I agree, it's all about the driver... but
I would also lean toward staying in H-stock. Your car has more potential there.
17" rims and braking performance don't seem at all related to me. Seems like someone is trying to sell rims.
Best bang for the buck for you would be:
lightweight wheels in your stock size, or in the largest stock size available to you in your car's model year.
Race tires, possibly in a lower-profile size. Kumho's are cheaper, and more forgiving, than the Hoosiers.
New discs up front, I think they have to be OEM, but that's ok.
Carbon-metallic or Kevlar pads all around. EBC Greenstuff, or Performance friction, etc. I know some places make performance brake shoes. Don't worry about your drums, unless they, too are worn out. Avoid "long-life" pads and shoes, because, guess what, they eat rotors. Much cheaper to replace pads and shoes.
Koni struts. (springs must remain OEM.)
Some kind of performance muffler, such as Dynomax.
K&N (or comparable) drop-in filter.
Concentrate on learning and having fun. When you make your next car purchase, you'll know what you want and what to look for.
Happy racing.
