I want to start going to some high performance drivers schools, but I don't have the money to upgrade my wheels, tires, and brakes right now. Besides I just bought a new set of tires that I am very happy with. Is there anyway I can get by on my stock brakes for a while with maybe just upgrading the pads until I burn through these tires and can afford a good set of brakes?
I don't want to go to a track and have to sit out most of the day waiting for my brakes to cool down every couple of laps.
If I can get by for a while on just a pad upgrade which do you suggest?

 

Ooops. I guess I should have mentioned the car. 97 M6 Trans am.

 

You should be fine for both when you are starting out. Once you've had some experience and start pushing the car some more, then you will likely have issues with open tracking events, not autocross. With autocross, you will likely go to a more aggressive cold pad when you feel that you are loosing on your braking but it is very unlikely that you will see fade with stock pads.

Go and enjoy yourself. The only thing that you should probably do for open tracking is to change the brake fluid.

 

Is it a good idea for someone who is just starting to pick one or the other (Auto x or open track) and stick with it for a while, or is it ok to try both?

 

IMHO, I'd say pick one and get comfortable with it. If you try to do both you won't do either one justice, unless you have unlimited time and money.

The setup for road racing, while similar, is different from autocross. Changing the cars setup might be a problem. Can you afford to wreck your car? To me that's my MOST overriding factor, can't afford to road race even if I COULD afford to wreck it but....

Personally, I'd say start out with autocross. Spend a season learning the sport. It might be all you'll ever want to do. If not, move on up at that point. Just remember, every time you move up in a class, you move up in money.

I'd worry about using the stock brakes on a fast road course. They'll work but if they get hot....

 

I ran my first open track event back in January with stock brakes without a problem. I flushed the fluid and ran Hawk HPS pads on the front with no problems at all. I autocross the car once monthly and the LT1 brakes have not been an issue for those events.

I'm doing another open track event September 6th & 7th at Roebling Road and had hoped to upgrade my brakes before it but I just had to put a new transmission in the car so the brake upgrade money is gone. The car was bone stock when I ran back in January so we will see how the brakes hold up with the new suspension mods and race rubber.

So in my experience a stock LT1 car should be fine on a road course until you get some experience and really start pushing it.

 

i have run school at the track in my impala ss and my 3rd gen. yes, you can learn from both and apply what you learn from both to both!! take your z to both and enjoy!! talk to all you can and listen to your instuctors. as far as brakes go..change to performance friction and go from there! spend money on shocks first and then tires. you can also learn more from a stock car faster then you can from a modded car, then apply it to the track or autocross place.