suggested track days

[dparry]

i want to get on a track day, with some tuition to start with, to learn how to get best out these little gems!! what are best tracks, nearish to south west, and any suggestions for schools, 1/2 day tuition 1/2 day on your own?

[casbar]

I wouldn't say there are many tracks near to the SW, only Castle Combe I would think.

If you do a track day with a good company, most will offer tution at between £20 - £30 a pop.

For full or half days, Don Palmer has a good reputation, plus do a search on Trackdays, there is another chap called Sean who seems to do intstruction as well.

Also found www.motorsport-tuition.com they get reasonable reviews as well

[F355GTS]

I would consider doing an Airfield Day, there are a number of venues around Chippenham, Bath etc

www.motorsport-events.com

[ewenm]

F355GTS said:

I would consider doing an Airfield Day, there are a number of venues around Chippenham, Bath etc

www.motorsport-events.com

I'd second this. I've only ever had good days with the MSE guys. Well run track days with tuition available. Airfields aren't the most exciting of venues but they are cheaper and have less to hit than most tracks.

[casbar]

ewenm said:

F355GTS said:

I would consider doing an Airfield Day, there are a number of venues around Chippenham, Bath etc

www.motorsport-events.com

I'd second this. I've only ever had good days with the MSE guys. Well run track days with tuition available. Airfields aren't the most exciting of venues but they are cheaper and have less to hit than most tracks.

Sorry to disagree, but IMHO airfield days are ok if you just want to hoon around, but bear little if no comparison to a real track.

If driving around cones on a flat surface (a in some cases not a great surface) fires your rockets carry on. But they are cheap.

[ewenm]

casbar said:

ewenm said:

F355GTS said:

I would consider doing an Airfield Day, there are a number of venues around Chippenham, Bath etc

www.motorsport-events.com

I'd second this. I've only ever had good days with the MSE guys. Well run track days with tuition available. Airfields aren't the most exciting of venues but they are cheaper and have less to hit than most tracks.

Sorry to disagree, but IMHO airfield days are ok if you just want to hoon around, but bear little if no comparison to a real track.

If driving around cones on a flat surface (a in some cases not a great surface) fires your rockets carry on. But they are cheap.

If you're learning a new car and its limits (as per the OP) I'd rather be on the wide open spaces of an airfield than the armco of a track. Of course the experience is not like a track but it's not a bad starting point.

[casbar]

ewenm said:

casbar said:

ewenm said:

F355GTS said:

I would consider doing an Airfield Day, there are a number of venues around Chippenham, Bath etc

www.motorsport-events.com

I'd second this. I've only ever had good days with the MSE guys. Well run track days with tuition available. Airfields aren't the most exciting of venues but they are cheaper and have less to hit than most tracks.

Sorry to disagree, but IMHO airfield days are ok if you just want to hoon around, but bear little if no comparison to a real track.

If driving around cones on a flat surface (a in some cases not a great surface) fires your rockets carry on. But they are cheap.

If you're learning a new car and its limits (as per the OP) I'd rather be on the wide open spaces of an airfield than the armco of a track. Of course the experience is not like a track but it's not a bad starting point.

Agree, but he did say "Track day" not driving around the cones day.

[jezzer]

I have done Castle Coombe a few times and its a great track. Got some technical bits and some fast bits. Its got a reasonable Cafe as well!
i have been thinking of doing an airfield just so i can learn the absolute limit of the car etc.. No they wont teach you lines etc but will teach you how a car handles etc.. IMO!

[Noger]

For "getting the best" then it has to be Cadwell, despite it being a trek from the South West. Or Brands Hatch GP. Despite the travel and the cost, they make an airfield day seems like, well, a car park and some cones.

Castle Combe is OK, but like Goodwood it is a bit flatish and fast.

[MarchHare]

For a first track day it's hard to beat the Bedford Autodrome. 4 miles of track but massive run off areas so virtually impossible to hit anything. Decent track surface so it won't kill your tyres (unlike most airfields concrete) and plenty of instructors on hand to help out. A long way from the West Country but probably a better bet than Combe for a first time out as the barriers are quite close to the track and it's a pretty quick circuit.

Of the better known race tracks somewhere like Brands Indy works quite well for a novice, not too many corners but with the unforgettable Paddock Hill. Silverstone seems to catch out too many novices to be recommended, Thruxton is difficult to get access to (and is probably too quick for a novice, Donnington is a lovely circuit and pretty open (i.e. reasonable run-off areas. Haven't tried the Welsh circuits yet but Anglesey looks pretty impressive.

Edited by MarchHare on Wednesday 7th November 22:44

Edited by MarchHare on Wednesday 7th November 22:44

[ewenm]

The old Anglesey layout was fun and the new one is excellent. I've done a day on the Coastal course that started very wet and got progressively drier through the day. Great fun, especially the "corkscrew".

[casbar]

Don't know which Caterham you have, but be aware of noise limits, especially at Bedford. Long way to go, to get binned because of noise.

Oh and I would also like to add a vote for Snetterton, that is a great track.

Now if you want a really friendly 7 trackday, take a look at Croix with BHP trackdays, they run a trip there twice a year, Oct and Apr, its in France, an hour from Calais. But loads of 7's go and its a real fun trip, with a good technical track and instruction available. Good bunch as well, I've been on the last 4 trips now

Edited by casbar on Thursday 8th November 09:45