Brilliant day at Prodrive track with DDP
Discussion
Just spent a day organised by Caroline of DDP [url]www.driverdp.com[url] at the Prodrive test track near Warwick. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for tuition on handling and circuit driving. The instructors (you get one between 2, allocated for the day) love TVRs and are all current or ex racing drivers (one was a Tuscan champ in the distant past) and are keen to push you to get the best out of your car - like a demon forever urging 'more power' in your left ear! My Chim was there to uphold Blackpools finest from a lot of German precision ('cept for the totally mad Hyabusa-engined racing Mini...).
As well as the 1.5 mile 'high speed' circuit there is a handling circuit to get the basics sorted and uniquely you get to take your own car on the low grip stuff (skid pan) not an old hack car on a cradle thingy. After trying each course in the morning, the afternoon is 2 hours of whatever you want. All the German stuff stopped for tea & cake half way through leaving us the whole track so it was a shame not to use it, and after all I can get tea & cake anywhere but not the chance to drift out of curves at full throttle in 3rd...
If, like me, you like the idea of track driving but feel that just turning up at one would be a bit intimidating, then this course is for you. There is no way that I would have worked out the lines & braking points on my own, and the instructors can spot the area you have a problem with before you even realise it is a problem and suggest how to sort it. They will tailor the day to what you want, and if you want to find your limits with the car they will be happy to oblige (thanks Nick!). Noise does not have to be an issue, the limits are 98db @ 2/3 max rpm, and my loud 450 with no pre-cats and a sleeved box came out at 96dB even at 4500 rpm thanks to some ACT track-day cans. My thanks must also go to Joo for mapping the KMS ecu so well when he was running Trackcar Solutions.
If in doubt, DO IT!!!
Ian.
As well as the 1.5 mile 'high speed' circuit there is a handling circuit to get the basics sorted and uniquely you get to take your own car on the low grip stuff (skid pan) not an old hack car on a cradle thingy. After trying each course in the morning, the afternoon is 2 hours of whatever you want. All the German stuff stopped for tea & cake half way through leaving us the whole track so it was a shame not to use it, and after all I can get tea & cake anywhere but not the chance to drift out of curves at full throttle in 3rd...
If, like me, you like the idea of track driving but feel that just turning up at one would be a bit intimidating, then this course is for you. There is no way that I would have worked out the lines & braking points on my own, and the instructors can spot the area you have a problem with before you even realise it is a problem and suggest how to sort it. They will tailor the day to what you want, and if you want to find your limits with the car they will be happy to oblige (thanks Nick!). Noise does not have to be an issue, the limits are 98db @ 2/3 max rpm, and my loud 450 with no pre-cats and a sleeved box came out at 96dB even at 4500 rpm thanks to some ACT track-day cans. My thanks must also go to Joo for mapping the KMS ecu so well when he was running Trackcar Solutions.
If in doubt, DO IT!!!
Ian.
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