Top 5 most dangerous tracks
Discussion
I've just been getting a quote for trackday insurance from MORIS, one of the questions is do I intend to go to any of the 5 most dangerous tracks which they say are Nurburgring, Spa, Goodwood, Thruxton and Castle Combe.
I guess the Nurburgring is obvious but not sure about the others. I've been to Spa and it seemed fairly safe with plenty of run-off, I suppose Goodwood and Thruxton are very fast so an accident could be a big one but I've done Castle Combe and felt safer there than Cadwell or Donington.
Presumably based on their claims experience.
I guess the Nurburgring is obvious but not sure about the others. I've been to Spa and it seemed fairly safe with plenty of run-off, I suppose Goodwood and Thruxton are very fast so an accident could be a big one but I've done Castle Combe and felt safer there than Cadwell or Donington.
Presumably based on their claims experience.
Been a fair bit to Spa and the Ring.
For me Spa is the scarier because it is so brutally quick. There are much.much better and safer runoff areas, but I have seen more serious accidents at Spa than at the Ring where there are lots of accidents but in general they are slower and a bit less devastating.
Not sure if this is can be backed up with statistics, so just a view from personal experience.
For me Spa is the scarier because it is so brutally quick. There are much.much better and safer runoff areas, but I have seen more serious accidents at Spa than at the Ring where there are lots of accidents but in general they are slower and a bit less devastating.
Not sure if this is can be backed up with statistics, so just a view from personal experience.
ChevronB19 said:
Goodwood is without doubt a dangerous circuit, there is sod all runoff at most places on the outside, as Stirling Moss found back in the day, and Jack Brabham at the revival in about 2004. There is a reason why it was closed to modern racing.
+ 1 for Goodwood it can be very unforgiving if you make a mistake as i found out .Great track tho .
Alex Z said:
Castle Combe does a lot of modified car/enthusiasts days doesn’t it?
I’ve seen some videos of abysmal driving there which must have an impact on claims so maybe it’s that rather than the nature of the track itself.
This. I remember a recent video of an M240i causing a massive off with an EP3. The track was littered with cars all over the place, looked like the last few minutes of Q1 at Monaco I’ve seen some videos of abysmal driving there which must have an impact on claims so maybe it’s that rather than the nature of the track itself.
I have driven the track and in itself doesn't seem too sketchy.
E-bmw said:
LimaDelta said:
Are any of them actually 'dangerous' though, as in life-changing injuries rather than just bent metal?
The pedant in me wants to answer that "no racing track is per-se dangerous" it is the mis-judging things like grip etc that is dangerous.There are rare exceptions but fortunately the dangers are usually to the vehicles which is presumably why the insurance companies describe it that way.
I would agree that Spa is a slightly odd one on that list, Ring and Combe definitely come with risks that are often multiplied by attracting less experienced drivers.
Thruxton is quick but has fewer offs and impacts IME, Goodwood is properly old school in that it’s very quick and some solid earth banks to make a mess of things if you do go off.
I would agree that Spa is a slightly odd one on that list, Ring and Combe definitely come with risks that are often multiplied by attracting less experienced drivers.
Thruxton is quick but has fewer offs and impacts IME, Goodwood is properly old school in that it’s very quick and some solid earth banks to make a mess of things if you do go off.
That is an amusing list. I like all those tracks, some of my favorites there. As others have said I guess it is all based on statistical data.
The ring has to be the stand out most dangerous track anywhere, it’s was deliberately designed and constructed to be difficult and challenging to drive and it’s certainly that. Lots of fast blind corners, very little run off, lots of traffic, dripping with bellends. Must be top of the list by some distance.
Goodwood feels like quite a safe track when you drive around it. It’s quite well sighted and there aren’t that many corners when all said and done. However I guess the lack of runoff areas and the earth banks make it an inherently dangerous track. I wonder if the average cost of the cars driven round there is a bit higher than say Combe? It’s one of the tracks on the list which I am a bit surprised at.
Spa is a bloody great circuit, it’s got proper run off areas, lots of safety features. It’s long and fast. Is Spa inherently more dangerous than Silverstone GP, or Zolder? I wouldn’t have said so. Once again there are some very expensive cars there on track days so that might have a lot to do with it.
Castle Combe has without doubt the worst standard of driving of any U.K. circuit I’ve ever been to. Must be something in the water. No surprise at all that it’s on the list. Circuit is fine, it’s the users.
Thruxton is a bit of an odd one for me. I love the circuit, it’s a billy big balls circuit. It’s very fast but the run off areas are massive, I’ve travelled a good few hundred meters on the grass at Thruxton in the wet in my GT4 XBow I could barely see the circuit when I finally stopped but I didn’t hit anything. Furthermore there are not many track days there and the noise limits are mega strict which rather limits your options.
Personally Caldwell Park must be somewhere high up the list, it’s narrow and has some quite dodgy bits. Never got on with it. Safer than Thruxton?
The ring has to be the stand out most dangerous track anywhere, it’s was deliberately designed and constructed to be difficult and challenging to drive and it’s certainly that. Lots of fast blind corners, very little run off, lots of traffic, dripping with bellends. Must be top of the list by some distance.
Goodwood feels like quite a safe track when you drive around it. It’s quite well sighted and there aren’t that many corners when all said and done. However I guess the lack of runoff areas and the earth banks make it an inherently dangerous track. I wonder if the average cost of the cars driven round there is a bit higher than say Combe? It’s one of the tracks on the list which I am a bit surprised at.
Spa is a bloody great circuit, it’s got proper run off areas, lots of safety features. It’s long and fast. Is Spa inherently more dangerous than Silverstone GP, or Zolder? I wouldn’t have said so. Once again there are some very expensive cars there on track days so that might have a lot to do with it.
Castle Combe has without doubt the worst standard of driving of any U.K. circuit I’ve ever been to. Must be something in the water. No surprise at all that it’s on the list. Circuit is fine, it’s the users.
Thruxton is a bit of an odd one for me. I love the circuit, it’s a billy big balls circuit. It’s very fast but the run off areas are massive, I’ve travelled a good few hundred meters on the grass at Thruxton in the wet in my GT4 XBow I could barely see the circuit when I finally stopped
but I didn’t hit anything. Furthermore there are not many track days there and the noise limits are mega strict which rather limits your options. Personally Caldwell Park must be somewhere high up the list, it’s narrow and has some quite dodgy bits. Never got on with it. Safer than Thruxton?
Most trackday offs at Cadwell either just result in soiled undies or a relatively low speed impact. People tend to fire it off at Hall Bends and just bend a bumper, and the place has quite a reputation so everyone is more cautious than at somewhere like Oulton which actually tends to get bigger damage.
Kaveney said:
+ 1 for Goodwood it can be very unforgiving if you make a mistake as i found out .
Great track tho .
+ 2 on Goodwood being a great track, when you stay on the black stuff. Great track tho .
I enjoyed around ten days there before my talent ran out. The Goodwood team were brilliant and well-oiled. In no time my car was by the super Shell building (without passing the paddock), me with a cup of tea in one hand and the number for their preferred recovery company.
Thinking about it there was a big off almost every time I went..
I’ve enjoyed Goodwood a few times since, keeping to 8/10s.
Racing at Spa is on the bucket list, while the Ring is too scary.
I enjoyed around ten days there before my talent ran out
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