[Norm Peterson]

I bleed my brakes before every track event. Not a complete flush, just whatever it takes to have clear fluid coming out of every bleed fitting (for me, this has usually been about half a liter). That gets the most severely beat-up fluid out of the system and probably does end up changing essentially all of the fluid every 3 or 4 times out. Just not all at once. Motul RBF600, FWIW.

I would think that SS rotors (14" / 14.4"?) are big enough to support running in at least intermediate-level groups, but I think at that level you would definitely need more track-focused pads. You'd want them, at least for the greater confidence that they'll still be there for you toward the end of a session. I went to Carbotech's XP8 pads for my second track day ever, up from a "performance street" pad that was only slightly better than OE. "Outgrew" those about four events later, moved up to XP10's, and am about to go up one more step to an XP12/XP10 combination.

My only potential disclaimer here is that it's based on MT experience only; if your car is an automatic it probably tends to be a bit harder on brakes and you might want to move up to track pads a bit sooner or choose a higher rated compound for at least the front brakes.

Getting hard on the brakes quickly and hard (as opposed to gradually like almost everybody always does in street driving) will have you catching lots of drivers with comparable track experience under braking. Do this smoothly, more like quickly squeezing on them vs the panic-braking stomp that may be your only previous experience with fast hard braking.

One school of thought has higher temperature rated track pads behaving as better heat insulators where the caliper pistons, seals, and ultimately the fluid are all concerned.

Keep an eye on your rotors. They will most likely "heat-check", or develop small random-direction micro-cracks. If you can catch your fingernail on them, that rotor and its twin on the other side are all done.


Benchmarks? You're using the entire track width because you have to, not because it feels "cool" to be driving "on the racing line". On street tires, you expect them to be talking to you in the corners instead of taking the sound as the precursor to imminent disaster. You may be steering the car with the throttle in some of the longer turns.


Welcome to the addiction.


Norm