hot laps as a gateway drug
 

earlier this week i drove up to ncm speedway in bowling green and did 4 follow laps of the track behind one of their drivers and then got shotgun in one of their c6 vettes and went on 2 hot laps. all i can say is holy hell was it fun!

i'd never thought id enjoy it as much as i did but after i save up the $600 to swap into better pads and fluid and then another $500 for an hdpe and insurance, im going back for a taste of the real thing instead of hot and touring laps. i just wish getting into the game wasnt so expensive!

Check out https://www.motorsportreg.com/

Look at the Event Calendar and specify a zip code and distance.
Then check "Driver School" and "Open Track".

There are tons of different types of events all over the country. Most are not that pricey.
The best, IMHO, are events sponsored by car clubs. I go to a lot of BMWCCA events.
YMMV!

I have been addicted 14 years.

Check out an autocross while you save up, much cheaper and for some people more thrills.

Wow $500 for 4 laps? Dude don't know about that but like others said there are cheaper track days events with other clubs. Just "shop around " for open track days.

As for track day insurance, that's really how paranoid you are about totally f-Ing up your car. Most people I know that are track day junkies don't have track day insurance. Most people that are that worried about their car usually have a dedicated track car or trailer in their car. In their minds the worst thing that can happen on track is a blown engine.

pay to play... as they say

the $500 is for a 2 day hdpe, i only paid for hot and follow laps, which was still $145, still not super cheap.

There's going to be an HPDI event at NCM on September 1st. It looks like a good way to do a first track day and it's only $225. I'm planning to go unless the weather is bad.

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...rsports-594495

after the hotlaps in their cars, i realized how much abuse you put on your brakes running it hard. so as much as id like to do the hdpi in sept, i wanna make sure my brakes are up to snuff before i go back for anything serious. it might honestly have to be a next year thing for me but i can't wait to do it.

Smart man right here :) Brake fluid and pads that'll survive on track for a 2 day weekend hpde for sure. Welcome to the addiction...it'll drive it's claws deeper once you're behind the wheel !

i was thinking of the ferodo ds2500's and some 5.1dot fluid cause i would love to hit the track maybe a few times a year once i actually start and the rest of the time my brz only gets driven on weekends, though i wouldn't want to commit to the squeak and upkeep needed for full race style pads.

You're going to need different tires too. Those BFG All seasons are NOT going to like putting down laps.

I'd suggest taking your stock wheels, and getting some decent 225 ultra high performance tires like the Hankook RS4, or Star Spec Z2*.

Ideally, you'd get some wider wheels to run the 225, but a dash of extra grip will be nice, and hold up much better.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25485

Contradicting the above, it's easier to learn on shittier tires, there's no reason why 215 size tires aren't adequate and they'll give you better steering response on 7" wheels while being cheaper to buy/replace. Expect to beat them up and wear them out quick, if you don't want to burn up your current street tires my suggestion is to pick up a set of someone elses OE takeoffs with the Michelin Primacy HP, they usually go for ~$400 around here with a ton of life left, like 4+ track days worth. The Primacy are rather underrated imo, they wear tough and are easy to drive/learn on, once they're gone you can decide which direction you want to go with tires.

Based on my research for cheap brake fluid ATE Typ-200, a step up from that is Motul RBF600/660, then a variety of smaller brands can match or outperform Motul, then you get into expensive Castrol SRF.

Check out SCCA's Track Night in America program...$150 for 3 twenty minute open track sessions. If you do the math, it ends up being right on par with autocross, in terms of cost/track time, and since it's only ~a half day event, doesn't require the time commitment that autocross typically does.

For your first few track day events, I would run your regular street tires, unless they are bald. They will be fine while you are learning more about the track, your car, and your abilities. They let you know well before they start to lose it.
Just make sure your brakes (pads, rotors, fluid) are up to it and, if they start to fade, reduce the number of laps in your sessions.
Most of us took quite a few track events before the stock systems were limiting us.

Amen! If you're catching a theme here - fortify your brakes for your own safety. Then worry way more about getting seat time than parts. Consider an oil cooler for motor health. Run it hard, rinse, repeat. Kill lots of tires and learn.