Car show track sessions - what are your thoughts?

[CacheMonet]

An increasing number of car shows at tracks around the UK offer short track time slots for varying experience levels - japfest, ford fair, etc

I have heard a few people say that the track time at these events is not as well managed, that they attract a bad crowd, and are generally not as safe or good value as other 'proper' track days.

At the same time however, they seem to be a very well priced way to get a taste of track driving on some great circuits.

What are your thoughts/experiences of these short show sessions?

[Camoradi]

I did one session at an "Action Day" at Castle Coombe about 10 years ago. On the very first lap some tool in a BMW M coupe went piling into quarry about 50% faster than he should have been and took out a Lotus 11 replica on the way into the tyre wall. I finished my 15 minutes and just watched for the rest of the day.

Personally I give them a miss

[Zoobeef]

Did the fast car show at Donington. I was on the PH stand and only 5 of us were going on track for the PH session. Brilliant track time

[MRichards99]

From the footage on YouTube I've seen of Castle Combe action days, I wouldn't do any of them sessions, seems like too many cars and not enough time to find any space to achieve anything like improving consistency. I think the general opinion on this thread will be the same, though I'd be more interested to hear from people who attend these sessions and enjoy them - what's good about them that I can't grasp? I haven't done one myself in fairness, but I'm very interested to hear from the other side of the fence

[QBee]

My first ever track experience was booked for me by my wife about 25 years ago, and involved 10 laps in a BMW 3 series with an instructor and 10 in a Formula First. So enough driving to know if I liked it, and not enough to leave me feeling "been there, done that". But honestly, most of these sessions have some element or other that leaves you frustrated - on mine, it was that we were limited to 4000 rpm, and my Formula First cut out every time I changed gear.

If I was doing it now, unless there was a particular model of car that i wanted to drive but didn't own, I would simply book a track day in my own car at a race circuit nearby. This is exactly what i did seven years ago when I finally got a car I could take on track - my TVR. Almost seven years to the day, and about 40 track days on, I will be at Cadwell Park again in three weeks time.

Proper track days are well organised and there are rules to minimise the risk of you hitting each other or trashing your car. There are also novice sessions, and instructors available at the track. Even if you are an absolute driving god on the B6789, I would strongly advise you to book a session with the instructor.

A week or so before you go to the track day, just ask advice on here on the minimum preparation you need to do, but do just the minimum.
On the track day, enjoy yourself and don't push your car, its brakes or tyres, beyond its limits, and don't drive like a cock. It's meant to be fun for everyone, and most certainly isn't a race.

I would be surprised if you don't enjoy it.

[Drew106]

As said above, they're good to get a taste without forking out for a 'proper' track day.

They can be a little hectic and busy, but still good fun if you get some space. Just need to treat them with a little extra caution.

I've done a few Action Days at Castle Combe and enjoyed them.

All the usual enjoyment of a car show, with a little track fun built in

[mikey P 500]

Same as track sessions at Sunday services when at silverstone. Plenty of pistonheads members enjoy these, have seen a few damaged cars but most have a good time.

[iguana]

Full of incredibly bad driving retards, I'd not do one even if you paid me.

[QBee]

I usually also sit out the first 15 minutes of live running on a regular track day....all that pent up excitement and testosterone busting to escape. The problem with event track sessions is that they are often only a short duration, so you cannot avoid tt central.

[Jamescrs]

I did three track sessions at Ford Fair last year, two of them I booked were intermediate sessions and one was club specific. I didn't think any of the sessions were run as well as a proper track day, track discipline was generally poor throughout and it looked like the stewards couldn't care less what was going on.

I guess because it was generally 15 or 20 min sessions (I don't remember which) and then it was generally a new group of track users again they weren't too bothered but for the cost of the sessions i'll be sticking to proper track days in future.

[CacheMonet]

Thanks everyone, some great responses

I drove my own car on track for the first time last year at Japfest Donington. At the time this was great fun and despite a few instances of mid corner overtakes from some drivers, the rules were generally adhered to. If anything it just confirmed the need to book a full day (which I went on to do).

Fast forward to yesterday at Japfest Silverstone and the track experience was a mixed bag. The morning session I had booked before general admittance was fantastic, despite a 350z spinning out at luffield and an MR2 doing a wee on the club straight. My session in the afternoon however was a different story. IMO there were far too many cars on track, limited adherence to the rules, and some questionable driving by several parties. Although the larger number of cars on track was hectic, there was a certain amount of fun to be had - but all in all a full day at Snetterton can't come soon enough!

[CacheMonet]

Camoradi said:

I did one session at an "Action Day" at Castle Coombe about 10 years ago. On the very first lap some tool in a BMW M coupe went piling into quarry about 50% faster than he should have been and took out a Lotus 11 replica on the way into the tyre wall. I finished my 15 minutes and just watched for the rest of the day.

Personally I give them a miss

Does this look familiar ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb8JQGcbHwA

[xjay1337]

CacheMonet said:

An increasing number of car shows at tracks around the UK offer short track time slots for varying experience levels - japfest, ford fair, etc

I have heard a few people say that the track time at these events is not as well managed, that they attract a bad crowd, and are generally not as safe or good value as other 'proper' track days.

At the same time however, they seem to be a very well priced way to get a taste of track driving on some great circuits.

What are your thoughts/experiences of these short show sessions?

Only ever one I've done was VAG Tuner a few years ago, I had the end of day session (3-5) by which time most people had fked off.

Wouldn't do it again though! I avoid the track action type days as a driver... plus you get all the idiots from the Focus ST owners club trying to out-do each other.

I just still to normal mid-week trackdays with quality track time organisers.

[Bright Halo]

QBee said:

I usually also sit out the first 15 minutes of live running on a regular track day....all that pent up excitement and testosterone busting to escape. The problem with event track sessions is that they are often only a short duration, so you cannot avoid tt central.

Totally agree with the above for all track days.
Always sit tight for the first 15-30mins to let the exited ones get it out of their system.
The last time i did an event track session was about ten years ago and the standard of driving was appalling so i simply don’t do them anymore as from what I have seen the standard has not improved.

[Fonzey]

My first track time was a session at Trax and it was pretty ropey to be honest. It's cheap track time and people just want to get their money's worth by barrelling onto the track at 10/10ths immediately.

Open Pit Days are far more my thing.

[Krikkit]

I'd do marque-specific days, but probably not a general one, just to minimise potential speed differences.

I've done one with a Peugeot club (Donington), and another with the Renault Clio club (Blyton) and both were great fun.

[RB Will]

CacheMonet said:

Does this look familiar ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb8JQGcbHwA

Bloody hell! good job he was out of the car.

I have never done an Action Day track session but I have done a some sessions at Japfest and Rallyday but we are talking about 10+ years ago.
If you can get in a club specific session they are often not too bad but the general sessions on an action day are often have one or two people who have bought a stter just to smash around for the day and don't care if its written off.


Now they are popular its just a bad mix generally of very different speed cars and drivers, inexperienced drivers who either have more moments or don't read the road ahead enough to avoid getting into other peoples, big egos etc and because people only have 10 mins feel they have to get the most from it so do dodgy overtakes etc rather than being patient for half a lap.

My nearest accident was coming up to overtake a Bowler on in a session at Rallyday and he first cut the chicane then stamped coming up to the next corner with me up his backside stamped on the brakes pretty much down to a stop and peeled off across the grass into the pits, see vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E30wlTr9o94

[CacheMonet]

RB Will said:

My nearest accident was coming up to overtake a Bowler on in a session at Rallyday and he first cut the chicane then stamped coming up to the next corner with me up his backside stamped on the brakes pretty much down to a stop and peeled off across the grass into the pits, see vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E30wlTr9o94

Jaysuss!! What was that doing on the track in the first place?

[Actus Reus]

There are videos doing the rounds on FB of the driving at JapFest over this past weekend. I'm glad I wasn't out there.

[Black_S3]

They have too high a proportion of inexperienced track drivers for me. I know everyone starts somewhere but it’s better if that’s one or two cars mixed amongst a group of regular/semi regulars as then it’s easy to know who to give extra space to. Also the session format makes it difficult to give the idiots the first part of every session to fall over on their own....

I generally sit out for a bit and watch the behaviour from a pit wall making a mental note of which cars to avoid like the plague... If there’s extreme stupidity I’ll even wait till the offending car comes in before I go out which is incredibly easy in an open pit lane format.