don't have to worry about seal conditioning or replacing hydraulics for use with DOT 4. Edit - If your current Pentosin is DOT 4 you're all good.
I still recommend a performance fluid. Ford Heavy Duty is a decent choice. Always look at the wet boiling point. You want this to be a high number. That said, it's not that much cheaper to get ATE or similar fluid.
For a basic HPDE usage, you don't need to worry about full-race brake pads. Any decent set of metallic or ceramic pads will be more than adequate. I personally like Textar metallics, and even the PBR ceramics are fine for a driver's school type event.
DO NOT bring a ceramic pad to HPDE. They just do not have the bite. A good metallic pad is fine for the first one or two events, but if you know how to change your pads, I HIGHLY recommend race pads. It's a safety thing more than anything.
Don't worry about doing bushings or engine mounts right now. If your stock equipment is in good condition it'll be fine for a basic track day. Likewise, if your oil pan is leaking or something, yes, you should replace it, but there's nothing special about a track day that should call for a prophylactic fix. Common sense is key - if something obviously needs attending fix it, but otherwise your car will do fine in stock form. You're not racing.
Rock solid advice. YOU ARE NOT RACING. Don't EVER forget this at HPDE. Nothing angers me more as an instructor than someone who wants to think they are racing. It leads to stupid decisions and actions on the track. We ALL have some competitive streak, but in HPDE if someone comes up behind you and hangs for a few corners, let them by. Don't force them to push their way by. This is HPDE. Holding someone up is a mortal sin in my book. If you want to race, go racing. Period.
Run your street tires. You really do not need to worry about equipment so long as your car is in good basic condition beforehand (see above). A day or two at the track will inform you better than any forum post as to what items may need attention.
Yep. Again, rock solid advice. Although race tires will likely last longer, in all likelihood, your first few HPDE you will not be taxing your tires like someone with more experience.
The most important thing is to show up rested and ready to listen to your instructors. Make sure that all loose items are removed from the car, and that your battery terminals are covered, and have fun.
I cannot emphasize this enough. If you read nothing else in this post, read this last part over and over. LISTEN TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS. Even if you think they are wrong (and they can be), listen to them. You don't have the knowledge or experience yet to put it together yourself. Always listen to them. I had a student almost kill me (not joking) because he didn't listen. Through many years of racing, tracking, instructing, it was the closest I've come to being afraid on the track (well, in this case OFF the track).
This student was not listening to me. After 3 sessions I finally thought I had him paying some attention and we were making progress. After lunch, he was ALL out to lunch. Didn't listen to a thing I said, despite me pretty much yelling at him at times (I never yell at students). Coming up the the left hander leading to the back straight at Texas World Speedway's long road course, he got his lines ALL kinds of wrong. WAY off line, WAY too much speed, and horseshit turn-in. I knew instantly we were going off track. It's just physics. As we got to turn exit, he had too much speed and could not turn enough. The jackass yanked the wheel trying to get back on the track (always a dumbass move) and I was yelling "BOTH FEET IN, BOTH FEET IN!" By the time he did this we were traveling through the grass and dirt sideways at about 70mph. Time dilates during events like this. I thought about my GF at the time in the paddock, my dog never seeing me again and not understanding why, and my family. You see, we were in a Miata with a fiberglass hard top with no rollbar. We were traveling sideways and I knew there had recently been rain and most likely ruts in the ground. Had we hit a rut, we would have barrel rolled and if so, the ground would play Wack-A-Mole with my head. I'd clearly be dead.
ALWAYS listen to your instructor. Leave your ego at home. If you want to be fast, listening to your instructor will be the quickest way to being fast. Your instructor will appreciate it and you will move through the groups quickly if you listen. The less the instructor has to say to you, most likely the better you are doing. After the first session, I tend not to talk much unless necessary and let people drive, only speaking out when necessary. My last session at my last HPDE (geez, 10 years ago), I had a student who was SO good, I started falling asleep. He did everything right. It was a smooth, safe, and enjoyable ride.
I mentioned "both feet in." This is where you jam the brakes and the clutch at the same time. It locks the brakes and disengages the drivetrain so the car travels in a predictable path. Doesn't work on our cars unless you disable the DSC. I recommend you do NOT do this.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this bit of advice I give every student and anyone doing HPDE...
If you find yourself missing your targets on the track (braking points, turn-in, turn-exit, etc) for more than a couple of corners, dial your driving back a couple of notches. It means you're driving over your head. If you want to go fast, you'll get there quicker by dialing back and slowly picking things up again. Once you are over your head, you are learning NOTHING. And you are dangerous. Keep it under control always. It's not racing. ALWAYS hit your marks, even when warming up. BTW, warm-up is just that. You want to warm up at a pace that is WELL off green flag pace. It should be enough to bring everything (dampers, tires, brakes, etc, and of course engine) up to temp, but just enough.
OK, I've written too much already. Shoot, I was supposed to be out running. Now I have to run after dropping my wife's car off at the shop for AC service.
Oh, and above all else, have fun.
