Track day noob, any suggestions? And future advice on build progression?

[Levophed]

Hi everyone,

I have my first track day coming up in December I ordered several things that I will installing on my car soon. Realized I probably should've asked the forums before pulling the trigger but nonetheless just want to make sure I made safe choices and am going in the right direction. I have currently already ordered:

1. 60/30 DTC Hawk brake pads (Was debating between these, Project Mu Club Racers or CSG C21 & C11)
2. Castrol SRF Racing brake fluid (Didn't know if this or Endless RF-650 was better, went with SRF bc it was cheaper lol)
3. Verus Engineering Master Cylinder Brace
4. Racequip Pro20 Full Face Helmet
On stock suspension, stock wheels and on PS4s 275-35 rear and 255-35 front.

Later down the line what I have planned (Not ordered yet but will probably buy after trackday if I'm super into it):

1. Titan 7 T-S5 Forged wheels 18x10.7 squared
2. Hankook RS4 275-40-18 all around
3. Simpson Racing Hybrid S HANS
4. Eibach front and rear Sway Bar
5. Garmin Catalyst or AIM solo
6. RK Track Exhaust

I guess some questions that I have about above:

1. Did I make the right choice on brake pads? I was debating on whether I should've went with a hybrid or pure track pad and figured since I had enough life on the OEM ones I could just switch them out after I'm done with the track day.

2. Does anyone switch from track pads to OEM pads back and forth? Is it okay on your rotors? Does anyone just run track pads full time? This car is technically my daily but I WFH and use my Gf's Tesla for 90% of daily driving duty.

3. I have medium life on my tires (Per dealership). Will that be safe/okay before my track day? I know that PS4s aren't the best on the track and don't last too long.

4. Should I prioritize the HANS device, the 18' Square wheels, sway bars or something totally different next? I try to only spend money from interest accrued from my HYSA so there will be a large gap in between acquiring these.

5. Are there any suggestions/alternatives that you guys may suggest to what I've listed above? Was thinking about doing full body PPF but was quoted $7000 lol. Is it worth doing?

Cheers

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[D3ad_Hand]

Not too big on tracking. More like street racing and drag racing. but this thread should help you

https://www.supramkv.com/threads/race-tracking-your-supra-information-exchange.16389/

 

[PowerGetter]

before you get ahead of yourself, I recommend getting a feel for the car stock. And you won't truly get that with just one track day, unless you're seasoned. From there, you'll find what you don't like about the car and mod/tune the car accordingly.

 

[type-964]

Send it as is.

Have a good coach ride along for your first several track days.

Catalyst and HANS next.

Get lots more seat time.

Start modding the car when your lap times have dropped and become consistent.

 

[bushido]

Hi everyone,

I have my first track day coming up in December I ordered several things that I will installing on my car soon. Realized I probably should've asked the forums before pulling the trigger but nonetheless just want to make sure I made safe choices and am going in the right direction. I have currently already ordered:

1. 60/30 DTC Hawk brake pads (Was debating between these, Project Mu Club Racers or CSG C21 & C11)
2. Castrol SRF Racing brake fluid (Didn't know if this or Endless RF-650 was better, went with SRF bc it was cheaper lol)
3. Verus Engineering Master Cylinder Brace
4. Racequip Pro20 Full Face Helmet
On stock suspension, stock wheels and on PS4s 275-35 rear and 255-35 front.

Later down the line what I have planned (Not ordered yet but will probably buy after trackday if I'm super into it):

1. Titan 7 T-S5 Forged wheels 18x10.7 squared
2. Hankook RS4 275-40-18 all around
3. Simpson Racing Hybrid S HANS
4. Eibach front and rear Sway Bar
5. Garmin Catalyst or AIM solo

I guess some questions that I have about above:

1. Did I make the right choice on brake pads? I was debating on whether I should've went with a hybrid or pure track pad and figured since I had enough life on the OEM ones I could just switch them out after I'm done with the track day.
should be fine from what i've read on here. the DTCs are hard on the rotors

2. Does anyone switch from track pads to OEM pads back and forth? Is it okay on your rotors? Does anyone just run track pads full time? This car is technically my daily but I WFH and use my Gf's Tesla for 90% of daily driving duty.
i've swapped between PMUs and stocks and my rotors feel like garbage bed in several times. i shrugged it off as a me problem and moved on with my life

3. I have medium life on my tires (Per dealership). Will that be safe/okay before my track day? I know that PS4s aren't the best on the track and don't last too long.
totally fine

4. Should I prioritize the HANS device, the 18' Square wheels, sway bars or something totally different next? I try to only spend money from interest accrued from my HYSA so there will be a large gap in between acquiring these.
this is the way. although experience just a front sway bar first and decide if you need the rear

5. Are there any suggestions/alternatives that you guys may suggest to what I've listed above? Was thinking about doing full body PPF but was quoted $7000 lol. Is it worth doing?
personally i've found having the front repainted cheaper lol

Cheers

what event?
check bold.
if it's among the 3 common tracks here, show up as early as you can. you definitely want some protection from the sun-- Sebring and Homestead have bays. cooler with drinks. some snacks, sandwiches, etc. you'll probably have to refuel after your third session, all 3 tracks have gas stations outside of the track. don't refuel inside, it's like $13 a gallon. be mindful of tires temps and psi

 

[FLtrackdays]

1. Did I make the right choice on brake pads? I was debating on whether I should've went with a hybrid or pure track pad and figured since I had enough life on the OEM ones I could just switch them out after I'm done with the track day.

2. Does anyone switch from track pads to OEM pads back and forth? Is it okay on your rotors? Does anyone just run track pads full time? This car is technically my daily but I WFH and use my Gf's Tesla for 90% of daily driving duty.

3. I have medium life on my tires (Per dealership). Will that be safe/okay before my track day? I know that PS4s aren't the best on the track and don't last too long.

4. Should I prioritize the HANS device, the 18' Square wheels, sway bars or something totally different next? I try to only spend money from interest accrued from my HYSA so there will be a large gap in between acquiring these.

5. Are there any suggestions/alternatives that you guys may suggest to what I've listed above? Was thinking about doing full body PPF but was quoted $7000 lol. Is it worth doing?

Cheers

Well done Levophed ? You’ve definitely done your homework! My personal opinions to your questions:

1) Great choice! Those will last you a long time before you out drive those pads. They are fine for the street as well. As long as you don’t mind a bit of noise at times and lots of dust. If you want to try Project Mu Club Racers, lemme know and I’ll sell you mine. They’re brand new. I made the mistake and tried their 999s and unable to look back ?

2) I use to. What a pain in the ass. Just keep the same pads and rotors on. Anyone that hears a bit of squeal will know it’s a track car. They are fantastic pads that can serve both duties.

3) You won’t be Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen on your 1st track day and will be fine. After that get some stickier tires (not slicks) if you decide you want to keep tracking.

4) Absolutely get the Hans Hybrid-S if you decide to continue. You can use it riding shotgun or with a regular seats & belt and even when you do make the switch someday to a 5 or 6 point harness.

5) They should offer a track PPF package. It’ll exclude the roof and other higher parts of the car and cost about ½ the price.

 

[ky.supra]

Hi everyone,

I have my first track day coming up in December I ordered several things that I will installing on my car soon. Realized I probably should've asked the forums before pulling the trigger but nonetheless just want to make sure I made safe choices and am going in the right direction. I have currently already ordered:

1. 60/30 DTC Hawk brake pads (Was debating between these, Project Mu Club Racers or CSG C21 & C11)
2. Castrol SRF Racing brake fluid (Didn't know if this or Endless RF-650 was better, went with SRF bc it was cheaper lol)
3. Verus Engineering Master Cylinder Brace
4. Racequip Pro20 Full Face Helmet
On stock suspension, stock wheels and on PS4s 275-35 rear and 255-35 front.

Later down the line what I have planned (Not ordered yet but will probably buy after trackday if I'm super into it):

1. Titan 7 T-S5 Forged wheels 18x10.7 squared
2. Hankook RS4 275-40-18 all around
3. Simpson Racing Hybrid S HANS
4. Eibach front and rear Sway Bar
5. Garmin Catalyst or AIM solo

I guess some questions that I have about above:

1. Did I make the right choice on brake pads? I was debating on whether I should've went with a hybrid or pure track pad and figured since I had enough life on the OEM ones I could just switch them out after I'm done with the track day.

2. Does anyone switch from track pads to OEM pads back and forth? Is it okay on your rotors? Does anyone just run track pads full time? This car is technically my daily but I WFH and use my Gf's Tesla for 90% of daily driving duty.

3. I have medium life on my tires (Per dealership). Will that be safe/okay before my track day? I know that PS4s aren't the best on the track and don't last too long.

4. Should I prioritize the HANS device, the 18' Square wheels, sway bars or something totally different next? I try to only spend money from interest accrued from my HYSA so there will be a large gap in between acquiring these.

5. Are there any suggestions/alternatives that you guys may suggest to what I've listed above? Was thinking about doing full body PPF but was quoted $7000 lol. Is it worth doing?

Cheers

4. Eibach front and rear Sway Bar - Just do the front sway bar if this is mostly a street car. Rear sway bar requires dropping the rear subframe and at that point, you might as well do the upper arms and mounts.

1. & 2. You'll be fine with stock pads since this is your first track day you won't be chasing seconds or pushing the pace as much as you think. You'll spend more time learning your car and the track itself. I did my first two track days on stock pads and I was fine.

3. Get an alignment if you haven't and run proper tire pressure at the track. You'll be fine with the tires.

4. Camber plates + HKS adjustable Springs on factory struts to clear and run 18" square setup with 275/40/18 and more camber up front. Depending on your budget, you can skip the springs and go for aftermarket coils such as JRZ, MCS, and Ohlins. You can either opt for camber plates or verkline (dont get SPL) FLCA to get your camber up front

5. Tires, Fluids, Pads, Rotors + Seat time + more seat time + even more seat time. I don't have full body ppf on my vehicle but if you want peace of mind, get the entire front end done.

 

[F348]

Which track are you going to?

As a beginner, I would not suggest Hawk DTC. They require much more heat to work properly. I would suggest you start with the street pads and see how it goes. Then you can upgrade to something like the 9012s. Once you see that you are eating those up, then go to DTC.

The only change I would make to the car to start, is upgrading the brake fluid.

The next thing I would suggest is the Hybrid S. Safety first.

 

[Bug2th]

If this is the first hpde day that Toyota gives you then check if you get a discount for a second day. I didn’t realize this and in hind sight would have done it. It think the second day was (would have been) half off at the time I did it.

 

[Levophed]

what event?
check bold.
if it's among the 3 common tracks here, show up as early as you can. you definitely want some protection from the sun-- Sebring and Homestead have bays. cooler with drinks. some snacks, sandwiches, etc. you'll probably have to refuel after your third session, all 3 tracks have gas stations outside of the track. don't refuel inside, it's like $13 a gallon. be mindful of tires temps and psi

Haha funny enough it won't be in Florida, but it's going to be Streets of Willow CW. Thank you!

 

[Levophed]

Well done Levophed ? You’ve definitely done your homework! My personal opinions to your questions:

1) Great choice! Those will last you a long time before you out drive those pads. They are fine for the street as well. As long as you don’t mind a bit of noise at times and lots of dust. If you want to try Project Mu Club Racers, lemme know and I’ll sell you mine. They’re brand new. I made the mistake and tried their 999s and unable to look back ?

2) I use to. What a pain in the ass. Just keep the same pads and rotors on. Anyone that hears a bit of squeal will know it’s a track car. They are fantastic pads that can serve both duties.

3) You won’t be Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen on your 1st track day and will be fine. After that get some stickier tires (not slicks) if you decide you want to keep tracking.

4) Absolutely get the Hans Hybrid-S if you decide to continue. You can use it riding shotgun or with a regular seats & belt and even when you do make the switch someday to a 5 or 6 point harness.

5) They should offer a track PPF package. It’ll exclude the roof and other higher parts of the car and cost about ½ the price.

Thank you for your friendly advice. I appreciate you. Will look into track pack PPF, might try and do temporary PPF too

 

[Levophed]

If this is the first hpde day that Toyota gives you then check if you get a discount for a second day. I didn’t realize this and in hind sight would have done it. It think the second day was (would have been) half off at the time I did it.

Unfortunately not going to be the free one this time. Thank you

 

[Levophed]

Which track are you going to?

As a beginner, I would not suggest Hawk DTC. They require much more heat to work properly. I would suggest you start with the street pads and see how it goes. Then you can upgrade to something like the 9012s. Once you see that you are eating those up, then go to DTC.

The only change I would make to the car to start, is upgrading the brake fluid.

The next thing I would suggest is the Hybrid S. Safety first.

Going to be going to Streets of Willow CW. I think I'll just go with stock pads for my first day then and run them until i can't anymore. Thank you!

 

[Levophed]

Send it as is.

Have a good coach ride along for your first several track days.

Catalyst and HANS next.

Get lots more seat time.

Start modding the car when your lap times have dropped and become consistent.

Will definitely get coaching! I think I will prioritize getting a lap timer/data logger next, I do a lot of simracing and am always looking at VRS tele data to find those last tenths. Do you have any experience with the Catalyst and the Aim Solo 2 DL? Based off my research seems like the Garmin catalyst doesn't give you a lot of data (Throttle, Brake, Yaw rate, optimal vs. best sector times)

 

[Oodis]

Hi everyone,

I have my first track day coming up in December I ordered several things that I will installing on my car soon. Realized I probably should've asked the forums before pulling the trigger but nonetheless just want to make sure I made safe choices and am going in the right direction. I have currently already ordered:

1. 60/30 DTC Hawk brake pads (Was debating between these, Project Mu Club Racers or CSG C21 & C11)
2. Castrol SRF Racing brake fluid (Didn't know if this or Endless RF-650 was better, went with SRF bc it was cheaper lol)
3. Verus Engineering Master Cylinder Brace
4. Racequip Pro20 Full Face Helmet
On stock suspension, stock wheels and on PS4s 275-35 rear and 255-35 front.

Later down the line what I have planned (Not ordered yet but will probably buy after trackday if I'm super into it):

1. Titan 7 T-S5 Forged wheels 18x10.7 squared
2. Hankook RS4 275-40-18 all around
3. Simpson Racing Hybrid S HANS
4. Eibach front and rear Sway Bar
5. Garmin Catalyst or AIM solo
6. RK Track Exhaust

I guess some questions that I have about above:

1. Did I make the right choice on brake pads? I was debating on whether I should've went with a hybrid or pure track pad and figured since I had enough life on the OEM ones I could just switch them out after I'm done with the track day.

2. Does anyone switch from track pads to OEM pads back and forth? Is it okay on your rotors? Does anyone just run track pads full time? This car is technically my daily but I WFH and use my Gf's Tesla for 90% of daily driving duty.

3. I have medium life on my tires (Per dealership). Will that be safe/okay before my track day? I know that PS4s aren't the best on the track and don't last too long.

4. Should I prioritize the HANS device, the 18' Square wheels, sway bars or something totally different next? I try to only spend money from interest accrued from my HYSA so there will be a large gap in between acquiring these.

5. Are there any suggestions/alternatives that you guys may suggest to what I've listed above? Was thinking about doing full body PPF but was quoted $7000 lol. Is it worth doing?

Cheers

Bloke

A proper alignment is generally needed as these cars come from factory not correctly aligned

Stock pads are fine to begin with (embrace the dust) but fluid change is all good and SRF is pretty good shit

Its going to take you a while to out drive this chassis unless you have done a lot of tracking before

Keep traction control on for a bit to get a feel for how the car reacts and then do the 1 press option and if your ready go full send with traction off (this might take a while to get here, especially on stock tires )

Remember to have fun, no sheep stations are up for grabs

Cheers

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