Q: What is the cheapest way to make my Model 3 brakes better for track use?

Better pads and stainless lines, which is exactly what the Stage 1 Essentials kit is. It keeps your factory calipers and rotors and upgrades the friction and hydraulics: high-performance front and rear brake pads plus steel-reinforced braided lines for all four corners. That combination attacks the two weakest links in a stock Model 3 brake system, fade-prone pads and swelling rubber hoses, for a fraction of what a Stage 2 big brake kit costs.