Track day Check List

[Z4MCSL]

Ok this is a weird thread but...I am planning on getting a few track days in this year and wondering if there is a more ..I dunno..."joined up" approach to which ones to chose rather than just whats close, available, cheap, recommended etc?

Is there like a holy trinity of tracks one must do, or a quintessential quartet, perhaps a divine dozen?

I know the answer is just pick some of the main ones, Cadwell, Anglesey, Silverstone etc and go get them done but I like to have targets and tick boxes


Answers on a postcard to

A.nother
Pointless Thread
Pit Lane
Bedfordshire

[anonymous-user]

Personally I’d say you have to do Shelsley Walsh and Prescott just as much as any circuit. Both have “drivers schools” and are pretty special places to drive.

[Nickjd]

You will get a list of peoples "favourite" circuits.
Why not aim to do them all, including the rare ones like Aintree and the ones that include crossing water like Jurby on the Isle of Man and Mondello, Kirkistown in Ireland, and then you will know, and be one up on the vast majority of other people.

[Krikkit]

I had a list of a few I wanted to do when I started:

Cadwell
Donington
Oulton
Brands
Knockhill

I've done 3 of 5 now, Brands and Knockhill are the ones left outstanding.

But that's my list, and even the guys I run my car with don't share the same "want" lists now we've done Donington.

[LennyM1984]

Knockhill is the one I want to do. Always looks like massive fun and a great one for lower powered cars.

Sadly I don't fancy the epic drive up there.

[Cambs_Stuart]

Cadwell is fun. Despite being very short, brands hatch indy has some really good corners.
On my to do list, is Donnington, Oulton and Anglesey. Just a shame they're so far away...

[964Cup]

I think it depends on your car and your TDO preference. So, e.g. Cadwell isn't for all cars (I mean, all cars can be driven there, but it's tight, twisty and narrow, and I'd rather be in something small and nimble than something massively fast and wide); some TDOs (e.g. RMA) operate an open pitlane (except at Goodwood) and allow overtaking on both sides and everywhere; others have sessions and stricter rules. By the same token, RMA is expensive (and tends to attract very expensive metal as a result) where others are more affordable; there can be a link to driving standards here but I don't want to be snobbish. However RMA has a very narrow selection of tracks (Donington mostly, then Brands, Silverstone, Goodwood and Spa) so if you want to try everything, you have to be flexible.

[QBee]

Snetterton is worth a mention. My second favourite after Cadwell Park.
A good mix of good long straights for overtaking, and a variety of corners.

I still need to do Oulton Park.

[LennyM1984]

964Cup said:

I think it depends on your car and your TDO preference. So, e.g. Cadwell isn't for all cars (I mean, all cars can be driven there, but it's tight, twisty and narrow, and I'd rather be in something small and nimble than something massively fast and wide); some TDOs (e.g. RMA) operate an open pitlane (except at Goodwood) and allow overtaking on both sides and everywhere; others have sessions and stricter rules. By the same token, RMA is expensive (and tends to attract very expensive metal as a result) where others are more affordable; there can be a link to driving standards here but I don't want to be snobbish. However RMA has a very narrow selection of tracks (Donington mostly, then Brands, Silverstone, Goodwood and Spa) so if you want to try everything, you have to be flexible.

The "problem" I have with the RMA days is that in most cases they are more expensive than the race entry fees for that circuit. I get that you get more track time but it's still only a track day.

[964Cup]

LennyM1984 said:

The "problem" I have with the RMA days is that in most cases they are more expensive than the race entry fees for that circuit. I get that you get more track time but it's still only a track day.

I think it's partly a "Venmer good" approach and partly because their open pit-lane, all sides overtaking approach only works with low car numbers.

[brillomaster]

See this thread... which you also started, asking the same thing?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

My views havent changed. Donington is still my favourite. Still don't like cadwell that much. Phazed still does.

[brillomaster]

What tracks have you driven now?

If you want a target, try all the ones that the btcc race on. Im still missing 4 - knockhill, brands, silverstone and thruxton.

Or all the ones that british gt race on, cos that might include spa...

[QBee]

What car are you tracking?

[reggie747]

Oulton is a very nice track as is Donington, both of them at varying elevations over the lap.
Anglesey, as you mentioned is also quite good.
I think Silverstone are taking the p1$$ with their prices for 2023 (and I doubt they'll ever drop to what I'd consider decent rates.

[reggie747]

Oulton is a very nice track as is Donington, both of them at varying elevations over the lap.
Anglesey, as you mentioned is also quite good.
I think Silverstone are taking the p1$$ with their prices for 2023 (and I doubt they'll ever drop to what I'd consider decent rates.

[tertius]

I reckon you have to do: Brands GP, Goodwood, Spa, Nordshleife and Jerez.

Certainly if I were to do any more track days those are the ones I’d want to visit again.

[mattnoss]

Knockhill is a cracking circuit, prefer clockwise personally but anti clockwise is still good. Zandvoort is also amazing, feels like an old school circuit as does Thruxton which I also like. Snetterton in my opinion unfairly gets over looked but it’s a fun track.

[1781cc]

Its not been mentioned here yet but Blyton is a great little circuit, its in the middle of nowhere but I have always enjoyed driving on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTx5v9Oxxug

[FNG]

Croft gets massively overlooked too. Not least by me, I've never driven it. But it looks like a decently challenging varied layout.

[E-bmw]

Blyton is a great little circuit and normally fairly cheap.

The facilities aren't great but are adequate.

Croft, I was never really fussed on, I have been twice & never really found anything particularly worth the price differential to either Cadwell or Blyton, which are my closest.