Runsheet publishes tiered starter kits for the four cars that show up at every HPDE paddock — installed in the order we'd actually do it, with the reasoning behind every choice, not the spec sheet.
The four chassis
Generic “best track pads” lists rank on the head term, but the SERPs that convert live further down: best pads for an NC Miata on a $1,200 budget. That's the wedge Runsheet is built to own.
Half the weight of the modern cars in any HPDE run group. Pads and tires do most of the work; springs you can defer.
Stock pads run out of headroom first; the chassis rewards grippy tires before any suspension work.
Mass hides brake feel until you go to a dedicated track pad; cooling air is the real upgrade.
OE rotors hate heat. Pad compound and rotor choice matter more than caliper color.
Three tiers per chassis
Two grip-first items you actually need before the rest: brake pads and tires. Everything else can stay stock.
Coilovers, wheels sized for the tire you want, a brake kit sized for the rotor, and the alignment to match.
Aero, seats, cooling, and a tire package sized for racing slicks — built around the chassis, not the parts bin.
What you get
A Runsheet kit is a written shortlist across the six categories HPDE drivers actually upgrade, sequenced so each step makes the next one safe. Every part has a paragraph: why this pad compound for that rotor's temp range, why this spring rate for the chassis mass distribution, why this alignment toe for the tire size on the wheel package.
Rotor material, pad compound, and the temp window they actually run at decide brake feel before any caliper color or piston count does.
A tire-and-wheel package that fits the fender — and the alignment toe — beats any spring rate the next step will give you.
Spring rate is a function of curb weight, weight distribution, and which corner enters the brake zone first. Pick by math, not marketing.
Alignment is the multiplier on every part you already installed. Free lap time — but only if you set it for the tire you actually run.
Driver position is grip. A lap-eligible seat + harness bar is the upgrade with the longest useful life.
Anti-lift and anti-squat numbers are the spec sheet; visual downforce is a separate, more expensive problem.
Why this works when the head term is taken
The decade-old guides still rank for “best track brake pads.” The intent-rich queries are mid-tail — “on a $1,200 budget,” “for an NB Miata,” “so I can run 245s.” Runsheet is built so each kit ranks for one of those, with the actual reasoning the incumbents skip.
The same chassis list ships three ways — YouTube, blog, printable PDF — because the buyer reads it differently on each medium.
Questions we get
Runsheet is proof-of-demand first. The click data decides which tiers and which chassis we go deeper on next.
Chassis #5 · Tier · Brand sponsor
We're talking to brand reps, distributor partners, and the next chassis we publish. A short email is enough.
Replies within two paddock weekends.