Monday’s post was why you shouldn’t modify your car before going to the track. Instead your time and money may be better spent on doing track days and keeping up with regular maintenance.

Brake pads and fluid fall into the category of maintenance… You don’t need to jump on big brake kits and cooling ducts right away, but keeping decent pads in the car is important.

If you have a new-to-you track car, make sure you give those brakes a thorough inspection before you go on track. If an engine or transmission fails, the car won’t go anymore and it’s unfortunate. If the brakes fail… you have a very big problem.

I bought my current Spec Miata advertised as “ready to race” condition. With a quick visual inspection of the brakes, the pads looked like they had enough meat left for a few more days. Removing the actual pads for a full inspection revealed they were not fit for use on anything. Check your pads, especially if it’s new equipment.