ChiliPepperGarage

So I've been reading the threads here and figure I'm going to be going through tires, brakes pads & rotors, maybe bearings after a season(?).

I'm new to this so what should I plan on to replace and how often on a relatively stock C5 with occasional track days?

Also, I have Eradspeed rotors on the car now. Should I buy a set of stock rotors and pads for the first race and save the Baers for street driving?

2000BSME

I calculate my cost in the $1100-$1500 range for a two day weekend, that's all expenses included, hotel, food, tires, fluids, etc.

I go through brake pads in a weekend (2 days) sometimes, most of the times. Tires usually last longer, but I have chewed a left front up in a single weekend. That's bad, if you can get your alignment and camber right for the track, and rotate tires that shouldn't happen.

Jason

All you have.

You can get under $1000 a weekend, barely, but it takes some creative budgeting and a lot of PB&J sandwiches.

CHJ In Virginia

Typical expenses for a 2 day weekend at a non local track would run something like this. This is with towing the car, your expenses driving to and from would be slightly less. With gas prices like they are now it is much cheaper than last summer !!
Entry fee - $300-450 depending on group and venue
Gas for tow - 50 gallons - $75
Gas at track - 40 gallons - $80 purchasing off track - at track add 50%
Food / adult beverages after driving is done - $150 - can reduce by taking cooler with lunches, fried chicken for dinner, your own beer etc.
Motel 2 nights - $180 camping at track alternative - $30
Brakes / rotors - $300
Tires - amortized over 4-5 weekends - $250
Oil change every other event and annual diff / trans change - $50
You need to figure any where from $800-1200 per weekend. It is addictive - make sure your pocket book can stand it before you get started - this doesn't include mods on the car which is another whole discussion.
I would remove the Eradispeeds for track use, drilled / slotted rotors die QUICKLY on track. Your bearings should last many years if you stay relatively stock and only run 4-5 events a year. Get some good performance pads and high temp brake fluid before you start!

WNeal

If you are new to tracking your car on the road course, i can tell you what I went through my first year: Mainly Novice type driving
(approximate $$) 2006 Z-51 Corvette

1. Event cost Single day $245.00 - $285.00
Two Day $445.00 - $529.00

2. Hotel if traveling
3. Gas to and from event
4. Night out for eats and drinks if overnight
5. Car cost
My first year I did 8 events, all on stock C6 tires
1. One set of tires $1,400.00
Better to stay on stock tires first year I think)
2 3 sets of stock brakes $750.00
3 One set of stock rotors $400.00
4 2 brake bleed jobs and upgraded fluid $200.00
5 Had clutch fluid upgraded to SRF $200.00
6. Helmet $249.00


3rd Year just finished and typical costs per event for the car
Food and gas, lodging and all other stuff about the same. Now about 15 events / year and about 40 so far total.

1. 1 set of Hoosiers / 5 days at track $1350.00
2 1 set of front brakes / w/e $270.00
3. 1 set of rear brakes / 3 w/e $270.00
4 1 Set of NAPA rotors / 2 w/e $180.00
5. Bleed Brakes with SRF about every 3rd event $80.00
6. Oil change every 3rd event $80.00
7 1 set of front bearings to date $500.00


I am sure I am forgetting some incidental car stuff.


The real problem is all the other stuff.

1. Front and rear bars
2. corner balance and track alignment
3. Upper and lower poly bushings
4. Race seat and harness + HANS
5. Track radio
6. Paint job on car (I won't get into details )
7. Open trailer
8 Closed trailer
9 Tools out the wazoo
10. All the stuff that goes in the enclosed trailer
11. 3 sets of wheels
12. Stock pile of SRF and brakes
13. Stock pile of rotors
14. C5 Brake brakets
15 More alignment

And it seems to only get deeper with every event.

Way more than I should have ever spent but given the extreme fun and challenges it has presented, along with the best friends I have ever made in my life, I would not want a penny of it back.

Long story short, your expenses will be what you allow them to be.
Minimum $$ for easy driving, and a Shiet ton of $$ if you want it to be.

Enjoy every day you get on the track

billy25us

Alot depends on how close you live to the track, what level you are driving at,and what club you are running with. If you can minus the hotel cost and are not using expensive brake pads yet, you can get well under 1000. PCA puts on a very good event and usually at the best price. I have gotten by at $600 before at my home track. And that was with gas being at 4 bucks a gallon.

ChiliPepperGarage

Yikes! Looks like there is no cheap way out, huh?

My company partially sponsors my race boat (tow truck fuel, boat fuel, entry fees, food, lodging, etc) and I try to bring customers to the races. The boat racing/poker run circuit is more "event" oriented than auto racing (big parties, trade show, dancing, etc) so the customers have something to do when we are not actually running.

I don't think I can talk them into sponsoring the Vette so I'm on my own. Anybody partner up with others to run a car and split expenses? Anybody want to buy a race boat?

ChiliPepperGarage

I'll drive the car to the local track (a couple hours), I'll use stock brakes (for now), and bring a cooler with food & drink.

I guess I should buy a set of stock rotors/pads and swap out the Baers for the first race?

dfinke23

What rotors do you recommend?

gkmccready

A slower car... something like a Miata will run pretty much an entire season on brakes (rotors+pads) and tires (Toyos). Speed costs money.

Falcon

Except for the trade show, that pretty well describes our events.

These weekends are like mini spring breaks, until you become too serious about it, then it's fun in a different way.

Z11409

Like any racing-'if you gotta ask how much-you cannot afford it"

Oyishdog

For HPDE, the cost can be under $1000, but seeing the rising costs for entry fees, it might be hard to be under. Expect $1200+ a weekend assuming nothing major breaks on the car and/or you don't hit something. As you start to upgrade the car, the price goes up - i.e. Hooiser A6's every weekend or rotors and pads for a big brake kit, etc, etc.

As with most everything, you gotta pay to play.

Wicked Weasel

Figure track rental is $250.00, hotel for a night is $100, food another $50.00, gas is another $100.00 so that is $500.00. You then have oil change, brakes, brake fluid, etc to add to that and then wear and tear items.....

I calculated around $1300 for a 2 day event that I tow to (though I tell my wife it is free ).

rfn026

I don't think you can get under $1,000 a day. Next year $1,500 a weekend looks like a reasonable budget.

btw - I was at Sebring with the Chin folks yesterday. One interesting observation was that the only ZR1 that was there was about 2 or 3 seconds a lap slower than the stock Z06 Corvettes.

Now we all know which car is technically fastest. So much for bringing the biggest gun to the gunfight. All of you who believe that parts will make up for driving skill need to pay attention. Money spent on a coaching session will give you more improvements than any part you might buy.

Pictures from yesterday are posted at my Picassa album

Richard Newton
Daily Race Car Sales/Blog

2000BSME

absolutely true. When you're only throwing a 2400lb car around a track as opposed to a 3200lb car, you burn less of everything.

BrianCunningham

WOW glad I live close to the tracks I run at

JohnD60

I found the stock C5 to be a good track car out of the box. If you stay away from the mods and can stand not running with the top 5-10 fastest guys at your events, your consumables will be limited to what you've listed (tires, brake pads/rotors, oil, brake, trans, and diff fuilds).

This is a "do as I say not as i do" scenario since I spent most of kids' college fund on modes since getting this addiction.

We talk a lot about wheel bearings here but I found them to last longer than I expected (I had one go the second year and replaced the others proactively in the forth year).

You will want to replace your "bling" rotors with some stock rotors for events. Unless you're running a really high dollor brake package, drilled rotors will crack fast. Stock rotors also crack but only after numerious heat cycles and, even at $40 each, are easy on the bank account. Keep a spare set with you just in case.

One mod you may want to consider is adding front brake spindle cooling ducts. Reports have it that getting cool air directly to the brakes will increase both pad and rotor life.

John

yakisoba

Second the note on brake ducts. In fact that bring up a broader subject: Longevity of parts.

When I started, I thought about making consumables last as long as possible. I installed an oil cooler as one of my first mods. However, I violated that with my brake ducts. Only just got them done. They really seem to help with rotor life and of course with brake recovery between hard braking cycles.

Longevity mods for the C5 are things like:
Oil cooler
Trans cooler
Diff cooler
Brake ducts
Racing radiator
synthetic ATF, diff oil
Power Steering pump optimized for high RPM

Note that none of that is safety oriented, though it can keep your car on the track. It's also indicative of being in the hobby for the long haul. That radiator will cost you $800 or so, but if it makes your engine last for three years rather than two, it more than paid for itself. You can get away with $100 or so for brake ducts, all up. If that saves you 20% on rotor and pad life, it'll pay itself off in a season. The biggest thing is saving track fees and so forth. I mean, if you book a hotel, pay for the track time, tow the car down there and it breaks in the first session, you just wasted mad $$$. My thinking was that by increasing the reliability of the car, I'd save money by making sure I got the most out of my weekends. That seems to have worked out pretty well.

larryfs

change oil once a season is fine, and proven by blackstone labs.
put more air in the tires, = way more tire life.
run at 80%, and save big money on brakes / rotors.
Use ATE brake fluid and save even more money.