Going to first track day.. what else do I need?

[Mr.ac]

Originally Posted by overlookedx

Bring a chair. There's a lot of waiting around and I always forget a chair.

A chair and sunscreen, maybe a nice wide hat or a parasol. A pop up tent is a god send. that's if you have room for it.

[MisterSheep]

Originally Posted by LBC Por Siempre

I might be a slouch and work six months out of the year but no one here ever buys Track Day Insurance?

The Event Planners don't require Track Day Insurance? I'm sorry if I appear ignorant but there aren't many wrecks or other mishaps going on at these event's? I've seen the outlaw racing TV shows and have seen a few cars wreck and require more than $40K to $50K to fix! I wouldn't want that happening to me and my car, but then I wouldn't be racing my own car's like that either. Though I've done my share of stupid 5h!T during my life. I thank god nothing has happened to me or others as the results of my action's!

Also I'm not taking the stance that it is bad not to buy Insurance or do the things that one's do. So please if anyone want's to argue, find someone to argue with because it won't be with me... OK?

So please everyone be safe while having fun.

Originally Posted by overlookedx

Please don't turn into a thread on track insurance, please don't turn into a thread on track insurance...

You can buy it, or not. It's up to you.

Originally Posted by LOLS2K

In before this turns into a track insurance thread

there are other threads about this.

[ZionsWrath]

My opinion for a first track day is brake pads, fluid, and a tire pressure gauge. And a chair.

Stock is fine but I seen a lot of people have problems with stock brakes on a variety of cars even though it was their first day.

[DarkSunrise]

Upgraded brake pads are definitely recommended. There's currently a thread in the brake forum about a member who smeared his stock brake pads all over his rotors during his first track day. With Stoptech front pads being ~$50 and great for novice track drivers, they're almost too cheap not to get and work fine on the street even if he doesn't continue with track days.

Only reason it's not applicable here is OP mentioned he already has a brake pad upgrade I think.

[MisterSheep]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Upgraded brake pads are definitely recommended. There's currently a thread in the brake forum about a member who smeared his stock brake pads all over his rotors during his first track day. With Stoptech front pads being ~$50 and great for novice track drivers, they're almost too cheap not to get and work fine on the street even if he doesn't continue with track days.

Only reason it's not applicable here is OP mentioned he already has a brake pad upgrade I think.

I am not entirely sure or not if I have upgraded pads.. I bought the car used and they do squeal ever so slightly since day one. When I was having my 30k service done I had Neal at The Racers Line check the pads and he said they don't look worn, they look almost new. When he was done with the maintenance and took it for the drive is when he said it felt like I may have upgraded pads.

So unfortunately I'm in a boat where I don't know for sure what pads my car has.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by MisterSheep

I am not entirely sure or not if I have upgraded pads.. I bought the car used and they do squeal ever so slightly since day one. When I was having my 30k service done I had Neal at The Racers Line check the pads and he said they don't look worn, they look almost new. When he was done with the maintenance and took it for the drive is when he said it felt like I may have upgraded pads.

So unfortunately I'm in a boat where I don't know for sure what pads my car has.

Yeah that is an interesting dilemma. If they squeal a little on the street and look new at 30k miles, they are probably aftermarket. I don't remember my stock pads ever squealing, but a lot of the hybrid street/track pads I've tried (PMU HC+800, Stoptech SP) will squeal just a little. If you're comfortable pulling your pads, you can also compare them to pics of stock brake pads.

Stock pads on the right, Carbotech XP8 on the left:


Stock pads on the left, Hawk HP Plus on the right:

[LBC Por Siempre]

OK, got the drift, pun intended, about what I brought up!

It's a little different when folks are tracking GT3RS 911s...

[MisterSheep]

Originally Posted by LBC Por Siempre

OK, got the drift, pun intended, about what I brought up!

It's a little different when folks are tracking GT3RS 911s...

Do you drive spirited on any mountain roads? If so you may have a higher chance crashing there than at the track. I believe someone had already said here before, keep your confidence level one click below your skill level and you should be fine.

[LBC Por Siempre]

Originally Posted by MisterSheep

Do you drive spirited on any mountain roads? If so you may have a higher chance crashing there than at the track. I believe someone had already said here before, keep your confidence level one click below your skill level and you should be fine.

Of course I do, but within my capabilities. And with a 2014 Turbo I can extract about 4/10th's of what it can do.... and that is just fine with me!

Before I broke up with my last EX we would stay at her friend's brother's place in Nevada City California (I know makes a lot of sense to me too, but I know why). And he was one of the Founder's of NetApp so he had a house to match. Four story house with a basement pool that was as big as the footprint of the house - heated during the winter too.

The 1st floor was technically the garage which he had every car he had ever owned including a year one Miata, not MX5.

He owned about 20 acres off one of those hard assed roads to find and built his Parents a three Bedroom house that had a fairly large two car garage. But it was Climate Controlled because that is where he kept his Four Cam Ferrari 365, I forget what year it was but it was a hoot to travel in and drive.

He knew all the roads in and around that town and County since that is where the family was raised. An old 4 Cam Ferrari with Gated Shifter can be a little finicky while shifting when cold.

He liked the 911 but said he wasn't going to get one anytime soon. Besides he had plenty to play with including a Dino with the bumpers, an LM002 of all things (talking about the first REAL SUV!) a 512bbi which was under restoration and a number of odd ball foreign cars in differing stages of restoration. While the Family car at the time was a new M3 Cabriolet (2008-2009?).

The last time we where there the ex went and spent 95% of her time with her friend while her friend's husband showed me the in's and out's of the roads around Nevada County. And truthfully after spending the time there doing that I can't think of a better place to live. I like the Wilderness and love the fresh mountain air. Besides he told me it was easier to Smell if his 365 was running Rich or Lean!

When we would go out he would be in front of course due to his knowledge of the area and me bringing up the rear. What was funny is there are a lot of like minded people like him who had cars that could keep up and after an hour or two we would sometimes have picked up a few others following us who were locals whom he knew and knew it was one of those days.

He told me that he could easily go faster in the 2014 around his routes with the AWD and power on demand. Said it reminded him a lot of the first turbo from the 70's but was far, far away from the "Point and Squirt" power that those cars had since the turbo didn't really kick in until 4K rpm. But now with the AWD and Double VTG turbos that that was a thing of the past! He was a Ferrari Guy, me a Porsche Guy but don't get me wrong... if I was in the Position to afford the new F12 Berlinetta I would get me one of those and drive the snot out of it like Mr Bean, Rowan Atkins, drives his F1 McLaren. Funny enough he wrecked the F1 a few years ago he wrecked the car and the Insurance didn't scrap it due to repair cost. When he wrecked that car the F1s were trading near $5MM large. Now they are going for around $7.5MM to $10MM and beyond depending on which version of the car it is. It cost around $1.5MM and I forget about a year to fix his car. At the time of the wreck it had about 30K miles on it and I can't imagine another one that is beyond 5K to 7.5K in total miles. He's a real enthusiast of cars and often drives one of his rare Mini's that he has. And no I'm not talking about the new BMW versions of the car.

Sorry for going way the F**K off topic. It happens sometimes.

But if you were to ask this same question on a Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren et al. most people would put at the top of their list Track Insurance. Who want's to pay the cost to repair one of those cars? Just saying but my first post I didn't know the whole answer was beaten to death? Not me, I am still a Nub here to these forum's and it's Culture. Thanks for not ripping me one.

//End of Line

[ZionsWrath]

It is a whole different world if you are tracking a 6 or 7 figure car. When the entry fee is less than what you wipe your ass with I don't think the opinion is relevant. Of course track insurance is going to make sense in that situation.

Plebs like us tracking <30k cars werking pleb jobs the insurance won't make sense if you track with any regularity.

From what I see in real life on the track. Rarely ever see high $ cars at regular HPDE events. And most of the high dollar cars I see on track are running in time trial and race events or test and tune. Where even a lot of track insurance companies aren't going to provide coverage.

[MisterSheep]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

It is a whole different world if you are tracking a 6 or 7 figure car. When the entry fee is less than what you wipe your ass with I don't think the opinion is relevant. Of course track insurance is going to make sense in that situation.

Plebs like us tracking <30k cars werking pleb jobs the insurance won't make sense if you track with any regularity.

From what I see in real life on the track. Rarely ever see high $ cars at regular HPDE events. And most of the high dollar cars I see on track are running in time trial and race events or test and tune. Where even a lot of track insurance companies aren't going to provide coverage.

LOL if you really want to track and not worry about getting insurance just buy an older Miata and track the shit outa that thing.

[ZionsWrath]

I bought insurance the first year I tracked this car.

For the price of the car IMO it is not worth buying.

If you do 1 or 2 events and got heavy mods sure get it.

Anyway, I'm not gonna talk about it anymore like everyone said lets not make this an track insurance thread

[OkieSnuffBox]

What were you paying for track insurance?

The bulk purchases from Lockton Affinity seem very reasonable if you're going to track regularly.

$140 or less a weekend for $25k in coverage doesn't sound like a bad deal to me.

[MisterSheep]

Originally Posted by OkieSnuffBox

What were you paying for track insurance?

The bulk purchases from Lockton Affinity seem very reasonable if you're going to track regularly.

$140 or less a weekend for $25k in coverage doesn't sound like a bad deal to me.

not a track insurance thread..