First Track day what to prepare for.

[einzlr]

Also bring plenty of water and *remember* to drink it. In the excitement it's easy to get dehydrated without noticing and you just feel dizzy and tired. Also, as others have hinted at, leave your ego at home. Instructors have told me that they like instructing women because we're more receptive to learning and don't need to prove anything

[CSG Mike]

Put in some good brake fluid (any DOT4 fluid is a good starting point, and won't cost you more than $35 for entry level stuff).

If you're 100% sure you'll do this again, invest in some pads. Otherwise, go with the stock pads, but when your brake pedal stops responding, back off the brake pads, because they're faded and you don't want to keep heating them up; they'll just melt away.

Take lots of water. Drink a full bottle between each session, if not more. Also take some sport drinks with electrolytes, and sip throughout the day.

Try to get paired up with an instructor that is familiar or drives a momentum car. They'll be able to best guide you through a style of driving suited to the FRS/BRZ.

[xyr03]

I think I'm going to keep every as is for now and get a good feel for the car. Do you guys they my breaks are gonna be gone by the time I'm done with track day? I do need the car to come back hom. lol

[FT-86 SpeedFactory]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

Famous saying used by instructors to their students: "Don't try to impress me and don't try and scare me because nothing you can do will impress me and I'm already scared."
.

Bravo!!!

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

Famous saying used by instructors to their students: "Don't try to impress me and don't try and scare me because nothing you can do will impress me and I'm already scared."

The advice above is terrific, nothing really new needs to be said except for... Good luck managing your new addiction.

Too bad you are so far away, we could use you as in Instructor for ITR Expo, then you could see Christian's "god chariot" in person if he ever shows up

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by xyr03

I think I'm going to keep every as is for now and get a good feel for the car. Do you guys they my breaks are gonna be gone by the time I'm done with track day? I do need the car to come back hom. lol

Personally I wouldn't attempt using stock pads and fluid unless you have real pads and fluid with you and are just being lazy (like I was at Mid Ohio).

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by xyr03

I think I'm going to keep every as is for now and get a good feel for the car. Do you guys they my breaks are gonna be gone by the time I'm done with track day? I do need the car to come back hom. lol

Putting in good brake fluid won't change how the car feels; it'll only prevent the feel from deteriorating.

Changing to race pads will affect how quickly the brakes ramp up in stopping power (the same amount of pedal input will make the car brake harder), but it won't change the ultimate grip level of the tires, or how quickly you brake if you're using ABS.

The brake fluid and pads are ultimately there to prevent the car's performance from degrading as you heat them up, rather than to make you faster. Also, we want to make sure you get home safely

[King Tut]

The OEM brake pads and brake fluid are not intended for the heat and abuse that a single 20 minute session can put them through at most track days. Now your options are to break early and not get into ABS to try and protect them, or you can upgrade the pads and fluid and work on maximizing your brakes without having to worry about not finishing the session because your pedal goes to the floor.

[gmookher]

camber bolts, brake pads, fluid, and tires at a minimum before tracking

[2point0]

Some great info in this thread, I'm keeping my eyes open for something like this here in Southern California (probably only Willow Springs, right?).

For first-timers, do you guys suggest a dedicated pad or just something that can serve double duty? I keep hearing that either RC5+ ($$) or DS2500 are good street/light track pads. My thinking is to minimize the extra work needed to go out and have fun. I don't want it to be a chore.

Also, any thoughts on Pyrotect helmets? Import Image Racing has full-face for $255, which seems like a great deal if they're a decent helmet (SA2010).

[GTM_Challenge]

The car should be fine in stock form if you've never been to a track before. The car is new enough that your brake fluid should be fine. You're not gods gift to driving...maybe you are, who knows - but when you're first starting out, the car literally needs nothing.

I track rental cars all the time - never had an issue, even at an advanced level.

[diirk]

What ^^^ said.

I ran my car totally stock on the track a few weeks ago. It did just fine. No brake fade, minimal tire wear, handling was reasonable. I think for the first few trips to the track, running stock is a great way to learn the car. Bring a decent tire guage and call it a day. Check your temps cold then hot. If you're getting over 40psi hot, drop it a pound or two. 38psi hot seemed to work well for me on stock tires on a road course.

Pyrotech makes a good helmet. No worries there.

and as a disclaimer: this isn't my first rodeo. I've run a few events before in a variety of cars. The most important thing to prep for the track is yourself. Go there and learn.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by GTM_Challenge

The car should be fine in stock form if you've never been to a track before. The car is new enough that your brake fluid should be fine. You're not gods gift to driving...maybe you are, who knows - but when you're first starting out, the car literally needs nothing.

I track rental cars all the time - never had an issue, even at an advanced level.

I disagree on the fluid. Novices tend to drag brakes instead of getting on them hard and then getting off them. I've seen far more novices boil the heck out of fluid than I've seen advanced drivers do it.

More or less agree on the rest, I'd still do pads too though. Doesn't hurt.

[gmookher]

for whatever reason, the factory filled fluids on this thing are pretty el cheapo feeling