I'm going to be going to the Gingerman trackday on 5/24 with the guys in MWIOC. My 05 WRX sedan is completely stock right now. I've been on Gingerman track before since I used to do motorcycle roadracing there a few years back. But this is my first time out on the track with a car. I'm not looking to beat anyone or even bragging rights. I'm just looking to have some fun and learn the capabilities of the WRX. So I'm guessing I won't be going all that fast.

With that said, are there anything that I should do to prepare my car for the track day? 17" rims, track tires, carbon brake pads, lowering springs are all on my wishlist. I've thought about new tires on my 16" rims, maybe a rear sway bar. I only have $200-$300 to spend so if there is anything that I must do to make my trackday safe and fun, then I will do them first.

Any advice would be appreciated guys and gals.

I would leave things stock, Adjust tire pressure and maybe get a brake flush. It wouldn't hurt to have new pads either.
John

Better brake fluid, maybe better pads. Tires would be a bonus :)

BTW, you will have better luck in the Motorsports forum.

Pads definitely. Brake fluid should be just fine.
If you can dish out some more money, I would highly consider new tires asap.

You might also want to consider getting a more aggressive alignment.

You might also want to consider getting a more aggressive alignment.

I have never heard of this kind of mod. What are the advantages of a "aggressive" alignment?

I have never heard of this kind of mod. What are the advantages of a "aggressive" alignment?
By getting more negative camber, you can help keep your car off of the sidewalls of the tires under high cornering loads.

With the RE92's and the stock camber adjustment it's still going to be hard because the RE92's don't have stiff sidewalls. But it would still help.

john

good to know.....thanks :)

DOT4 brake fluid

Either ATE Superblue or Motul 600 would suffice.

Would the stock OEM brake pads not be good enough? By then, I'll have about 1000 miles on the odom. Or will the OEM pads wear out in a trackday?

Would the stock OEM brake pads not be good enough? By then, I'll have about 1000 miles on the odom. Or will the OEM pads wear out in a trackday?
You aren't going to wear them out (mine would probably have lasted to 50-60K even with autocross). But they may fade on you. As long as you are driving within your limits you should be OK, but if you get a quick hang for it and start pushing harder you may see problems and have to back off some.

Performance Alignment, adjust tire pressure, bleed brake lines. Your stock brake pads should be fine, but you will most likely have some brake fade and will definitely smell them cooking. If you wanna spend the cash, get some better pads, but I would wait till you have killed your stock pads. Also Swaybars make a big difference. I would avoid tires unless you plan on having dedicated track tires.

Bring a clear head....driver is the most important performance piece.
Get a good nights rest and eat/drink right. Low energy and/or dehydration will hurt you more than having a stock alignment.

Take a ride w/someone experienced to get to know the course from a cars perspective, then take some 'slow' laps to get your rythem.

Have fun, it's a good track for learning. :)

pump up your tires to around 40ish or even more

With only 300 dollars. New performance pads and brake fluid should be your number one goal. A track day is a lot more fun if you know your car will stop when you dive into a corner.

Wow! You guys have some excellent advice! It looks like I will concentrate on improving my WRX brakes by getting some new pads, which I'll do a search to see which is a good brand, and bleed the brakes.

I really appreciate the answers and I'll make sure to snap some pictures at the track day for you guys to see. :)

Bring a clear head....driver is the most important performance piece.
Get a good nights rest and eat/drink right. Low energy and/or dehydration will hurt you more than having a stock alignment.

Take a ride w/someone experienced to get to know the course from a cars perspective, then take some 'slow' laps to get your rythem.

Have fun, it's a good track for learning. :)

^^

Good advice..

Other people have made some good points too (although I think aggressive alignment changes for someone's first event might be a little much), as far as brake fluid, I have some economical advice for you..

Ford DOT3 HP it's very cheap (~$2/bottle vs. ~$11/bottle for RBF600) and has a dry boiling point of 550F (comparable to any expensive fluid).. The downside is it's DOT3 so will absorb water from the air faster then DOT4 (more hydroscopic), and thus need changing more frequently. Call some local Ford dealers and I'm sure you'll be able to find some..

I agree with all the above.... 1st... brakes. Then tires. That will keep you busy for a while. I've been doing track days with my (previous) 2002 WRX then my current 2004 STi and the only thing I did to either car was brake fluid, pads, and tires. The car is quite capable with those minor mods for a novice to intermediate driver, IMO.

Mike