Nasa Pro Racing Wear and Tear

For near-factory power levels, the stock cooling system is generally adequate. Just be sure to go easy on your car the last lap out and give the motor some time to cool down before you park the car and trap all that heat under the hood. Make sure all the important hoses and belts are in good condition and that nothing on the car is loose. If your car has a lot of miles, be sure that the clutch is in good working order. We swapped ours out for an ACT street clutch kit early in the season in anticipation of wear.

As far as rubber goes, street tires are much more forgiving and easier to learn on than race tires for beginners. Plus, they cost a lot less. Kumho's Ecsta MX extreme performance tire was our choice and it held up to multiple track sessions with ease.

The last part to worry about is the most important, you. Be sure to bring along lots of water or Gatorade as dehydration can sneak up on you quick. If you've ever wondered why road racing shows up on ESPN, you'll soon know why after an HPDE session. The workout you'll receive while driving will wear you down and dry you out faster than you can even imagine.

NASA events generally start around 7:00AM, so you're going to have to wake up early in order to make it out on time. Packing in this much driving time before the sun goes down isn't easy and the day starts early on. It's just a matter of going to sleep a couple of hours earlier, but make sure you plan ahead. Driving while sleepy is just a recipe for an unenjoyable day and a real risk of crashing.

There are a lot of capable, low-priced street tires out now that can hold up to heavy track abuse. We've used Kumho's sticky Ecsta MX tire with great success.
There are a lot of capable, low-priced street tires out now that can hold up to heavy trac
It's a good idea to make sure your car is in tip-top shape before heading out to a track event.
It's a good idea to make sure your car is in tip-top shape before heading out to a track e
This means checking your fluids, hoses, belts, brakes, tires and clutch. Our dead clutch was replaced with this ACT street clutch kit.
This means checking your fluids, hoses, belts, brakes, tires and clutch. Our dead clutch w

The only real wear items should be brakes and tires, which will wear out a lot faster than on the street. Higher temp performance brake pads, such as Hawk's HP+ line, are highly recommended before you head out. But if you don't have the money for pads yet, just give your brakes a good bleed and head out on stock pads. Using a quality brake fluid like Motul's RBF 600 can work wonders with pedal feel, as the higher temp range means your fluid won't boil as easily and give you that scary soft feeling in your stop pedal.

One set of good tires should be able to last quite a while, and even stock tires won't get burnt up in one day. Hell, we've even seen some rental cars "accidentally" brought out and flogged on track. On a relatively light car like a Civic or Integra, expect a tire like the Kumho MX to last through at least 4-6 full days of driving.

If you want to see what your car is capable of, or if you dream of becoming a real racecar driver, you owe it to yourself to try out a NASA HPDE event. The cost is low, the fun is high and the experience gained is beyond valuable. What lies in store for those that seek a more intense form of competition? Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the NASA world to bring you the scoop on what lurks in wait for those that cross beyond the HPDE world.