yamahaSHO

I got a laugh out of this one.


I want to do more AutoX'ing, but then I just go stand outside for a little bit and think naw.

Seriously though, I would like to do more AutoX, but as SlowTeg pointed out, the in between time is very boring and the amount of drive time is low.

Driven

Jesus... you guys are giving him a list of stuff that is, frankly, too long.

For the very first track day, this is what you need to do:
1. Take your car to a proper mechanic and have them go over the car. Have a professional tech the car. Do NOT self tech... you WILL miss something. This includes having the mechanic do the proper maintenance... such as brake bleeding/flush, oil, rad fluid, proper tire inflation and tread depth, brake pad life, etc, etc.

2. Remove all loose items from the interior.

3. Listen to your instructor.

4. Have fun.


The first track day is about learning the line and exhibiting car control. If you're experiencing brake fade on autozone specials on your first track day, you need to slow down.

On your subsequent track days, then follow the advice of above.

Driven

Now, once you've determined that tracking your car is something you want to do:

1. Rollbar with harness bar. Fixed back FIA seat. 5-6-7 point harness. HNR system (ie. HANS). This isn't a piece mail list. This is ALL or NONE. Your stock safety equipment will work better than mismatching these safety items.

2. Brake pads and fluid. Project MUs are good. Carbotechs are good too. Any fluid with a dry boiling temp of 500'.

3. Catch can for those pesky right handers.

4. Tires. RS3s or R-comps. RS3s are the fastest street tire.

5. Suspension. Leave it alone until you are within a second of the fastest stock S2000s. Once you've done that, then do a front bar. Once you've gotten use to that, then do springs. Got use to that... sell the springs, then do a proper coilover system. A S2000 on eibach springs and stock shocks is faster than a coilover system that isn't set up properly.

6. Don't waste your money on "rigid collars", they are useless... just tighten your subframe bolts and you'll achieve the same effect. No one has ever won a race or set best lap time because of "rigid collars". See: Vortex generators.

7. Baffled oil pan and an oil cooler. Want your engine to last? Do this first. It can be done for under $500 for both. Worth. Every. Penny.

Zygrene

This. DOT4 brake fluid, OEM or cheap OEM replacement rotors from your local Autozone/O'Reilly, Hawk HP+ or better brake pads, and make sure you have enough tire tread remaining. Might also want to get an alignment to prevent uneven tire wear and unstable handling.

All the other stuff that was listed is probably too much for your first track day. Don't even touch your suspension. Start with the essentials.

Ricky_Flowers_

I second this. Your car does not need more than good fluids and maybe, MAYBE better brake pads for you to go out and have fun in. If you're tall, maybe consider a bucket seat so you're able to pass the broomstick test, but seriously that's about it.

//steve\\

I've got a set of HC+800 pads lightly used that I'll sell for half their new cost.

Themikewoo

To figure out optimal tire pressures.

blueosprey90

Subtitle "Advice on upgrades for track days"

For your first track day, you don't need any upgrades. But many track day organizers in the States recommend replacing brake fluid with DOT 4 or better (higher temp) and replacing stock pads with competition pads. It takes a guy with 10 thumbs about 90 minutes to swap out his pads. I usually swap them out at home and drive them to the track and back. You can get by with decent stock pads for your first track day or two.

Depending on the track day organization, you may need a roll bar. But here in the states, there are several organizations that allow a stock S2000 so long as the driver's helmet is below a "broomstick" laid on the top of the windshield and the roll hoop. I don't have a roll bar on my car - but I don't drive like a maniac and try to stay within my limits. Run top up and no one will see if you have a slight infraction.

You will need a proper helmet. Snell SA 2015 comes out in October. Until then a SA 2010 will have to do.

Start with decent tires and tire pressure at 32 psi cold.

The chalk everyone is joking about is so that you can mark the sides of your tires to see how much they roll on cornering. More air pressure = less roll. But more pressure may also = less grip. You don't really need to worry about that too much at 32 psi cold. Once you know how to drive, you can start tweaking your air pressure.

After that,

On an AP-1 check the A-Arms for failure where they mount on the body. Ultimately, they will need to be re-welded

Agree with above posts that you want timing adjustment and AP-2 valve retainers.



Instead of the car, upgrade the driver. Spend your money on track time rather than upgrades or modifications.


Be prepared to have a great time.


You may find this enlightening. https://robrobinette.com/S2000TrackEvolv.htm

Apex1.0

When I arrive at a HPDE I ask two questions right off the bat:

Where is the 1st place trophy?

Where is the beer tent?



No really, good advice above. FYI even though I have been approved to solo, I still usually run with an instructor. I end up having more fun, the comradery is great. Every instructor has something to teach you...

blueosprey90

A voice from the past - nofearofdanger - maybe a decade ago.

"Everyone who has the opportunity to get out on the track should do so. … It's not just the driving, it's everything else that comes along with it. … The new friends you make up there. The sound of cars with tuned exhausts and intakes screaming down the main straight. The smell of burnt petrol, meandering through the air and tickling the nose with a sense of great familiarity. The sight of cars attacking corners like there's no tomorrow. It really is like nothing else. The laughter, the foolishness, the enthusiasm, the passion. It all comes together to give you an unexplainable feeling. … It's a petrol-head's sensory delight. …

Engine singing like an angry demon, brake hard, the nose of the car dips as the mass transfers onto the front axle and your neck resists against the longitudinal G-forces. Enter the corner, look for the apex. Turn hard. Clip it. Lateral G-forces generated by your Direzzas push and pull on your entire body. Slowly ease on the gas as corner exit, then wide open as the car is pointing forwards.

An assault on your physical and mental stamina, but in the most glorious of ways. When you're on the track, nothing else matters. You don't have to clock an amazing time. You don't have to be modified. You can be a professional or a first timer. All of life's problems seem to wither away into nothingness. The magic occurs when everything amalgamates together into something beyond physical or mental experience. The track allows the car and driver to unite into one, more than you could on the street. It allows you to push that crucial 10% harder. It is worlds apart from street driving. It stirs the soul, deeply, just like Soichiro intended. At the end of the day, you have little to show for what you have just experienced. You're tired as hell, your tires are cooked, your brakes are worn, and countless litres of petrol have been burned but nothing in the world can wipe that smile off your face."