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Time to read 7 min
Did you guys come out to the SMF Track Days Subaru Edition at Thompson Motor Speedway? There was so many cool Subarus out there on track and it was an absolute blast to be out there with them. One thing I kept getting asked by many of you was, "How can I get on track too?". Or I heard a ton of you explain to me why your car isn't able to go out for HPDE, I'm here to set the record straight it's actually way easier than you think and here are the five things you need to get your Subaru on track - HPDE Edition.
As we go through this list it's important to know that these are not in order of what's more important. Each point is what will make you prepared to go on track and have the most fun! I'd also like to clear up that this is for HPDE, High Performance Driving Education aka Track Days and not for Time Attack or any sort of racing. We will cover that edition in another article so let's walk before we start running and hit the track!
Brakes are something I cannot stress enough (I have a feeling, I will say this to every point I mention). You will need to upgrade brake lines, fluid, pads, and rotors. There is a huge difference on how much heat your daily driving stock brakes and track brakes can handle. Luckily, there'sa nice in-between that we can upgrade to, and this is what I did when I was driving my car to and from the track on the weekend and back to the day job during the week. If you look on the Subimods website you will see in the brakes category there's an option for "complete brake kits", this is what I would do if I had to do it all over again anyways. The fact there's kits helps save some money but, it's always nicer in my opinion to have everything I need together, simple and easy. So, you'll see Stoptech offers a kit with rotors, pads and lines which is everything you'll need minus fluid! The kits you see you'll be able to daily drive and go to and from the track. Don't get caught up in needing a big brake kit or any of that just yet - that'll come when you're starting to get competitive. For the fluids, you'll want to upgrade that or change it so it’s fresh as well so it doesn't boil while you're in a brake zone on track, can confirm that's not a good time. The brake fluid you'll want for HPDE is a FRESH DOT 3 or higher, so like a Motul RBF 600 for example is a great starter choice.
This is probably one of the things I see get overlooked more than safety even when people are starting but it's so crucial. Tires are what help you have grip, grip to stop, grip to go fast and grip to turn so you can imagine how essential it is to have a tire that. It is highly recommended to have a good street tread when you start your HPDE journey so you can tap in to all this available grip - something like a 340- 200 treadwear (ultra-high performance summer tires is what they'll be labeled when you search online) is a great option to learn on and if you're driving to and from the track. Take it from me, it's not the best time to go out on track with the tires that came with the car, especially if they're 500tw - I can't tell you how quickly I corded and destroyed those things and prayed I could make it back home! It goes without saying but, also make sure your tires are in good shape meaning sufficient tread life remaining with no less than 3/32nds of an inch tread depth, no cracking in the sidewalls, or dry rot, not too old (I'd say no more than 5 years old) and at the optimal tire pressure for the track conditions and tire manufacture. One more thing to note on this is to also rotate your tires, pay attention the wear that starts to happen as you track them so you can get the most use out of tires since tires are not cheap!
As a Subaru owner we all know a weak point on them can be the oil system and how it can easily starve without the proper mods when they experience high Gs. To try to mitigate your chance of having issues it's recommended to have the correct oil, baffled oil pan, upgraded oil pickup, and an AOS. Picking the correct oil is step one, if you don't have a built motor most of you will probably be using 5w-30 or a 5w-40 - Motul and Liquid Molly are some of the more popular brands that seem to hold up very well to track abuse just make sure you're doing an oil change before and after each event to ensure the best results. It also gives you a chance to verify there's no sparkles before going to the track day and having a bad day and gives you time to line up a ride to work on Monday! Next modification would be the baffled oil pan, this will help reduce the chance of the oil starvation we mention when you start hitting those high Gs on track. It's also important to note going with a larger oil pan will also help keep the oil cooler too. As a recommendation, Killer B makes a great kit that comes with the larger baffled oil pan and pick up that has not failed me once at tracks like Road Atlanta, a track that makes lots of Subarus unhappy with the long high speed and high G turns. The last thing for oil I'd recommend is an AOS. An AOS, (Air Oil Separator), does what it sounds like it would - it helps separate the oil vapors from the air that's being recirculated back into the engine which helps prevent oil build up in the intake system that would otherwise damage the engine aka ring land failure. The benefit of using an AOS instead of the catch can is the AOS will drain the cleaned oil back into the engine automatically whereas the catch can doesn't filter the oil and you have to manually drain it yourself. There's plenty of good companies that make these too such as Crawford, Perrin, COBB etc., find the best one that fits your application and budget, and you'll thank yourself later.
Now, I know what you're thinking oh it's just HPDE you don't need anything yet but, what I will say is fire does not care if it's a Sunday drive, HPDE or IMSA race. Things happen, especially when you're pushing your vehicle to its limits. The absolute minimum you should have been a fire extinguisher, helmet, and proper harness/seat. Race suit is recommended, even if it's just a cheap one, it's just another layer between you and the fire. I'd argue the same with Nomex shoes and gloves too. It's better to have them than never need them, than not have it and wish you did. Plus, if you're looking at taking this further, it's all required anyway so might as well start to get used to it. For fire extinguishers there's the fire bottle you can mount on the floorboard in front of your passenger seat and there's fire stick fire extinguishers like the Element E50, that can be put just about anywhere. Whichever method you choose to go with just make sure it's something you can easily reach and practice reaching for it with your eyes closed a few times to make it be second nature during an emergency. When it comes to helmets, that's pretty simple, make sure it fits properly and has an up-to-date Snell SA certification. Now with harnesses and seats, you do not use a harness unless you have a proper seat and roll cage/ bar mounted in. If you have a stock car with the stock seats, just use the normal 3-point seat belt and that will be just fine. Now, if you do have a proper roll cage/ bar and seat then you'll need to use a 5 point harness or 6 - do not use the 4 point harness for racing, the 4 point causes more damages to your body than it saves and most organizations don't allow them due to how dangerous they are. One last thing when it comes to helmet with a proper harness and helmet it's also a good idea to get a HANS to really protect yourself from neck damage as well during a crash.
Fun cars make life more fun and so does a good attitude. When you're doing HPDE you're not wining anything nor is anyone going to sign you as a full-time driver for having the fastest time. HPDE is for fun and being taught the flags, rules, racing lines, how to drive the car to the limits, learning what understeer and oversteer feel like etc. Find yourself a good mentor and go have fun, be one with your car and enjoy the journey of HPDE!
To recap, top 5 things you'll need to get on track for HPDE: 1. Brakes - brake kit with slotted rotors, pads, stainless brake lines, FRESH DOT 3 brake fluid or higher and a firm pedal. 2. Tires - 340- 200 treadwear (ultra-high performance summer tires) and make sure they're in good shape. 3. Oil - correct oil, baffled oil pan, upgraded oil pickup, and an AOS. 4. Safety - The absolute minimum you should have is a fire extinguisher, helmet, and proper harness/seat. Heavily recommend race suit, Nomex shoes and Nomex gloves. 5. Have a great attitude, find a mentor and be willing to learn. Fun cars make life more fun and so does a good attitude! Hope this helps and can't wait to see you guys out there!
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