Best thing to do with a £450 experience voucher?
Discussion
Evening all.
I recently won a £450 Experience voucher in a charity auction, and I'm now pondering how to best use it. The price is matched to a full weekend hire, as that's what it was originally intended for. However, I used to own a bike engined 7 clone so I have my doubts about how much I will appreciate the 300 mile road use. Yes, I know the Cat will be a different league in handling and balance, but I've kind of done the weekend blatting thing before. But I can go to further afield places I haven't before, and with a passenger. Assuming I can find a lass willing to smell a bit of fuel for a weekend of bad hair.
What more tickles my fancy a bit more is chucking in another £45, IIRC, and doing the full circuit day at Silverstone. I never got to track my old car, whilst Silverstone is 20 mins down the road and somewhere I've spent countless afternoons watching the racing. Will I regret doing it? I suspect I'd be somewhat nervous about it, as it would also be my first track day but at least it would be in a type of car I am vaguely familiar with. But it's a fairly solo event, as I think they're mid week mostly so will have to take a day off work. And it's only 90 mins of driving, albeit track driving. Will I come away wanting more from the day, rather than having a whole weekend to play with?
Argghhh, advice please!!
I recently won a £450 Experience voucher in a charity auction, and I'm now pondering how to best use it. The price is matched to a full weekend hire, as that's what it was originally intended for. However, I used to own a bike engined 7 clone so I have my doubts about how much I will appreciate the 300 mile road use. Yes, I know the Cat will be a different league in handling and balance, but I've kind of done the weekend blatting thing before. But I can go to further afield places I haven't before, and with a passenger. Assuming I can find a lass willing to smell a bit of fuel for a weekend of bad hair.
What more tickles my fancy a bit more is chucking in another £45, IIRC, and doing the full circuit day at Silverstone. I never got to track my old car, whilst Silverstone is 20 mins down the road and somewhere I've spent countless afternoons watching the racing. Will I regret doing it? I suspect I'd be somewhat nervous about it, as it would also be my first track day but at least it would be in a type of car I am vaguely familiar with. But it's a fairly solo event, as I think they're mid week mostly so will have to take a day off work. And it's only 90 mins of driving, albeit track driving. Will I come away wanting more from the day, rather than having a whole weekend to play with?
Argghhh, advice please!!
I would second the drift day if that's an option - I have a friend who helps out with the instruction days on these, they are meant to be great fun....although I also had a look at Silverstone track days before now, have to say unless you take your own car and can spend the full day there, you would probably be left wanting more...I know I was when I did one a few years back, but it did lead to me buying one eventually...so swings and roundabouts!
Snake the Sniper said:
Thanks for the responses. The only issue with the drift days is that they only cost £249, and the voucher states that no change or difference in value will be returned to me. So it would waste £200 of the voucher......
Do the Drift Day and Advanced Drift Half Day. I am looking to do the half day at some stage as I really enjoyed the experience. :-)Best value for money without doubt is the Circuit day.
I've done both the Slalom day and the Circuit day (both full days) and in terms of seat time, the circuit day annihilates it!
I calculated that I'd had a total of 7 minutes seat/driving time throughout the course of the Slalom day.
For fair comparisen from a price perspective, on a half Circuit Day you'll have 45 minutes driving time AS WELL 5/10 minutes as a passenger (sighting lap, and then a couple of hot laps)
I have not done the drift experiences but the setup looks largely the same as the Slalom day so would assume a very similar amount of time in the car.
On the circuit day you also receive tuition throughout the day and they gauge your previous experience so if you're good and inspire confidence they will encourage you to press on.
I learnt a lot and had a much better day.
To add to that, it was also my first proper track day in a car - and having a tutor throughout the day really is great way to ease yourself into it.
I have raced endurance karts for years where you get ALOT of track time, so I was worried the tutor would hold me back and also the time instead car wouldnt be enough.
I couldn't have been any more wrong. The Circuit experience was more than enough for me, the breaks between each session allow you to digest the previous session and you just get better and quicker as the day progresses.
It would be good if you could take a friend for company but most of the entrants are solo and there are loads of like minded people to natter to (including the staff).
Also, my event ran on a Saturday (and there was another session running the day after too); so if you hold out you can get a weekend session.
I've done both the Slalom day and the Circuit day (both full days) and in terms of seat time, the circuit day annihilates it!
I calculated that I'd had a total of 7 minutes seat/driving time throughout the course of the Slalom day.
For fair comparisen from a price perspective, on a half Circuit Day you'll have 45 minutes driving time AS WELL 5/10 minutes as a passenger (sighting lap, and then a couple of hot laps)
I have not done the drift experiences but the setup looks largely the same as the Slalom day so would assume a very similar amount of time in the car.
On the circuit day you also receive tuition throughout the day and they gauge your previous experience so if you're good and inspire confidence they will encourage you to press on.
I learnt a lot and had a much better day.
To add to that, it was also my first proper track day in a car - and having a tutor throughout the day really is great way to ease yourself into it.
I have raced endurance karts for years where you get ALOT of track time, so I was worried the tutor would hold me back and also the time instead car wouldnt be enough.
I couldn't have been any more wrong. The Circuit experience was more than enough for me, the breaks between each session allow you to digest the previous session and you just get better and quicker as the day progresses.
It would be good if you could take a friend for company but most of the entrants are solo and there are loads of like minded people to natter to (including the staff).
Also, my event ran on a Saturday (and there was another session running the day after too); so if you hold out you can get a weekend session.
Edited by rhauri on Thursday 22 October 11:55
I did the drift day a few weeks ago (put up a review in the track days section) and I have to say it was one of the most fun experiences I've had. There's lots of hanging around but when you do get out it is humongous fun. I'd love to do the proper track day now but it is rather expensive.
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