First HPDE Planning!

Hey Everyone!

Just picked my 2018 GT PP2 a couple days ago! Really excited about it!

Hoping to do a HPDE in a couple of weeks. Planning on taking it nice and easy! With that said, do I need to flush brake fluid and change brake pads for more track-centric set-up? Like I said, I won't be driving terribly hard, but I do want to enjoy the car without experiencing brake fade.

And guidance is much appreciated!

Thanks!

You should be fine as long as you don't try to threshold brake every corner of every lap.

With it being new-ish fluid and knowing the car comes with DOT 4, which has a minimum dry boiling point of 446 F, you should be fine. I flush with Typ 200 and use the stock PP pads, and I've never had fade during any 20-25 minute session.

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback so far! Very much appreciated!

Leave it as is. Worry about your instructor's teachings. Bring a cooler with water. Take advantage of your cool down lap and don't just park and shut off the car, let it idle (with the fans on, most likely) for a little bit so it can cool the coolant down a little first. Propping open the hood after a session is pointless, pop the hood to create a pathway for more hot air to leave, but don't open it entirely so it can just bake in the sun. Bring a torque wrench and check your lugs every session. Likely it won't be an issue, but you'll find that one lug nut that's not as tight at some point.

Socialize. Socialize. Socialize. The guy in the crappy-looking Miata knows more than you about driving. Be his friend. And don't get into a race with other Mustang drivers. People try to do this with me all the time either because they know my car or just because it's another Mustang and it's incredibly frustrating to someone trying to develop skills like you and me.

wildcatgoal said:

Socialize. Socialize. Socialize. The guy in the crappy-looking Miata knows more than you about driving. Be his friend. And don't get into a race with other Mustang drivers. People try to do this with me all the time either because they know my car or just because it's another Mustang and it's incredibly frustrating to someone trying to develop skills like you and me.

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Lot of wisdom in this

wildcatgoal said:

And don't get into a race with other Mustang drivers. People try to do this with me all the time either because they know my car or just because it's another Mustang and it's incredibly frustrating to someone trying to develop skills like you and me.

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What are you trying to get across with these few sentences?

What happens to me is people with S550 GTs at some track days make it a point to go out at the same time as me (which isn't bad in and of itself, but if you want to do a lead follow, TALK TO ME FIRST... not that I'm anyone to learn from at this point). Or make it a point stay as close to me ass as possible ultimately driving too aggressively for the situation, again without even so much as talkin to me. A few examples of resisting giving me a clean, safe point by (i.e., maybe I get the point by, but they don't let off and two cars with the same engine accelerating at full blast aren't gonna do anything but ride neck and neck). I am usually very mild the first bit of a session, then turn it up in the middle and catch up to people that I let go by me... they all let me go by except other S550s. I had a driver last year come up to me saying "he almost got me" after he literally "almost got me" by almost driving straight into the rear end of my car braking later than he should have (either because of having less braking ability or because he wasn't anticipating I had to brake sooner because of a car in front of me). This never happens with any other car, not even a Camaro. Not every S550 does it, not even remotely, but especially at Road Atlanta it does... to me. Hell, even if I give a point by to another Mustang and let off and let them go by while they're being aggressive, if I later catch up to them... I never get a point by, which is either ignorance or they don't want to "lose". It's HPDE... E doesn't stand for Ego.

I'm sensitive to it because I go out there academically trying to correct weaknesses and find time. I also can't afford to crash, so I leave speed on the table (so I'm told...).

Makes sense, strange that you find it a mustang or specifically s550 trait. That would be irritating for sure and honestly the worst part of hpde is the retards with egos not giving point bys. It's worlds better, almost a non issue, in advanced group though, which is nice.

It sometimes is an issue when I go from my street 340tw tires on my first and sometimes second session to warm up and throw on my slicks and am passing everyone who I had to let by on street tires. They just notice the car and it sometimes takes longer than it should due to the significant lap time difference.

rob_s said:

With it being new-ish fluid and knowing the car comes with DOT 4, which has a minimum dry boiling point of 446 F, you should be fine. I flush with Typ 200 and use the stock PP pads, and I've never had fade during any 20-25 minute session.

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For my first HPDE. I used that fluid and stock pads. It was awesome. Car did great.

umarov said:

For my first HPDE. I used that fluid and stock pads. It was awesome. Car did great.

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This^
I've been doing HPDE's for over 20 years. As was stated earlier, listen to your instructor. Keep hydrated. If your instructor is cool with it, go ride with him/her. Don't be that guy. IE, if a much "slower" car is in your rear view mirror, don't gun it down the straight. Lift and let them pass. Last, ENJOY the weekend

Competition Orange said:

Makes sense, strange that you find it a mustang or specifically s550 trait. That would be irritating for sure and honestly the worst part of hpde is the retards with egos not giving point bys. It's worlds better, almost a non issue, in advanced group though, which is nice.

It sometimes is an issue when I go from my street 340tw tires on my first and sometimes second session to warm up and throw on my slicks and am passing everyone who I had to let by on street tires. They just notice the car and it sometimes takes longer than it should due to the significant lap time difference.

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For me it's just S550s (and don't get me wrong, I'm not always the fastest one out there... especially lately). I've had one Corvette get competitive.

I have not done Advanced - not really there yet.

Competition Orange said:

Makes sense, strange that you find it a mustang or specifically s550 trait. That would be irritating for sure and honestly the worst part of hpde is the retards with egos not giving point bys. It's worlds better, almost a non issue, in advanced group though, which is nice.

It sometimes is an issue when I go from my street 340tw tires on my first and sometimes second session to warm up and throw on my slicks and am passing everyone who I had to let by on street tires. They just notice the car and it sometimes takes longer than it should due to the significant lap time difference.

Click to expand...

Last track day I did they lumped the "race cars" in with the non-school lapping day people piloting dual purpose street legal cars. Most of the "race cars" were Chump and Historics out to get laps on a track they are running later this summer. It was terrible, these guys totally refused to do point bys, I guess they figured since they were driving a "race car" that street cars just didn't deserve a point by. I dunno, but a pile of them got blacked flagged and a pile more should have. Made for a poor day though, I think I only got 3 clear laps all day.

That really sucks...


I haven't ever had it even close to that bad at a Jzilla Track Days event. They're actually hosting an open track day for Advanced-only drivers at Road Atlanta soon. I have asked if I can go out but I'm not Advanced-approved at RA. I plan to attend because I'm guessing it'll be a really great sight with possible learning opportunities.