My first HPDE in thunderhill on April and looking for advices

[FlairBarstar]

It will be my first 2 days hpde in april in thunderhill; i joined nasa on this one. and very excited. I am a newbie in the sport; so i am prepping my z4m coupe aswell. So i just did the car tech in griffin motorwerke in berkeley; and passed with flying colors after replacing power steering hose and accessory belt.

I have a michelin pilot sport tires which is still fairly new.
Rotors are still in good shape
I have to replace my brakes though; im looking into hawk hp or ebc orange stuff.
I know i have to replace my brake sensors. But do i also need to replace my abs sensors? Im planning on installing uuc stainless steel braided brake lines since the car will be lifted anyway.

Got the simpson bandit helmet and sparco race shoe.

Anything else i need to know while i still got time?

Thank in advance folks

[DerekSelmanRacing]

I can tell you're excited even without you mentioning the fact from your tone and the post time of 1:25AM! Relax, you'll have a lot of fun.

Can't help you on the brake pads; I run full race pads as my car now sees very little street time. I'm sure several others will jump in. I don't use my brake pad sensors anymore because I regularly check the pads anyhow. If you're sensors are OK, you can simply tie wrap them out of the way. ABS sensors should not be affected and I doubt that you will discern any difference from the ss brake line upgrade.

One item you did not mention, however, and which is critical is brake fluid. If your system has not been flushed recently you should do so. I use Motul RBF600 high temp fluid but there are many other fluids out there designed for race use which are very good. I can't speak with authority for the M, but I can tell you my 3.0i with race pads is very hard on fluid. I sometimes flush after each weekend but I never go more than 2 weekends.

Don't expect to receive the Mario Andretti award...that's a joke, there isn't one! Pay attention to your instructor whose primary job is to keep you and your car safe. Have fun!

[FlairBarstar]

Hey derek,
Thanks man, thanks for the write up, and yes i am excited. Im planning on doing this every month until i reach TT. yes i will also get that motul rbf600, and saving up funds for a sony camera to mount on the car.

[seank]

Hi Flair,

He is Derek's father. His son is a fast TT driver and i will be out there too in an e30m3, daimond schwartz black track car in TTC. Come say hi. After you have a few a few weekends under your belt, hit us up if you would like an instructional passenger.

We drive with nasa every month and nasa tt is a great way to learn to be very fast.

Sean

[FlairBarstar]

Hi sean,
Thank you. I will look for you there as soon as i arrive. Cheers!

Ryan

[schobyb]

Flair, I've used Hawk HP+ on the track and definitely recommend them. I do use separate pads for street and track. The HP+ are great on track, but very loud and annoying on the street.

As the others have mentioned, use a high quality brake fluid, the brakes get very hot. As you come off track, be cautious applying the brakes and do not use your parking brake, you don't want the pads leaving deposits on the rotors. It hasn't happened to me, but I've heard of others leaving their tires valve stem caps on and having them melt, take them off before you go on track and leave them off all day, you'll likely be checking pressure between sessions anyway.

Normally, you only need to replace the brake wear sensors if the light in your dash has come. You do not need to replace ABS sensors.

Go with an open mind, learn, and have fun.

[joelselman]

I decided to come out of the closet and use my real name this time! Forgot I had registered myself before.

As I said before, I'm not an expert on compromised (street/track) brake pads, but if you're going to use pads which will be changed, I'd go to full race on track. I run Hawk DTC70 in front and DTC60 in back on the Z4. I run Hawk performance ceramic on my DD as they don't dust and are quiet.

Do not use the park brake when brakes are hot but I doubt you'll get your brakes that hot in group one to be too concerned about pad buildup. Incidentally, that's why many people, including myself, use the checkered flag lap as a cool down for engine and brakes. I also raise the hood as soon as practicable when parking after a session to allow cooling air to reach the ABS module.

Have fun guys...I'll be at Buttonwillow that weekend.

[FlairBarstar]

Hi folks, i really appreciate all your advices. Big thanks!

So here is the list that i just ordered online for my first hpde. And since my list is pretty pricey for a newbie; im investing these because i decided to do atleast one hpde a month until i reach TT and some autocrosses.

Magnetic number decals
Sparco race shoe
Simpson bandit helmet
Cg lock performance for seatbelt
2 bottles of motul rbf600
Front and rear hawk hp plus
Front and rear brake sensors
Uuc stainless steel brake lines

Just finished power steering hose replacement and accessory belt.

Im running on michelin pilot super sports.

Anything else i need to prep, replace or tune before jumping in?

[The HACK]

Sigh.

You don't need ANY of that. Especially for your first (except the helmet).

I remember my first track day like it was yesterday (even though it's been well over 15 years). I had put THOUSANDS of dollars into the car making it "track ready," but was so overwhelmed with adrenaline, excitement, and information that I almost forgot to do the MOST important thing at the track.

Have fun.

That's all you really need. The Z4 chassis is incredibly fun and shockingly capable, far more than what most mortals can wring out. I personally would relax, get a good night sleep the night prior if you can, and just go have a ball.

If the car is already in good mechanical order, there's not much else you should worry about. Go. Have fun. And listen to your instructor well.

[FlairBarstar]

So ive been eyeing on this zeckhausen clutch delay valve; do you think i should install it for my first hpde. Or get used to stock first?

[dschultz]

You might want to consider reusable vinyl numbers instead of magnetic. Magnetic numbers tend to come off at track speeds and folks that use them often end up taping the leading edge to keep them on. The vinyl numbers are pretty cheap and good for at least 2-3 seasons.

My understanding is that the main benefit of the Zeckenhausen cdv is that it preserves OEM look so as not to alert dealers while the car is under warranty. At this point you can save the $ and just remove the original. (Although there may be some fitment benefit to keeping the part, some folks report issues getting the lines to fit without the cdv in place.)

[mgwatson48]

If you're going to do 1 HPDE per month, you should invest in some better brake pads. PFC-11 or 8s are great.