Five Basic Tips You Need For Track Day Fun
Hitting up your first track day is not as daunting as you might think. You don’t need a high power build, but there are some things to cover.
So you’ve got a car and want to hit up the track, right? The first thing in your mind is “I’ve gotta have a track build!” While in some cases, that’s true, a mostly stock vehicle, especially a sporting Honda, can be just as fun. In fact, we know that from a pure fun factor, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on modifications to have fun at the track. Plus, if you’re chasing improved skill, the money saved on modifications can be spent on seat time and coaching.
At Honda-Tech, we like to think of track day modifications from a “ground up” approach. That would mean we would first look at tires, then brakes, then suspension, and then finally, horsepower adders. Given that tires are important regardless of the car configuration or build, we can chat about that first.
Tires
Competition tires are expensive, but there are some very good tires that can be used both on-street and track. In this category, it’s always a good idea to have a separate set that you can use solely for track events. Thankfully, the 200 tread-wear category is popular among tire manufacturers with dozens of brands to choose from. Hop on a place like TireRack, and you’ll find what you’re looking for. Want a way to keep an eye on those tires? We found a neat gadget that installs in a matter of minutes and can be used on any car. Check out the video above.
Brakes
Next up is brakes. Here, you will want to do some mild upgrades, but you don’t need to get a big brake kit designed for a Le Mans racer. Sometimes all you need is some upgraded pads, and some fluid. While the factory stoppers in your car are fine for street driving, brakes take a tremendous amount of heat during any track use. Thankfully, pads are a relatively cheap upgrade, and new high-temp fluid ensures a firm pedal. In a lot of cases, you don’t even need to upgrade the rotor, either. The pads do the majority of the work, and buying cheap O.E. size blank rotors allows you to track through the season with minimal operating costs. Both high-temperature fluid and performance pads can be found at places like TH Motorsports.
Maintenance
Next up is making sure the components of your car are up to the task. If you have a newer Honda, you don’t have to worry about too many components. On older cars, however, there are a few points to look at. For instance, it’s not a bad idea to look at your wheel studs. Honda studs are sometimes weak. As the main anchor holding your wheels on your car, it might be worthwhile to consider a hardened, extended set.
Driveline
Age can wear out some components on the front axle. Bearings tend to get very hot from the abuse of a front-wheel-drive setup and hot brake rotors. While you don’t have to replace these before you go to the track, keep in mind that it is an area to observe regularly. That same set of criteria goes for the CV joints, too.
Suspension
If you were expecting us to give advice on suspension, we will, but that’s a technical and detailed subject for another post. For those getting started, you absolutely can use stock suspension. While this sounds backward, a stock suspension will teach you an incredible amount about car control and weight transfer. After all, if your goal is to get better as a driver, you don’t want high-performance parts masking bad habits. Add on to that, if you try and go with a cheap coilover setup, you could really upset the car’s handling with poorly matched spring rates and dampener settings. Keep it simple.
Extras
It is important to bring along some basic tools, as well. A jack and jack stand will help tremendously. Plus some basic hand tools and fluids are always a good idea to bring along. We’ve found that using a large and sturdy plastic tote is also useful, especially for stuff you don’t want getting wet from a sudden rain storm.
That’s About It
Really. Good tires, solid brakes, and a car that is mechanically in good condition. With this kind of setup, you are ready to hit the track with a reliable car. Especially at the beginning, you don’t want car issues getting in the way of your seat time. With so many of our members regularly attending track days, questions for newcomers are always welcome. We want to see you out there!
Photos for Honda-Tech by Patrick Morgan.
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