Best location in france for track days

[joaovc]

Thinking about buying a place in France for writing retreats and the occasional holiday and take my Caterham there. Where's the best location to buy if I plan to go to track days? Ideally, I'd want to be in the proximity of a track that has regular track days and which is not one of the most expensive.

Thanks!

[pincher]

Abbeville & Croix aren't too far from Calais but I guess you should also consider Le Mans as well.

[joaovc]

Thanks! Suggestions in the south of france are also welcome

[rdjohn]

This is the trackday bible in France, so you can choose you best location for tracks, but I would suggest that you also consider a myriad of other things as well

Generally trackdays are cheaper, but less well organised than in the UK. You could also join Club Lotus France.

http://www.trackdays.fr/index.php

http://www.club-lotus.fr/index.php?id=9

[mogv8]

Have a look at Lotus on Track as well.

Well organised, some organisers resident in France I believe, and do regular tours. List of events here:

http://www.lotus-on-track.com/events.html

[mikey77]

Val de Vienne is pretty good, in my humble opinion. The Poitou Charente/Limousin is a nice part of the world, too.

[Dick le Dog]

I agree with that , and as I live between Saintes and the sea in Charente - Maritime we are not too far from Pau Arnos , Nogaro and the new circuit of Haute Saintonge . I like Val de Vienne and the hospital at Poitiers is only a short helicopter ride away.

[rdjohn]

Are either Mikey77, or Dick-l-D doing the open day at VdV on Sept 3rd?

Noise restrictions can be a problem at these new circuits like Saintes. 95db is just too low for me and a few other cars

Edited by rdjohn on Saturday 18th August 15:41

[Dick le Dog]

Not sept 03 , rdj .
Am there on 24/25/26 August though with the Ducati Club de France .

Don't worry too much about the 95Db at Haute Saintonge , but confirm it with other four-wheel chaps first.

salut,

Dick

[mikey77]

Sadly not. I have an important annual meeting of our village association of the well.

[rdjohn]

Dick le Dog said:

Not sept 03 , rdj .
Am there on 24/25/26 August though with the Ducati Club de France .

Don't worry too much about the 95Db at Haute Saintonge , but confirm it with other four-wheel chaps first.

salut,

Dick

Sadly, another biker died at VdV on Sunday

[Dick le Dog]

Yes, it's a dangerous curve and the second fatality there to my knowledge , but a great circuit nevertheless . The paddock is super now except for the number of showers

[rdjohn]

Dick le Dog said:

Yes, it's a dangerous curve and the second fatality there to my knowledge , but a great circuit nevertheless . The paddock is super now except for the number of showers

Where was the fatality? Quite a bit of safety work was done after a previous death and, as a driver it feels very safe. The proximity of the pit-wall on the final corner seems a bit close, but it is not a fast corner.

I love the circuit, especially the original configuration - the long back straight is just too long in 6th gear, for my preference.

I was talking with one of the workers yesterday who said that the new Swiss owners have had far fewer active days than when under the ownership of Department 86. Perhaps that is just down to harder times.

[Dick le Dog]

After the piff-paff , there's the tightening right. On the apex you accelerate hard to the left turn, which takes you wide to the right if you're not careful and there's a slight turn right (8) before the trop tard sharp right. Apparently it was around the (8) Poor guy was hit by his own bike .Don't know if someone tried to pass on his right, but it's happened to me before.
That kink under the Dunlop bridge at Nogaro is the same.
The pit wall nearly caught me at Le Vigeant once when I came across someone going too slow on the exit line as it's blind going in.
Have you tried Haute saintonge yet ?

[rdjohn]

Dick le Dog said:

Have you tried Haute saintonge yet ?

I went the first year that it opened and there was no issue with noise, I really liked the circuit, it looks simple on a plan, but the elevation makes it interesting.

I e-mailed the organiser a couple of years back and said that I had problems with noise (perhaps 107db) and he did not seem to be sympathetic.

I would not like to turn-up and be black flagged first session.

Sadly, my trackdays are now finished for 2012.

[Dick le Dog]

I wouldn't like to give you false hope, but some classic bikes are at least 107Db too !