Just out of curiosity, what are you guys spending on average when you take your evos out for a track day...this includes fee for track, brake pads, other wear items, etc? Looking forward to puttingt he car on the track, but $$ situation necesssitate that I do some planning...Please give feedback.


Percy

 

I guess it all depends on the type of event but here it goes: I just got back from a PCA DE which consisted of about 1 hr of track (about one tank of gas).
1. tires $250 (hoosiers down to 3/32)
2. pads $100 (Panther +, 25% worn)
3. fee $100
4. misc $50 (oil, gas, food, drinks...)

 

An average two day HPDE seems to costs $250.
Then $50/night for hotel.(2 nights)
I use stock tires.
One tank of gas per day.
Using dedicated track pads so I might get some good life out of them. ~$300

 

I've heard recommendations to change the oil before/after the event. So you may want to factor that in too.

 

I guess I spend too much...
2-day HPDE: $275-500
Tires: ~$800 (shaved, mounted/balanced) for Kuhmos, good for three weekends tops
Brake pads: $150
Motel: $100
Fuel: for two-day sessions, bring $200 and treat the Evo to race fuel for some sessions.
Food & drink: Whatever you need.

Some thoughts:
1) join some of the car clubs, ie: Audi club, BMWCCA and the like, the joining fee gets you into track events much cheaper than some Drivers School track events.
2) My Evo went through a full tank of fuel in about 74 miles on track, dont even think about 20-something mpg.
3) Tire costs and life vary greatly by brand and how hard you drive.
4) Bring plenty of Gatorade/powerade, keep yourself hydrated.
5) Plan on getting hooked, and then spending more!

 

I only avg. about 4-6 mpg at the track depending on how hard I drive.

 

How many track days/hours are people getting out of track pads, like Hawk Blues?

 

And shouldn't this go in the brakes/tires/wheels forum? =)

 

Nope. Because while some of the wear items are brakes and tires, the question was a general one regarding track day costs...which is why I am leaving it in the General forum for now.


My track days usually end up fairly similar in price to what Jason outlined. I was rarely getting more than 7mpg in my Evo on course. You can easily go through a tank of gas every 40 mins of driving.

Another thing to consider if this is your first event....

1. Brake fluid swap. Losing the OEM fluid and replacing it with Motul RBF600 will cost about $12 a quart. It will take 2-3 quarts to fill the cars braking system.

2. If you use your OEM tires, you will have to replace them shortly after the event. $1000

3. If the track is brake intensive, you will likely have to replace stock pads (maybe rotors if you warped them) after the event.

4. Gotta have your own helmet. HPDE's usually don't have any helmets to lend.

 

Panther XP here...

Front: down to about 50% after 2 full weekends.

Rear: very min wear. Still got at least 80% left to go around.

 

A friend of mine races his vette. I was surprised at the cost. About $1,000 for the weekend. Tires, gas, fees, etc. It's an expensive hobby. Plus he put thousands in mods over the years. Plus not street legal, so a trailer to get it there, hotel, food.
Tires/pads are the biggest expense. I know he has a deal where he gets used tires for racing which are much cheaper than new. I don't know the details, though.

 

I think, like many other things, how much you spend depends on how much you WANT to spend.

Want to go on the cheap? You can often camp at or near the track.

You can run your stock pads until they wear out, then I'll bet some other track people might be willing to toss you their half-used stock pads... My own experience, as well as many customers', would indicate that the stock pad compound has a tendency to rub off and clump on the rotors during track use, causing pedal shake.

My stock tires have lasted at least three or four hours of on-track use (with varying amounts of thrashing), and have plenty of tread left. I try not to slide a whole lot, so I may be easier on tires than some. If you hear the tires howling, you're using them up fast. (It's so fun, though!) Longer track sessions will be harder on 'em than shorter ones, because of the built-up heat. Twistier tracks will be much harder on tires than ones with lots of long straights.

Hoosiers are by far the stickiest track tire, but are also the shortest-lived. Most DOT-rated R-compounds should last a good season of track days. You can't get 235/45R17 Kuhmo V700's, but you can get 225/45R17 or 245/45R17 for only $154 each. Mount 'em on some cheapo rims and your stock tires will last the 10,000 miles you were promised!

Motul or ATE brake fluid is great, but Ford Heavy Duty is pretty good, too, and it's cheap.

You don't have to be the fastest car on the track to have a great time. And if you're in an Evo, you'll certainly be one of the fastest street cars anyway!

--Dan
Mach V
MachEVO.com

 

Percy,

If money is really tight, then don't go to the track! You'll get hooked faster than crack and end up spending all your money on driving events. I've heard someone say, "racing is a disease, and bankruptcy is the only cure." I think that sums it up!

In all seriousness, driving events don't have to be expensive. BMW CCA events generally run about $100-150 a day, which gets you 4 sessions of 20-30 min each (with instructor) plus a few classroom sessions, banquet dinner, t-shirt, etc. Not bad. It's true you need a helmet, but most clubs will let you use a motorbike helmet if it's your very first event. You should be able to borrow one from someone you know.

If you invest in a set of track pads, they can last a bunch of weekends. You should run street tires at first, since you'll chew up r-compounds in no time if you don't know what you're doing. Your street tires can last a bunch of weekends as long as you drive smoothly (which is what you're supposed to be doing anyway). You'll need a tank or two of high-octane per day.

You can camp out at the track (you can usually talk the groundskeepers into letting you take a track walk, too!) and bring a cooler with Gatorade and sandwiches and stuff. Bottom line, you're looking at about $500 for a 2-day school on average.

Emre

 

so true...

 

It looks like sooo much fun tho