Originally posted by: Viper GTS
My Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tires say they're rated at 280 treadwear, does that count? I did put in Motul RBF600 prior to the event so I've got that covered for the immediate future.
I'm a little lost on pads though I'm sure I'll have to address that the next time I go and the track is dry.
Viper GTS
Wow, Motul! I still use ATE super blue / typ 200 (about 50% the cost of Motul), and flush it every couple events when it's really hot (100F days).
When you are still starting out on track days, almost any tire will do. However, once whatever you had wears out it is a good idea to buy tires that have track use in mind (if you plan to continue track events). Some all season or cheap summer tires will "chunk", and actually have chunks of the tread rip off under track use if used at full tread depth.
Some examples of affordable summer tires that are great on the track are the Bridgestone RE-11 and Dunlop Direzza sport Z1 star spec (there are plenty of choices out there). Don't worry about upgrading the tires when you are still learning.
You will not need to even consider R-compound (NITTO NT-01, Michelin pilot sport cup, etc) or slick tires (hoosier R6, etc) until you have a lot of seat time. Even then, today's street tires can still provide an excellent level of grip and life on the track without the cost and trouble of slicks.
Anyway, as far as pads, street pads are generally not good enough for track use. Pads vary in a few ways, but operating temperatures and coef of friction are the main attributes you care about.
Brake pads are probably the first upgrade you should consider (before tires, sway bars, suspension and def power upgrades). Brake pads that provide high levels of stopping force will give you confidence and allow you to focus on the line, rather than how much your brakes are fading after each lap.
Street pads may have good enough stopping power, but aren't made to handle the high heat that comes with repeated high speed stops. Once you overheat them, you will get pad fade and less braking power. If you keep driving after they overheat, they could eventually fail.
Semi-race pads have a higher heat celing, and higher coefficent of friction (more stopping power). These will typically allow you to drive on the street just fine (they operate OK when cold), and give you OK performance on the track for lower speeds. An example of semi-race pads are the Hawk HP+
Race pads have an even higher heat celing, but also do not work as well at cold temperatures (IE street use). These typically even have more stopping power than semi race-pads, but there are always selections of compounds for your specific car weight. A lot of times, race pads can overcome the amount of grip that street tires have. An example of race pads are Hawk HT-10 or DTC-70.
As w00t said, once you get hooked it's all over