1st HPDE Day Tips and Prep?

[SkyBlast]

1. PS4S will work for you. Don’t change a thing, just learn.
2. If you track often then I’d think about it.
3. You’ll probably have to change your helmet. I’d call in advance to save yourself a headache the day of.
4. You’ll probably be fine. Depending on the life of your oil you might consider changing it.

Ultimately, just go to learn and build confidence. Confidence leads to speed. Speed leads to making changes to the car. I would heavily advise against modding your car until you learn it more.

Have a blast and good luck not becoming a track rat lol

You are wise beyond your years, @2morrow

@Mikegotamach This ^^^

Also, flush and replace your brake fluid with something like ATE 200... if your brake fluid boils while you're at the track, you're done until you flush it. I wouldn't worry about going with the more expensive racing brake fluids like Motul RBF 600 or Castrol SRF until you get some track events under your belt and actually need them. ATE 200 is relatively inexpensive compared to the other more racing focused brake fluids.

Sponsored

 

[NavsENG]

Hi all,

So I am getting my 22 Mach 1 prepped for it's and was hoping to lean on the group foe some advice.

1. Thinking of changing tires as I currently have PS4S and have been reading they are not suitable for the track. The mustang is a weekend driver so I can get a more aggressive tire but I still drive way more on the street then track. Would the Hankook RS4 work for me? Are they OK on street? Have read they are awful in the rain but I rarely have my car out when it's not sunny though I do drive it on nice winter days with lower Temps.

2. Do I need to get ppf done to the front to avoid damage? I keep seeing posts with people using painters tape to avoid rubber damage, is it really necessary? I am fine with the car getting a bit dirty and needing a good wash would just want to try and avoid serious dents/paint issues.

3. Currently have a shoei motorcycle helmet i use for my bikes but have been reading that not all track days allow bike helmets. Are there certain brands know for a step above the others like Shoei and Arai in motorcycles? I typically swear by shoei as my original saved my life in a crash.

4. I won't be pushing my car to the limits since I am new to car track days but do I need to change my oil or brake fluid to be race specific? Is there anything else i should do to worry about to cool the engine/ car?

New to car track days so open to any advice that will help ensure I am prepared.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Basically reiterating what everyone has said but...

PS4S is a decent tire, it just doesn't like to be pushed. If you're a new driver and not at the limit, it will probably work pretty well. They will chunk pretty bad if you abuse them but I don't think you'll have that issue.

Most orgs don't like motorcycle helmets and you'll need a Snell SA helmet that is current or SA2015 should still be good.

A mach 1 is prepped pretty well for track so you should be fine. Flushing in some new brake fluid never hurts though, but I dont think you will have any issue your first time out.

 

[991GT]

Thanks for the great advice! Looks like I am going to stick with the PS4S for now and change fluids a week in advance so they are fresh (both we changed back in October).

Going to look into ppf as it might be good to have regardless but want to make sure I find a reputable shop. Might do something temporary for the upcoming event.

Great call on the helmet. I am going to look to try and get out to a race shop by me to try some on. If I can't do you guys recommend any websites that sell them that I can order 2 and easily return 1? Revzilla was good with this for motorcycles.

Also thanks for the link to the other thread. It helped me make sure I have all the essentials packed in my toolkit.

Check out Solo Performance Specialists ( soloperformance.com) for the helmet. They are great about getting you fitted properly and sending additional sizes at no additional shipping cost. I just went through them and it was super easy and it's a small enthusiast owned shop. Fitting for a helmet online isn't ideal but often there aren't many local shops for you to test fit in a brick and mortar. You can also get your numbers from them as well.

 

[tosha]

Please don't buy a SA2015 helmet, unless you get one dirt cheap. They will expire next year for most of the reputable hpde orgs

 

[NightmareMoon]

The track org will say if they require an SA rated helmet. Some motorcycle helmets are SA rated some are M. Its as simple as checking.

Unless you overdrive really hard the tires should hold up to the normal abuse a novice will apply. Once you start to figure things out, then you’ll need more camber to keep the tires alive.

If you can’t drive an MP4S fast, a stickier tire won’t help you.

 

[2morrow]

If you can’t drive an MP4S fast, a stickier tire won’t help you.

So true.

Previous to the MP4S I drove MPSS’s before moving to the RE-71R then eventually SC2’s.

I just dated myself there lol.

 

[Traffic22]

Everyone has covered pretty much everything you need to know. My only tip is don’t skimp on a helmet. Go SA2020, and buy the most comfortable one you can find. It’s not just about size, but head shape.

Since you have a MC helmet, you likely already know this. Competition Motorsports is a good source for info, and has a friendly exchange policy. (I’ve bought 2 from them and have been happy.)

Wear the helmet around the house for about half hour. Will you look stupid, yep. Will your wife make fun of you; you bet. Will your dog bark at you, or your cats freak out, absolutely. But you’ll be much happier to find out at home than at the track 15 min after putting your new helmet on it’s squeezing you in spots you didn’t realize. And you’ll still be able to exchange it, cause it’s not all funky.

Oh, if you can swing the hefty price, a HANS Hybrid is a nice investment too. I’ve never tracked without a HANS and think I’d feel naked without one.

 

[luc]

Open tracking is not for everyone. As a long time club owner my experience with first timers is that over 50% will never come back, about 40% will go back to the track once or twice a year and about 10% have a serious issue and become addicted
Most clubs or tracks rent helmets. Don’t buy 1 until you know that you’re going to come back. Just rent 1

 

[TRDFurgesson]

PS4s are fine for track use.

 

[GTP]

Please don't buy a SA2015 helmet, unless you get one dirt cheap. They will expire next year for most of the reputable hpde orgs

From what I was told by a local helmet retailer, the 2025's are not released until the end of that year, which means I would need to stick with my SA2015 for this year AND next year.

 

[tosha]

From what I was told by a local helmet retailer, the 2025's are not released until the end of that year, which means I would need to stick with my SA2015 for this year AND next year.

It's fine if you already have it, but if you are planning to buy a brand new one, go with SA2020. I see a bunch of retailers selling SA2015 at discount, but really it's a waste of money to get one of these now.

 

[StangersInTheNight]

I run PS4S on both the GT350R and C8. Quite adequate tire. If you are aggressive and decide to start tracking with any frequency, you'll want to get an alignment and tweak the negative camber. Otherwise you will ruin the front tires in short order. I assume this would apply to a Mach I. Don't cheap out on a helmet, wrong place to save money. WD-40 will take the rubber boogers off.

 

[tosha]

I use Gyeon Tar for rubber marks. Spray, let it soak in and rubber marks wipe right off. Very economical and also good for annual detailing decontamination. Also gives me peace of mind knowing that it won't screw up my ceramic coating.

 

[luc]

I run PS4S on both the GT350R and C8. Quite adequate tire. If you are aggressive and decide to start tracking with any frequency, you'll want to get an alignment and tweak the negative camber. Otherwise you will ruin the front tires in short order. I assume this would apply to a Mach I. Don't cheap out on a helmet, wrong place to save money. WD-40 will take the rubber boogers off.

Not being cheap on a helmet certainly sounds good but what do that really mean?
All helmets that are snell/ dot certified give you exactly the same protection regardless of the selling price
Name, graphics, weight and “comfortability” all play a role in the selling price
So what metrics do you use to measure the “cheapeness” of a helmet ?

 

[tosha]

Not being cheap on a helmet certainly sounds good but what do that really mean?
All helmets that are snell/ dot certified give you exactly the same protection regardless of the selling price
Name, graphics, weight and “comfortability” all play a role in the selling price
So what metrics do you use to measure the “cheapeness” of a helmet ?

I am not him, but the way I read it - get the one that fits best and is most comfortable, while having necessary customization features and range of supported accessories. No need to blow 5 grand on a carbon fiber thing crafted in a wind tunnel, unless you plan to compete in a formula car. But get a descent one that would grow along with the driver development.

I'm saying this as somebody who bought the cheapest and most basic helmet I could find, but back then I thought that I would maybe use it twice. It still works fine and it's super comfortable by the way, but I do search for reasons in my mind to get one of those Stilo's. So in the long run I kinda wasted some money on cheap one just to get to a more advanced one, when I could get it from the get go and benefit from the extra features much earlier.

Sponsored