HPDE/track day prep help

[crc91]

Hey guys I'm looking to get on the roadcourse for the first time. I have a 2014 1LS. So what I would like to know is what do I need to do to my car to safely have a good time out in the track and to prevent damage? Obviously this is my first event so it's not like I'm going to be gunning it going 10/10ths. This is to learn and to get my feet wet. Most likely going to be doing it at nola motorsports. What are some good tires? Good brakes? Good fluids to use? I have the right helmet as well. What are some things I should do/check to be able to pass tech and get my car ready? Again I'm not too concerned about power levels. Any suspension pieces that would be smart to upgrade before tracking? Help me out Guys! Thanks!

[LS3 Handler]

Ive never road course tracked either of mine but i want to. What i heard is you will want to have the brakes flushed and replaced with high temp brake fluid and a set of high grip high temp resistant brake pads. I have a set of Hawk HPS pads for a 2012 V6 that should fit yours for sale PM me if interested. IDK about tires but a high performance summer tire would be great check out tire rack. For a great over all track pack you can order the 1LE track pack from GM to put on your LS or check out pfadt racing or BMR racing. If you dont have it installed you can also get the GM four gauge pack the goes in front of your shifter and will tell you engine oil and tranny oil temps along with a volt meter and engine oil pressure that you will want to keep an eye on. Also you will need a approved race helmet and you could also get racing shoes (may not be needed if you have an automatic) and racing gloves to help you grip the steering wheel. NO tracks will let you race if you have any leaks.

[RubyCamaro]

I was told minimum, DOT 4 brake fluid. Ideally, better brake pads. More ideally, stainless steel brake lines though for a first outing I was told this is not imperative. Otherwise you should be okay stock. You will need a snell SA2010 or higher helmet (the 2015's are supposed to come out soon). Depending upon the track/event rules, you may need to have a fire extinguisher mounted in your car but you will have to check with the specific track/event rules on that.

There is a lot of discussion on the subject in the thread about the road course at the Fest:
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...398042&page=13

But not all folks seem to be in agreement & again, it depends to some extent on the rules of the track/event in question.

[EM1/SS]

I did one last fall and I didn't do anything special. I do have a lot of BMR parts, but the guy who went with me didn't have anything. Just get a good helmet.

[cornerspeed92]

I would check with the organization 1st before you do anything and see exactly what their procedure is. The reason i say this is the organization http://www.speedventures.com/ i run with and am an instructor for, for your 1st time you dont need to change anything. Beginners have to go out with me and i show them the layout and teach them how to do point bye passing, you wont be allowed to run by your self unless you have mastered the point bye passing.

This process is almost painful to me as we are going so slow, but that is what has to happen. The 1st 2 sessions are done this way and are barely over FRWY speeds. The last 2 sessions you are able to go as fast as you're comfortable going, providing you're signed off from the morning sessions. So this being said you really wont be driving your car that hard to be needing to make all those changes. Now if you already know you're going to now be a track junkie and this wont be you're only time then yes change above mentioned items. Obviously make sure your tires are in good condition, and brakes etc.

[KaBoom1701]

Everything said about and this...

You'll fry you V6 OEM brakes....Ask me how I know. lol

[crc91]

Lot of good suggestions so far guys keep em coming! Thanks for the list kaboom. So even if I change pads the v6 rotors are no
Good for track days? I'd really love to find some brembo take offs for somewhat cheap as I don't have 2-3k to spend on a big brake kit right now or the proper size rims for clearance. What would be your suggestion to upgrade the brakes?

[KaBoom1701]

Originally Posted by crc91

Lot of good suggestions so far guys keep em coming! Thanks for the list kaboom. So even if I change pads the v6 rotors are no
Good for track days? I'd really love to find some brembo take offs for somewhat cheap as I don't have 2-3k to spend on a big brake kit right now or the proper size rims for clearance. What would be your suggestion to upgrade the brakes?

You can find my posts in the LFX forums where I changed to Brmebo's and 1LE suspension. Makes the car fun as hell at the track. You should be able to find a used Brembo take off set for around $700. Well worth the upgrade.

At the very least change the brake fluid to Motul DOT4 and run with a better track brake pads....Hawks or something similar.

The great thing about these V6 cars is that almost all the SS parts can be bolted on. Suspension, brakes ect.

[crc91]

True and I've read your post about those upgrades and I would really love to do them. Been wanting to for a while actually just haven't had the funds. Guess I'm going to have to start a saving account for mods. Man I hate being in college lol.
Are there any drilled and slotted replacement rotors I could upgrade to when I'm switching pads? And I'm going to be doing stainless lines along with the fluid. That not ik fluid should be flushed after a track day right? And the pads taken off? Becuase this is my daily.

[Norm Peterson]

Forget drilled, the holes aren't needed for much unless you want rotors with built-in places for cracks to start at. Which would be most likely to happen in the budget-level appearance-oriented drilled stuff. Just slotted seems to be OK, but I honestly feel that the slots are better for giving grit a place to get scraped off into than anything and is really more of a street appearance benefit.

If you get hooked, you'll eventually want bigger/better brakes as you move up, but with 14"/14.4" stuff commonly available because of the V8 cars there's not as much reason to go aftermarket. Centric probably makes plain rotors in those sizes. Keep in mind that brakes become consumables, and spending extra money for "pretty" won't make them or the pads last any longer.

Here's the tech inspection sheet that my home track (NJMP) uses for its own events, and it is probably representative. Other organizations such as cornerspeed's Speed Ventures, Track Daze, or Hooked On Driving may have a few different items or slightly different judging criteria for things like remaining pad thickness, so check with your organization. The emphasis is on having a safe, reliable car, not a fast one.

I tend to bleed mine closer to right before an event than right after one.


Norm

[crc91]

Awesome info guys, I'm at work and as soon as I get home I'll go through the tech sheets. What do you guys use for brake set ups? Recommended brands? As far as pads go?

[Norm Peterson]

I've had very good experience with Carbotech pads, first in XP8 and then in XP10 when the condition of the 8's and the front rotors both suggested I was starting to crowd their limit.

Between the details involved with pad changes on my car (which might not apply to your car) and laziness on my part, I just leave the track pads on for whatever street driving happens in between track days. Because they are track pads, the Carbotechs are a bit dusty and they do squeak a bit from time to time, but unlike many/most other track pad brands they are still gentle to the rotors. Far better in this respect than the Hawk HP+ that I have also run, almost as good as Hawk's HPS street pads. They've actually exhibited decent cold bite at ambient temperatures as low as low teens F.


Norm

[Wacko37]

one big one that seems to be missed here is a good alignment!!

[crc91]

So can anyone take a guess about how much am I looking at in necessarily upgrade,fluids,fees for running one track day?