[jmciver]

Lots of "interesting" advice in this thread for someone attending a first time HPDE event - especially the car/mechanical stuff. But I would have to agree with most of it. So I guess I will throw in my $.02.....

Keep an open mind, be very humble and check your ego at the track gate (or even better, before you leave your house on track day). Regardless of how big (or small) you think your ego is now regarding your driver skill level, force yourself to make your ego even smaller. As long as you respect the fact that your 450+ HP turbo car is more than you can handle if you try to use the car's full potential, you will have fun as you progress at a pace that is right for you. You need to be honest with yourself here....

Some will say that an F8X M3/M4 is not a good novice track car because it is a very powerful and capable car - too powerful for a novice. IMHO, I think that is only true if the novice driver has the wrong mindset when getting behind the wheel on the track for the first few times.

Lastly, as several others have mentioned, since this is your first event, just go out there and have fun. HPDE's are a very fun experience, regardless of skill level. Good luck.