New and looking to get onto the track, but need advice

Take it to an event and find out? Make sure the fluids are all topped off and ramp up slowly. Listen to your instructor. See if it's something you are into and then trade it in on a miata.

I would start with a few autocross events to get your feet wet and see if you like driving the car.  It's cheap and plently of people to help you out with instruction.  Next I'd look for an HPDE type event with a Novice group where you can get in-car instruction.

A Camaro SS would make a great track car but even a 4 cyl or V6 would be fantastic learner car and still be plenty fast.  Of course there is always the "M" word too.  I've never dabbled so I'll let someone else tell you about those.

The best car to take to the track is the one you own.

That said, a Monte Carlo SS is pretty heavy, has reasonable power, but is not that fast through the corners, which means it's going to be heavy on brake use.  I'd recommend making sure you have lots of brake pad material and flush the system with a high-quality fluid.  No need to go crazy with the racing fluid, but something like Valvoline synthetic is a good idea.  If you're doing this in the summer you'll also want to make sure that the cooling system is in good working order.  You'll also want to make sure there's plenty of tread on the tires and that it's got a decent alignment.

Lots of threads out there covering what to bring with you, have fun!  Driving your car on track can be a very addicting hobby. :)

Patientzero said:

I would start with a few autocross events to get your feet wet and see if you like driving the car.  It's cheap and plently of people to help you out with instruction.  Next I'd look for an HPDE type event with a Novice group where you can get in-car instruction.

 

A Camaro SS would make a great track car but even a 4 cyl or V6 would be fantastic learner car and still be plenty fast.  Of course there is always the "M" word too.  I've never dabbled so I'll let someone else tell you about those.

So early on at least, there's no reason to trade my Monte SS for something smaller and faster?

I've watched some autocross, those cars all seemed pretty small and nimble.

You'll see all sorts running autocross. Give it a go and you'll be surprised at the various cars that show up.

Welcome to the Fun House!

Run what you've got. It'll do fine with a bit of maintenance. Don't do what most people do: put off getting in track until they have the perfect car or setup. Novice group on the first several days it doesn't matter what you're driving. Just get out there. At Sonoma we had several Prius and other humble cars and they weren't the slowest in the group (not that it matters) and they had a blast (that does matter!).

After a few days you can tell more what you want out of your car and can think about getting something else or just improving your current car. 

AutoX you really don't even need to worry about that much maintenance. Just make sure it's mostly bolted together and the wheels won't fall off. ;)

Seriously, run whatever car you have. Autocross is super cheap; HPDE track days will give you ample time with an instructor to explore the limits of your car and improve your skill. Get on track a few times, see how you like it, explore what types of things you enjoy, then start thinking about another car.

David Williams said:

So early on at least, there's no reason to trade my Monte SS for something smaller and faster?

I've watched some autocross, those cars all seemed pretty small and nimble.

Not at all.  Autocross is a great starting point for learning car control and where to look at lower speeds and a safer environment than a track.  I know people autocrossing Chevelles and trucks and I've personally ran my Ford Fusion when my Mustang was down.

Ok, thanks guys. Seems like the smartest thing to do is learn to drive the Monte at its limits, then decide of I want to step up to a higher performing car.

In reply to David Williams :

Definitely no need for a new car for the first few times.  It's probably better if you don't.  Figure out if you even enjoy it first, and what you enjoy most. Some people love high horsepower, some people prefer light and quick. I've driven both and as someone with limited natural talent, I've found I like a more modestly powered lighter car that I can really push to its limits vs. a monster that I can't keep up with. (not full on miata modest, but not a z06 either, like e46 3 series ish)

I'd definitely recommend a full brake fluid flush with good quality high temp fluid (ate type 200 is probably the cheapest fluid that I'd be comfortable with - not all "dot 4" fluids are the same)  and make sure you have a decent set of pads.  It's scary to suddenly lose brakes, especially for a novice.  In fairness my "home track" is exceptionally hard on brakes so YMMV.

Just go out with what you have, listen to your instructor(hopefully you get a good one), stay relaxed and have fun.  If the bug bites you, and it probably will, you'll know what you want.  (turns out I'm a BMW guy, I didn't know that going in, lol)

As for autocross, and I know I'll get spat on for saying this, I tried it and found it incredibly boring.  Standing around picking up cones all day for 3 minutes of driving is not my idea of fun.  That said, some people love it, and more power to them - you might be one of them.  My point is, If you try that first, and don't get what the fuss is about, don't let that discourage you from a track day(and vice versa... I guess, I'm biased though).  Two totally different animals.

Lastly, I'd definitely recommend going with an instructor vs. just showing up at an SCCA track night and trying to figure it out yourself.  There is a surprising amount to learn, and better to learn the "right" way first than picking up bad habits before even getting in to it...

Just sign up and go already!!!!

p.s. I think you'll probably find that you'll  want a dedicated track "beater" that you aren't afraid of breaking, and willing to take some weight out of(gutting) rather than taking a nice new Camaro out there and worrying about scuffing the paint...  

I'm an HPDE instructor, I highly recommend the novice group with most organizations. PittRace has some good house instructors, and BMWCCA, NASA, PCA, and Autointerests all run good HPDE programs for newbies. (I'm sure others do too, but those are the only ones I can vouch for.) 

Your car may not be perfect for track use, but I've instructed everything from a VW alltrac to a 69 mustang that was held together with bailing wire and liquid gasket, so you'll be fine.

I hate autocross, but I can't navigate cones even with a map, a GPS, and somebody to follow.

cbaclawski said:

As for autocross, and I know I'll get spat on for saying this, I tried it and found it incredibly boring. 

The key to enjoying autocross is going to events where you know a bunch of other people.  That way you're not spending all day standing around in the sun for 4 minutes of driving, you're spending the day hanging out with your friends and doing some driving as well.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

cbaclawski said:

As for autocross, and I know I'll get spat on for saying this, I tried it and found it incredibly boring. 

The key to enjoying autocross is going to events where you know a bunch of other people.  That way you're not spending all day standing around in the sun for 4 minutes of driving, you're spending the day hanging out with your friends and doing some driving as well.

 

I've found that when I go to an autocross event, even if I don't know anyone, I'll probably have a few new friends before I leave. 

Thanks again everbody. Guess I'll hold on to the Monte for now. Looks like with a certain amount of modding, I could get it close to 300 hp. That still leaves it though with an auto tranny and FWD, but probably makes the most sense overall.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

cbaclawski said:

As for autocross, and I know I'll get spat on for saying this, I tried it and found it incredibly boring. 

The key to enjoying autocross is going to events where you know a bunch of other people.  That way you're not spending all day standing around in the sun for 4 minutes of driving, you're spending the day hanging out with your friends and doing some driving as well.

 

I've found that when I go to an autocross event, even if I don't know anyone, I'll probably have a few new friends before I leave. 

Maybe I just went to the wrong event, but it was pretty tough to make any friends, or even hang out with friends I may have already had, as it seemed that I was either in the car by myself sitting in grid, or spaced out standing on the 125 degree pavement waiting for someone to hit a cone...  I'm willing to give it another shot, but not in a hurry to do so...

Autocross is as much about socialization as it is about racing.  And the best thing is, even the most introverted person will get adopted by someone.

I've autocrossed a ton of "not suitable" vehicles.  Your only real competition is your own last time, so benchmark that.  Work at getting better.  You will have a ton of fun.

I'm not sure about an HPDE in that car . . . but I would try it if it were my only option.

I'm an HPDE instructor. I had a novice student in a new Mustang last year. We wound up behind a guy in an old Focus station wagon. Focus guy lost us in the turns. I told my student to watch what he was doing and put his car in the same places. Focus guy knew what he was doing.

When I finished my Spec E30 BMW years ago I did some HPDE events to learn the car before I went racing. I had a kid in a bone stock E30 make me look like a fool. He could drive that thing within an inch of it's life. All my fancy suspension meant nothing.

Point I'm making is the car, at least starting out, will not be a factor. There is a whole lot to learn as a noob in HPDE. You'll be surprised by how fast you can go in that autotragic equipped Monte. And at some point you will find that the car is holding you back...but that is probably several weekends away.

NASA Great Lakes has an HPDE coming up in July at Pitt Race.  They have some of the best HPDE instruction/classes I've encountered.  I'll be there instructing, and am happy to help walk you through your first event if you'd like, it is nice to have someone you "know" at your first event. 

David Williams said:

Thanks again everbody. Guess I'll hold on to the Monte for now. Looks like with a certain amount of modding, I could get it close to 300 hp. That still leaves it though with an auto tranny and FWD, but probably makes the most sense overall.

Don't even worry about adding power.  HP is the least of your problems!  Just learn to drive.  I prefer RWD, but plenty of fast FWD cars out there.  Does your auto have "manual mode"? I'm pretty confident a top level driver would take me to gapplebees in your car as it sits while I'm driving a full on track build.

Priorities for a car you take on track for HPDE should be something like this:

1) safety

2) reliability

3a) cost and availability of consumables

3b) consequences (financial and other) of crashing it

4) heat management

... and so forth.  Power is down around 8 or 9. A fast driver can drive just about anything fast, and it's actually more fun to whip a slow car to within an inch of it's life. All those guys driving Miatas aren't dumb.  If you're actually racing, the priorities change a bit. 

Sonic said:

NASA Great Lakes has an HPDE coming up in July at Pitt Race.  They have some of the best HPDE instruction/classes I've encountered.  I'll be there instructing, and am happy to help walk you through your first event if you'd like, it is nice to have someone you "know" at your first event. 

Thanks Sonic. I went to send you a PM about it, but the site won't let me send because I'm new. Please drop me a message when you can.

cbaclawski said:

Maybe I just went to the wrong event, but it was pretty tough to make any friends, or even hang out with friends I may have already had, as it seemed that I was either in the car by myself sitting in grid, or spaced out standing on the 125 degree pavement waiting for someone to hit a cone...  I'm willing to give it another shot, but not in a hurry to do so...

Generally speaking I don't sit in the car on grid.  I'll pull it up to grid then get out and chat with the people gridded next to me.  Often I'll push it up as the front of the line moves rather than starting it (easy on a Miata).

As for working the course, it depends on the organization.  Around here the more organized groups typically have specific corner stations with 2-3 people at them, one to radio in cone count, one to run to pick them up, and the third on the fire extinguisher.  As long as you don't pick the corner that everyone spins at, you can usually chat with the other workers at your station. :)

I autocrossed, HPDE, and race an 89 Taurus SHO. Similar to your Monte. FWD, heavy family car.

SCCA Track Night In America is good place to start. It's cheaper than a whole weekend HPDE. I paid $160 for 3 20 minute sessions. It's well organized and run. 
 

Like others said, flush the brake fluid with ATE 200 DOT4, or similar high temp fluid. If your car has ceramic brake pads, change them for Hawk or other high performance pads.

After you've done a couple events, to me the best mod to the car is wider wheels with sticky(200TW) tires. Quicker cornering will be more fun than more HP. My Taurus is still stock basically. For racing there's no cats, so there's a mild bump in power(15hp???). Even with better shocks, wheels and tires, Miatas usually have quicker lap times. 
 

Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley on YouTube are great teaching videos. 
 

Have fun, that's the most important part. And remember, Penske ain't calling.