Page 66 - Jan2023

Tr a c k R a t s

a c ol umn f or Vint age and Moder n Rac er s

(or t hose t hinking t hey Might l ike t o giv e it a Go)

By Shar on St ew ar t and her guest s,

i
t his mont h: Jm Mit c hel l

The Three Essent ials for Track Preparat ion ( hint : a new wing for added downforce is not an
essent ial)

So now that we?ve decided when and where our big noticeable upgrade from my stock pads that I
day at the track is going to be and we have some kept them on my car even after the track day and
personal safety gear acquired, it?s the time to get used them on the street. This pad held up to the
our car in fighting condition. Let's talk car prep! repeated heavy braking at the track when i
started out and got me through my time as a
The three essential things to preparing for any and
novice.
every track day, whether you're a novice or a
seasoned track rat, are: installing upgraded brake As I got faster I moved up to the DTC 60 and DTC
pads, using only high temp brake fluid, and fitting 70 compounds. Think of the 50, 60, and 70
the right tires tires. compounds as novice, intermediate , and
advanced levels. Also, keep in mind that some
Would You Trust Your Life t o Your Brake cars will require a slightly less aggressive pad in
Pads? If You're not sure, read t his sect ion the rear, depending on the car?s factory designed
carefully. brake bias.

Hawk performance brake pads have long been
my choice for track days and for my daily driver.
Before you ask,--no , I?m not sponsored by them nor
am I being paid to talk about their product.

I remember starting out years ago looking for a
"track pad" for my first track day and it was very
confusing with different colors, compound codes
etc. cluttering up the picture. Hawk?s descriptions of
their pads was so straight -forward that it took all
the guess work out of the equation for me.

Simply seeing the term "track day pad" in the
description was a relief. The DTC 50 pad was such a

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