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EP3 general track day advice for beginner

Messages
13
Hi everyone,

I have a 100k mile EP3 that I want to use for track days, probably only a few times a year. I'm a bit clueless and have no "car friends" who do this sort of thing to ask for advice (currently going through a quarter-life crisis!). I've done a morning at Goodwood in it with no problems (and lots of fun), but just wondering if there is anything important I should think about before doing more with it? Hoping to do same again as well as a full day at Castle Combe in April. It is my road car so I need to be able to get it home, preferably by driving it! What is the general policy if you break down on track? Is it silly not to bother getting track day insurance?

Also is there anything that you would advise is worth doing to the car to prevent problems or crashes, considering I am on a pretty limited budget? A mechanic told me it might be worth putting upgraded front pads on it such as EBC green as they may need renewing by April anyway. This makes sense to me as I've heard they can suffer from brake fade.

I'm not thinking about any mods to improve performance at the moment as I am considering replacing it at some point this year anyway and, as I say, am on a limited budget.

Also can someone please tell me what "the quarter mile" is referring to? Lots of questions I know but I didn't want to start multiple threads :). Any advice on any of these points much appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Lorna
 
The quarter mile is a 440yd dash (1/4 of a mile) from a standstill, trying to get the lowest time possible. Very popular in the states, not generally something front-wheel-drive cars are great at. :)
 
The quarter mile is a 440yd dash (1/4 of a mile) from a standstill, trying to get the lowest time possible. Very popular in the states, not generally something front-wheel-drive cars are great at. :)

OK thanks Mike, I've never heard of that before... Unsure as to why that is included, and seemingly given preference, in the title of a forum about track days in type Rs on a UK site :lol:
 
It's still a thing people do. I'm personally not a fan of it though.

[video=youtube;iIsT9pYxk5s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIsT9pYxk5s[/video]

As for your other question about important stuff (and I'm sure this has been answered before so someone will definitely chime in). Tyres, and brakes, are likely the big two, general maintenance is also important, pay attention to the various fluids (oil, hydraulic for brakes, cooling). That and being sensible :)

For a little more money you can get he car's alignment/geometry set up better (rear camber arms for 120 or so and front camber bolts for 30, plus fitting, plus the geo setup itself).

Beyond that then the sky's the limit. Better suspension, a decent/safe seat/harness/cage, stripping the interior, more power, a limited-slip-diff, etc. Money is literally no object here.
 
Basics to upgrade are tyres and brake pads to ensure you don’t crash and die. These 2 are the main elements to save yourself both on road and track.
If it’s a car you use regularly then go for a high end road tyre. I used to run Bridgestone RE050a. That’s also the tyre Honda would recommend. (Used to be RE040 but then went to RE050a)
There’s a wide choice for brakes. Avoid EBC green stuff as they’re no better than genuine Honda. Ferrodo DS2500 give a good balance to road and track. Although give it time on track you may soon find the limit to these pads. As you also will with road tyres.
It then turns into a slippery slope. You buy track tyres, better brakes, suspension, engine mods and the next thing you know it’s no longer a road car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It's still a thing people do. I'm personally not a fan of it though.

[video=youtube;iIsT9pYxk5s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIsT9pYxk5s[/video]

As for your other question about important stuff (and I'm sure this has been answered before so someone will definitely chime in). Tyres, and brakes, are likely the big two, general maintenance is also important, pay attention to the various fluids (oil, hydraulic for brakes, cooling). That and being sensible :)

For a little more money you can get he car's alignment/geometry set up better (rear camber arms for 120 or so and front camber bolts for 30, plus fitting, plus the geo setup itself).

Beyond that then the sky's the limit. Better suspension, a decent/safe seat/harness/cage, stripping the interior, more power, a limited-slip-diff, etc. Money is literally no object here.

Wow that looks very boring.

Thanks for your advice. I've just got mid range tyres on it at the moment and I think I may upgrade the front brakes when they need doing soon. And I do plan to be sensible!

Unfortunately money is an object for me at the moment, I'm sure I'm not the first person here to wish I'd picked a cheaper hobby :p
 
Basics to upgrade are tyres and brake pads to ensure you don’t crash and die. These 2 are the main elements to save yourself both on road and track.
If it’s a car you use regularly then go for a high end road tyre. I used to run Bridgestone RE050a. That’s also the tyre Honda would recommend. (Used to be RE040 but then went to RE050a)
There’s a wide choice for brakes. Avoid EBC green stuff as they’re no better than genuine Honda. Ferrodo DS2500 give a good balance to road and track. Although give it time on track you may soon find the limit to these pads. As you also will with road tyres.
It then turns into a slippery slope. You buy track tyres, better brakes, suspension, engine mods and the next thing you know it’s no longer a road car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Lewis,

Thanks for your advice. I hit a nasty pothole recently so replaced with falkens on the front. May look into Bridgestones when I've worn these out. My front brake pads are probably going to be on the way out before I track day it again but I've just spent a small fortune to get it through MOT so not keen to spend any more than I need to. I've just read some good reviews on the DS2500s so considering that. Would you definitely advise spending the extra money or can I get away with standard if I'm careful? Good to know EBC green are not much good, thanks for that. I need to save up a bit before anything else but I am beginning to see just how slippery a slope it could be. Always something to be improved I guess...
 
Brake overhaul, good tires and general engine maintenance is all you need. Suspension will help as well but it's a pricey upgrade (at least Springs, camber arms and Fast Road Set Up should be done though, but ideally coilovers later).

That is the perfect balance for some fun at track and having a decent road car. If you want to go more hardcore later, just buy a cheap daily and then get on with stripping the car, cage, LSD ect..
 
Pads, decent tyres and take your time. Take a pressure gauge and pump with you, you'll find after a few laps that the pressures will sky rocket.
 
I recommend booking a tuition session as well, no one likes to be told how to drive but i found after a session i had loads more confidence. Well worth the £20-£30
 
I recently did my first track day in my EP3. It is totally standard and I didn't have any issues.

What I did, which I think worked well, was do a novice track day and got some tuition.

Track days are great fun.
 
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