Track day as a gift.
Discussion
I don't know much about the Red Letter Days and other providers track day experience packages, so I'm on here asking for a bit of advice.
My son is 21 in a few weeks, car mad and is in his final year of an apprenticeship as a vehicle mechanic, mainly HGV but the garage he works at does have the odd bit of exotica from the owners in, R8, Gallardo etc.
My son has a full licence and lusts after some of the high end cars he gets to park up etc.
What's the best value way for him to get a track day? Is it best to buy one of the packages from the department stores or to approach the track directly? He's based in the North West, near Manchester. I'd like for him to get several cars if possible as well as some high speed laps.
Is there anything else we need to know? Helmets, insurance, visitors and photography for example?
SD.
My son is 21 in a few weeks, car mad and is in his final year of an apprenticeship as a vehicle mechanic, mainly HGV but the garage he works at does have the odd bit of exotica from the owners in, R8, Gallardo etc.
My son has a full licence and lusts after some of the high end cars he gets to park up etc.
What's the best value way for him to get a track day? Is it best to buy one of the packages from the department stores or to approach the track directly? He's based in the North West, near Manchester. I'd like for him to get several cars if possible as well as some high speed laps.
Is there anything else we need to know? Helmets, insurance, visitors and photography for example?
SD.
Read my conclusions on this thread-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
If you have a voucher, you're at the mercy of time (10-12 months) and who has what tracks available when. If that's OK, and he can be flexible with times/ dates/ locations and doesn't have a specific car he wants to drive, a voucher is a good shout.
However, if getting to places is hard, or there are specific cars he wants to try, then you'd be better fronting the cash and letting him choose.
90+% of drives when I was there was people upgrading what they had been bought, either more laps or additional/ different cars, naturally at a greater cost than buying exactly what they wanted up front.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
If you have a voucher, you're at the mercy of time (10-12 months) and who has what tracks available when. If that's OK, and he can be flexible with times/ dates/ locations and doesn't have a specific car he wants to drive, a voucher is a good shout.
However, if getting to places is hard, or there are specific cars he wants to try, then you'd be better fronting the cash and letting him choose.
90+% of drives when I was there was people upgrading what they had been bought, either more laps or additional/ different cars, naturally at a greater cost than buying exactly what they wanted up front.
I'd say there's a pretty big difference between track days and experience days...
The track days you get a full (or half) day of circuit, usually with your own car, instructors optional, and cost extra.
Experience days you get much shorter amount of time (usually) 3-5 laps per car, get a car provided, and ride with an instructor (who is mainly there to supervise, rather than to help improve your technique).
Both are fun, but pretty different experiences.
The track days you get a full (or half) day of circuit, usually with your own car, instructors optional, and cost extra.
Experience days you get much shorter amount of time (usually) 3-5 laps per car, get a car provided, and ride with an instructor (who is mainly there to supervise, rather than to help improve your technique).
Both are fun, but pretty different experiences.
If it's within budget the Silver/Gold/Platinum days at Lotus are truly fantastic. Loads of track time, instructors who absolutely push you to the limit. Bronze is kind of an introduction with factory tour and historical racing tour, so far less track time (but a good day nonetheless!).
I have done a few track experiences, and all they do is leave you very fed up with all the standing about and the waste of money.
The fun of a track day is not having 5 laps in a Lamborghini, it is getting out there in something with which you are familiar, and honing your driving skills, chasing and overtaking similar cars to your own, and just having fun.
And blagging passenger laps in the more exotic machinery whilst yours cools down . Just ask - most drivers will say yes.
I would suggest he does a full day track day in his own car. You can hire a helmet at the track for a tenner.
Insurance - your road insurance doesn't cover you at all, and nor does the the other guy's if someone runs into you. So it is probably wise to get some track insurance, which covers your car and nothing else, even if it adds £50-100 to the cost of the day. I usually see one or two own fault prangs per track day. I think I have seen 3 car-on-car crashes in about 40 track days, but the guy who had £15k of damage done to his Lotus Exige by a nutter in a Rover 75 overtaking in a hairpin bend was glad he had track insurance, even if he had to pay the first 10% of the VALUE OF THE CAR.
The fun of a track day is not having 5 laps in a Lamborghini, it is getting out there in something with which you are familiar, and honing your driving skills, chasing and overtaking similar cars to your own, and just having fun.
And blagging passenger laps in the more exotic machinery whilst yours cools down . Just ask - most drivers will say yes.
I would suggest he does a full day track day in his own car. You can hire a helmet at the track for a tenner.
Insurance - your road insurance doesn't cover you at all, and nor does the the other guy's if someone runs into you. So it is probably wise to get some track insurance, which covers your car and nothing else, even if it adds £50-100 to the cost of the day. I usually see one or two own fault prangs per track day. I think I have seen 3 car-on-car crashes in about 40 track days, but the guy who had £15k of damage done to his Lotus Exige by a nutter in a Rover 75 overtaking in a hairpin bend was glad he had track insurance, even if he had to pay the first 10% of the VALUE OF THE CAR.
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