Similar to go_fish and the OP, I'm a complete rookie but very interested in track racing, so I am very grateful for this thread and all the information contained in the responses.

Last year was my first, nervous, introduction to the scene and I attended club-sponsored track days. A local mechanic/racer kind of 'recruited' me and he's become a mentor. He is very helpful, as are every other driver I've met so far.

What I wanted to share with go-fish, was that for the club track day, they had a well-written checklist of their tech inspection points, plus personal safety gear requirements. I got the list in advance, it was easy to understand and not hard or costly to comply with. That was all my car and I needed to get on the track (plus the $299 fee for the day).

2016 will be my second season of track "racing". I will attend more of the same; solid well-organized club events with a decent tech inspection, where you practice on the track, then race against the clock, no passing except on the straights (I guess this is what you call HDPE).

Following advice from others, instead of plunging into my car for improved performance, I've really just focused on myself as a driver. Cheaper, less labor intensive, more track time. The car works well, and I attend time trial track days, so I compete against myself, see what improvements I can gain.

I am making a few small careful incremental improvements to the car, but (hopefully) my improving skill will give me the most gains. Most importantly the car hasn't broken and I am having a blast.

It will be fun to keep lurking here, see how things develop for go_fish and you all.
Cheers,
- Art