I'm going to VIR this weekend and will be participating in the Hyperdrive, which is just 20 minutes on-track with an instructor. I know this is going to be far from "real" track driving (well I dont know but I'm thinking i'll be pretty slow at best) and I want any advice you guys have, mainly brake pads, then tires.

I need new pads soon for the street, so I was thinking of getting the axxis/pbr ultimates before this event and leaving them on. I am wondering how important a good pad is for this type of track experience? I have zero experience in track or auto-x

I dont really want to shell out big bucks for a race pad when I dont need it, and I feel like at my level I cant really justify having them.

The other thing is my tires... I have kuhmo ast's (boo) but they're in great shape, under 5k on them probably. I plan to run these since I dont care about them, they'll hold up fine, right? I figure they'll suck, but just worried about the amount of wear i'll experience. Again, I have no clue.

This "event" is probably much less of a big deal than I think, so feel free to bash me, but I would like any advice you have for me, thanks.

 

porterfield r4-s's or HP+s might do the trick, ultimates if comparable. You'll quickly find the speeds that you get up to with the turbo necessitates better brakes, even on a lazy day track event. At 170rwhp I ate through a brand new set of PBC redstuff, which were recommended to me as a good "light duty" track pad...funny now that I think of it, the green stuff pads I had on the street worked better than them my first track day at 160rwhp.

the problem is you're going to make heat, and most street pads cannot handle it and you'll fade and boil **** fast. My first trackday ever I was trying to stop from 120+mph on a 1/2 mile straight with HPS pads, they glazed over instantly. I had to end my session and swap pads.

 

If it's your first track event you likely won't brake hard enough to get through a set of street/ax pads. VIR Full is pretty easy on brake pads as well, decent amount of time between the brake zones for things too cool down some. Your instructor isn't going to be pushing you to compress your braking zones in a single 20 minute session either.

I made it through a weekend at CMP (Hard on brakes) and a weekend at VIR-N with a set of HP+s. I'm NA though not turbo. I typically entered the braking zone for turn 1 at VIR at about 115mph indicated. I'm currently NA but I'm lowered and have some bolt ons. Towards the end of the braking zone the HP+s required a good bit more pressure to maintain braking but I never had issues with boiling fluid or glazing the pads. I switched over to HT-10s though and it's night and day difference between the pads.

Tires should be good as well make sure they are all inflated well, there is air available by the tech shed at VIR.

What you 100% want to make sure you do is flush your brake fluid and get some fresh DOT 4 fluid in there.

If you're in Raleigh come out and autocross with THSCC, our next event is at the end of October in Danville, VA. I should hopefully have my car back together by then.

 

hmm thanks guys, I guess I might as well get some hp+ and switch them out... Should I need them all around or could I run lesser pads in the rear, like hps/ultimate/redstuff?

I'm soooo poor after finishing the turbo, this sucks. Oh and I'm checking out THSCC, looks cool I'll try to make a meeting and get involved

 

id look at the price difference between r4-s and hp+. hawks dust and squeal like crazy.

 

Um...my opinion differs from everyone else here. I recommend you get a set of real pads and swap them at the track. Even on my first day at 86whp I was taking HP+ over the limit. Hawk blue is cheap and will get the job done on the front at a minimum. You don't have enough rear brake bias for it to matter back there yet.

 

HP+'s are fine. I've run this whole season on them and havent had any problems with them at all. I dont understand how so many people can say they're hitting the limit with them unless their tracks are just WAYYYYYY harder on the brakes of a stock miata than Summit Point or VIR.

BTW, I'll be there as well, running HPDE2 in the Red/yellow miata. Still stock for now.

 

I agree with this, but in this instance I think he can get away with a double duty pad. When I thought I was going to go back tot eh track again the first thing I bought was a set of XP10s.

 

Not sure you really need anything for a hyper drive. All the NASA events I been to that had a hype drive the cars on the track looked stock and were going at a much slower pace. Now if you plan to go out there and drive hard then its best you upgrade the brake fluid and pads for sure. I drive my miata on the street with ATE-super blue and carbotech xp8s all around and love it. They might be loud at times and dust but damm do they stop. Once my pads need to be replaced I am going to switch over to hawks as I hear they give longer life. Bottom line you really cant go run with upgrading your brakes. Either way have fun and enjoy the event.