Recommended Instruction days?
Discussion
One of my work mates just got himself a mk3 MR2. (I'm not jelous...no really...gerr)
It's his 1st rear wheel drive car, and i'm trying to encourage him to "experiance it on the edge" in a safe environment before pushing it hard on the road.
Now he could just book an airfield day with BAT et al, but are there any reasonably priced days where a dude who knows his stuff will show and instruct you on the limits of your own car?
It's his 1st rear wheel drive car, and i'm trying to encourage him to "experiance it on the edge" in a safe environment before pushing it hard on the road.
Now he could just book an airfield day with BAT et al, but are there any reasonably priced days where a dude who knows his stuff will show and instruct you on the limits of your own car?
All depends on what you mean by reasonably priced days.
I'd go for a track rather than an airfield day, unless all he is after is screaching the tires. The track points out weaknesses in driving technique much more accurately than an airfield, where you only need to be approximately in the right place. It is also just as safe (although, having hit the tire wall head on at 85mph on Sunday, I'm not sure I'm the best person to be speaking about this at the moment).
All track days have instructors present, to the best thing to do would be to book a day (from £150 up for the good ones), and try to pre-book early instruction.
I believe that Evo do novices only track days too - which could also be an option. Again, instruction will be there.
RMA at Bedford (and proabbly elsewhere), also run a one hour 'slow' session before the fast lapping takes place, so he can learn the circuit first.
The final (and possibly best) option, is to book a track day and get an instructor to come along. I know that ehastler and a few others have shared Steve Lewis for the day, obviously splitting the instruction costs and making it more financially attractive. This also gives you laps on your own between instruction sessions where you can practice what you have been taught.
At the other end of the price scale the Car Limits people continually get rave reviews on here - but this is more a fast road course than a track focussed one.
Just get out there. Choose somewhere safe like Bedford, Silverstone or Donnington etc, and have a blast.
Only problem is that once you've started - it's very difficult to stop.
Rich
I'd go for a track rather than an airfield day, unless all he is after is screaching the tires. The track points out weaknesses in driving technique much more accurately than an airfield, where you only need to be approximately in the right place. It is also just as safe (although, having hit the tire wall head on at 85mph on Sunday, I'm not sure I'm the best person to be speaking about this at the moment).
All track days have instructors present, to the best thing to do would be to book a day (from £150 up for the good ones), and try to pre-book early instruction.
I believe that Evo do novices only track days too - which could also be an option. Again, instruction will be there.
RMA at Bedford (and proabbly elsewhere), also run a one hour 'slow' session before the fast lapping takes place, so he can learn the circuit first.
The final (and possibly best) option, is to book a track day and get an instructor to come along. I know that ehastler and a few others have shared Steve Lewis for the day, obviously splitting the instruction costs and making it more financially attractive. This also gives you laps on your own between instruction sessions where you can practice what you have been taught.
At the other end of the price scale the Car Limits people continually get rave reviews on here - but this is more a fast road course than a track focussed one.
Just get out there. Choose somewhere safe like Bedford, Silverstone or Donnington etc, and have a blast.
Only problem is that once you've started - it's very difficult to stop.
Rich
Just to be different, I'm going to disagree with daydreamer 
I believe you learn more effectively if you can experience what it's like when you exceed your/your car's limits. It can be very shocking! A track is not the place to do this...
An airfield day with an instructor is my recommendation - and not just blagging a few "laps" with an instructor who is trying to help a whole load of people and hasn't the time to do more than give you a few pointers.
I recommend 1st Lotus at North Weald. They advertise on this site.
When your mate has done that, then move on to track and get instruction from the likes of Steve Lewis.
I believe you learn more effectively if you can experience what it's like when you exceed your/your car's limits. It can be very shocking! A track is not the place to do this...
An airfield day with an instructor is my recommendation - and not just blagging a few "laps" with an instructor who is trying to help a whole load of people and hasn't the time to do more than give you a few pointers.
I recommend 1st Lotus at North Weald. They advertise on this site.
When your mate has done that, then move on to track and get instruction from the likes of Steve Lewis.
Yep, as daydreamer mentioned, I hired Steve Lewis, along with 2 others (my girlfriend and Alf Essex), which made it very affordable, and still gave us a decent amount of time in the car with Steve.
I'm not sure if Rich is correct in saying that all track days have instructors present, and those that do will probably be in so much demand that you will only get a few laps with them, which won't give you sufficient time to get much out of them.
I'd also agree with Garry that an airfield is probably the best place to start (or track with plenty of run off, like Bedford or Donington) as the barriers and gravel traps can be very intimidating for a first-timer, and are a bit more solid than a few cones!
Airfield days tend to be cheaper as well, but they also tend to be dirtier, so you have more chance of suffereing stone chips.
I've heard good things about 1st Lotus, but to be honest, an airfield day with a decent instructor (I recommend Steve Lewis - who posts on here sometimes), will be a great place to start.
>> Edited by ehasler on Tuesday 22 June 16:03
I'm not sure if Rich is correct in saying that all track days have instructors present, and those that do will probably be in so much demand that you will only get a few laps with them, which won't give you sufficient time to get much out of them.
I'd also agree with Garry that an airfield is probably the best place to start (or track with plenty of run off, like Bedford or Donington) as the barriers and gravel traps can be very intimidating for a first-timer, and are a bit more solid than a few cones!
Airfield days tend to be cheaper as well, but they also tend to be dirtier, so you have more chance of suffereing stone chips.
I've heard good things about 1st Lotus, but to be honest, an airfield day with a decent instructor (I recommend Steve Lewis - who posts on here sometimes), will be a great place to start.
>> Edited by ehasler on Tuesday 22 June 16:03
For a more 'back to basics' approach, try Motorsport Event's Academy Day - a whole day with various exercises designed to give you a feel for your car, it's limits and how it behaves on track.
It's run at an airfield venue, the exercises go from simple braking and steering to 'getting the tail out' and most people get a lot from the day, though the more experienced will find some of the exercises a bit basic.
Quite a few people I know have done it, most have come away with much more confidence in their car and it's abilities. All have then graduated to airfield and track days comfortably.
It's run at an airfield venue, the exercises go from simple braking and steering to 'getting the tail out' and most people get a lot from the day, though the more experienced will find some of the exercises a bit basic.
Quite a few people I know have done it, most have come away with much more confidence in their car and it's abilities. All have then graduated to airfield and track days comfortably.
I used 1st Lotus last year when I got my Noble, and found Andy to be just about the perfect instructor for a young guy like me in a whizzy car. He was knowledgable and instructive but not condecending at all - which was good concidering the number of times I went backwards. They're good value too.!
It's perhaps a long way if you're based in the south and a while off too, but Track Action have a day at Elvington Airfield on 26 September (Sunday), it's great venue... yes it's a coned layout but there's nothing to hit except other cars (rare) and it would be the sort of venue I would recommend if you want to explore the limits of yourself and your car... don't think about doing that at a racing circuit until you have a lot more experience! Track Action's fee for Elvington is £99 per car and £20 per additional driver. The format is open pit, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm with an hour lunch break... you can get an awful lot of track-time in, even allowing 20 minutes per hour letting your car cool down. Track Action have instructors available FOC... however, they are usually quite busy and you'll only get them for the odd session. Their website is <a href="http://www.track-action.co.uk">www.track-action.co.uk</a>
I also instruct on Track Action days, but freelance, I can be booked for a half or full day for one-to-one instruction (shared if you have additional drivers). I'm an ARDS Grade A Instructor... website: <a href="http://www.timarnold.com">www.timarnold.com</a> or <a href="http://www.timarnold.com/race_driving_instruction.htm">www.timarnold.com/race_driving_instruction.htm</a> for the instruction page. Feel free to phone me if you want impartial advice... number's on the website.
>> Edited by instructor on Sunday 27th June 15:07
>> Edited by instructor on Sunday 27th June 20:20
I also instruct on Track Action days, but freelance, I can be booked for a half or full day for one-to-one instruction (shared if you have additional drivers). I'm an ARDS Grade A Instructor... website: <a href="http://www.timarnold.com">www.timarnold.com</a> or <a href="http://www.timarnold.com/race_driving_instruction.htm">www.timarnold.com/race_driving_instruction.htm</a> for the instruction page. Feel free to phone me if you want impartial advice... number's on the website.
>> Edited by instructor on Sunday 27th June 15:07
>> Edited by instructor on Sunday 27th June 20:20
Just done te 1st Lotus day this week in the TVR along with 3 other PH'ers. Well worth it.
To read a bit more about our experience try here: www.tvrsseries.com/sowners/drivertuitioninans/stuitiondaywords.htm
...or the 1st Lotus website, which I'm sure you've seen already: www.1stlotus.com/intro.htm
To read a bit more about our experience try here: www.tvrsseries.com/sowners/drivertuitioninans/stuitiondaywords.htm
...or the 1st Lotus website, which I'm sure you've seen already: www.1stlotus.com/intro.htm
You could try Don Palmer at www.donpalmer.co.uk
He will teach you how to recognise and drive at the limit and these skills will be equally applicable in both a normal road and a track environment. I did 2 days with Don and I can guarantee that it is tuition that is reason why my v6 Clio has not gone through any hedges backward!
He will teach you how to recognise and drive at the limit and these skills will be equally applicable in both a normal road and a track environment. I did 2 days with Don and I can guarantee that it is tuition that is reason why my v6 Clio has not gone through any hedges backward!
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