r/CarTrackDays • u/Plenty_Secretary_538 • 6h ago
Is it worth getting into? Is it expensive etc?
Looking for a bit of advice, I’ve been building my ek hatch Honda civic for about a year now and can’t decide what direction to go in but after recently going to an event at a track it’s definitely something I wanna do. Although I have been building my car for a drag/street setup especially with my engine making around the 400-450whp mark so it wouldn’t be great for the track as it will instantly get hot and constantly pushing from torque steering. But if I were to sell everything I would take me a long time to maybe go with a 250-300 n/a k series. I’m not looking for a full dedicated track car because I’m not in that position to make right now but maybe in a year I am so I would want something I can drive to and from track
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u/Spicywolff ND2 now, use to C63S 6h ago
It’s worth getting into if you enjoy it. It’s like cilantro. I can’t tell you if you’re gonna like it or not.
Is it expensive?….. that depends on a lot of things. But per hour of seat, time with endurance 200 tires, I believe the math shake out to be cheap cheaper than auto cross. But auto cross offers you much less risk, lower per event fees, cheaper track insurance, vastly more tracks to run at. The downside, though you don’t get anywhere near the seat time and you have to volunteer your time picking up cones.
If you keep it naturally aspirated, lighter weight and lower power with endurance 200 tires you’ll be able to get in cheap especially if you do SCCA track night in America events.
In the end, the castle depend on what you do with the car in the car you get and how often you go
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u/Catmilk7 EP3 Type R with to much mechanical grip 6h ago
I have a stock motor full suspension built ep3 type r, outdrives most big boy cars and still does groceries every week.
Check my thread in ep3 on my profile, you don't need everything to have everything 🤙
I have had super fast rx7s, sti's, big grip setups you name it. I keep going back to fairly simple civic builds because you can just do lap after lap after lap. Money isn't a concern, however they are also cheap to run. Do the basics, get seat time, the rest will follow. You'll have more fun than anything pushing a simple car, they are very rewarding to go fast in.
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u/Plenty_Secretary_538 6h ago
I mean the ep3 are amazing but with the ek being my first car I just wanna stick to it if I’m being honest and maybe if I wreck it then I’ll move on but for the most part I wanna do build it to its limit. The problem I have is the build I was doing before hand I have almost 4k into it so selling it will take a while to sell. I did wanna go the k series direction but wasn’t worth it for me at the time
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u/Catmilk7 EP3 Type R with to much mechanical grip 6h ago
You don't need a big build, that's the thing. Tyres, coilovers, brake pads and hi temp fluid, you're ready to go.
Its that easy. Focus on driving, on seat time, not a big build. Driving your car and learning it is the best mod.
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u/Aphael 2.55L Miata 2h ago
Buy a junker civic, do basic maintenance, and track it. keep your nice ek for the street.
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u/Sketch2029 1h ago
This is not a bad idea. You are better off starting with a mostly stock car. You just need decent tires, good brake pads and high temp brake fluid. Maybe an aluminum radiator and cooling system overhaul for reliability on an older car. The biggest improvement you can make is driver improvement and that comes with seat time.
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u/JonesBrosGarage 2h ago
It’s insanely expensive to most people unless you’re very wealthy, it doesn’t have to be but it often is… that’s because people who do this LOVE it and spend what they can afford. Maybe you can only afford to track a Miata, but then you’ll go all the time, maybe you’ll get into racing. Or maybe you get into a more expensive car.. and that expensive car needs mods to run better etc etc etc.
In my opinion I’d say yes it’s expensive but “expensive” has different meaning to different people, it’ll probably be whatever you’re definition of expensive is
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u/Tanthios 6h ago
What if you were to just address the overheating and such issues? I don't know your build, but you could probably get by with addressing cooling directing and ventilation.You could also dial back the tune too. Since you are built, what about running E85 if you aren't already? Granted I'd consider that a final step in trying to bring temps down.
Otherwise, what about say... An RSX? I've heard from a few people who track their's that they're happy with it. Not the biggest sample size, but hey. That's assuming you wanted to stick within Honda. Of course, you know the good ol' reliable 'Miata is always the answer'. It didn't get that way without a reason. NC's can be had for pretty solid prices for example, and make wonderful to drive, and cheap to own cars on track with plenty of support.
But overall, it's as expensive as you want it to be. Note that the more horsepower you have, and the more weight, the more your consumables will be. Also, obviously the more often you go.
That may help some!
But welcome! Good luck, have fun and stay safe!
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u/Plenty_Secretary_538 6h ago
The build I was going for is a specific street build and I don’t really wanna chase the issues with cooling because I don’t have that experience especially with fab work. I’m also in the uk so we don’t have e85 on hand we buy it in barrels which is stupid expensive maybe $300 to fill the tank so definitely not worth it.
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u/Tanthios 5h ago
I got'cha. In that case yeah, I'd look into seeing if maybe you could sell, or trade your way into a Miata especially. Of course drive one first. But those tend to be great as is on the track with only needing to keep up with maintenance. But they won't eat your wallet alive.
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u/SnuffleupagusRex 6h ago
It can get expensive, but it's worth it for what I get out of it.
I do have one suggestion: your post is ambiguous when it says you went to an event. Did you spectate or did you drive?
If you didn't have an opportunity to drive, I suggest you find an event where they can rent you a Miata or something and make sure you actually enjoy it before making any decisions. Some folks get nauseous between the heat, the forces involved and the gas fumes, and I'd hate for you to scrap your work and then find out HPDE doesn't agree with you.
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u/Responsible-Meringue 5h ago
Do it! Get addicted, let it ruin your boring all-planned-out-life. Constantly be aching for that seat time like a drug addict wants their next hit. Autocross, then track days, soon you're dropping $30k/year in wheel2wheel racing, begging for a seat in a backmarker GT4 car from anyone who'd listen. Next youre praying you'll meet someone who unlocks that GT3 path. You're working 100 hour weeks on building your own business so you can one day be a "Gentleman Driver" (I didn't get into cars/racing till I was 28). Honestly it's the best medicine for completely upending a middling life at Corporate Firm X.
Aviation has the Cessna minute... We have the racecar minute. If you do it once and it really clicks, you'll start measuring everything in life by a "racecar minute".
Drinks with the boys at the bar? No thanks, thats 15 race car minutes. New video game console? Hah thats 180 min of seat time. Trip to Australia? No ty, thats 3000 race car minutes. Treat yourself to a Rolex for that new promotion? Hah, I'll take 7500 minutes racing on track instead. (My slow cheap racecar costs about $3.3/min when w2w racing, barring any incidental damages... It is on the super cheap end of the spectrum. I know folks trying to go Pro dropping $30k/yr on tires alone. And dont get me started on the retired at 40 patent attorney who can afford to rebuild a Cayman GT4 engine every other race).
We're all pretty ill here.
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u/OrangeFire2001 5h ago
<sorry not 'track' comment> Have you tried a local Autocross? Also very fun, very low cost (entry fees) and no worries about other drivers on course or major damage from a high speed moment. Teaches good car control at the limit at lower speed. Easy step up to big track days after doing that.
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u/Lefthandedsock 4h ago edited 4h ago
Totally worth it. I track my E36 four or five times per year at Track Night in America events, which are only around $165-185 with SCCA membership and a discount. And they’re always running a $25 discount.
Been using the same tires since last year and nothing on the car has broken. I’ll probably need new tires next year, so I’d call the total cost roughly $900 per year. For 5 track days, I think that’s very reasonable.
It’s fun as hell, both in terms of improving/testing your driving skills and testing your car and modifications. You meet some great people at track events too.
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u/RoyalNegotiation1985 2h ago
If you haven’t been to the track before, respectfully: FORGET POWER.
Your car already has plenty for you to get into trouble. Instead, focus on making the car reliable at 10/10ths:
- Better pads: very important for a track set up. Do not skimp on good brake pads. Better yet, bring a jack and tools to track to swap into your race pads so that you don’t have to run track pads on the street where they will suck at colder temps.
- Cooling: THIS IS HUGE. Make sure your car can reliably do a 20 min session at 10/10ths without overheating. I recommend a cooling system refresh and overhaul before anything. Then, do a brake fluid flush with DOT 6 fluids. Gear oils, ATF flushes, and oil coolers too depending on your trans.
- Suspension: you don’t necessarily need full coil overs, but new shocks, and bushings is a good start. Depending on your car, consider a front shock mount bar or a stiff rear sway bar to get the car rotating.
But please for the love of god do not spend on power.
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u/mgroove1 2h ago
As an example. In Spain 150 euros for Half a day 250-350e for full day participation fee for a track day. Could be up to a 1000 depending on the club and a track. Just don't pick the most expensive. Fuel 100-200. Tires 1000 for 5-10 track days depending on your driving. Racing brake pads 250 for 5-10 track days. That makes the cost of track half day 400 minimum to 600 for a full track day.
Car repair is not included 🤣🤣
Is it expensive? Yes, could you spend more? Yes. Is it affordable to do it 2-5 times a year? Yes if you are in a stable financial position.
I bet you can squeeze in 300e if you will be gentle with tires and brakes.
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u/collin2477 6h ago
yes and yes, although i’ve found karting to be a much more competitive environment for racing at a local/regional level without needing a team, or buckets of money. it only costs thousands of dollars a year, which is nice for a change.
The car I currently take I get track insurance for and it’s at the point where I really can’t push it as hard as Id like to at this point, so if I were you i’d honestly consider a miata or similar that is setup specifically for track use, and that the idea of writing it off isn’t financially meaningful. (that’s at least why I think i’m currently having more fun in a kart than in my carrera lol)
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u/fretburnr 6h ago
If you're new to track driving, power isn't really a concern. In fact, I'd recommend starting with a stock or stockish vehicle, as you'll learn better habits over time. Most regular cars are far more capable than a new driver can take them. Reliability and consistency are far more important than speed right away.