Discussion
Following a recommendation from a fellow pistonheader I am trying to organise me and my bro a track day.
Has anyone used the "arrive and drive" that bookatrack offer? I am looking at paying £200 for a pug 205gti and £100 for the track day at Elvington (disused airfield I think).
Any comments or experiences would be most helpful
Cheers
Rob P
Has anyone used the "arrive and drive" that bookatrack offer? I am looking at paying £200 for a pug 205gti and £100 for the track day at Elvington (disused airfield I think).
Any comments or experiences would be most helpful
Cheers
Rob P
Was it me who recommended them? Might've been. I've used the arrive and drive...althgough I didn't take the pug I took the caterham.
Very friendly. Sign on was the usual. The lady who signed us on remembered we were hiring a car. I was careful to introduce myself properly to bookatrack staff and make sure they knew who I was and that I'd rented a vehicle but they seemed on top of it all anyway.
It was a sessioned day so twenty minutes in the hour in the car.
They'll want to make sure you aren't a nutter. Jonny went out with me briefly and then was happy to let us get on with it.
Instruction is essential if the circuit is new to you. The pug is probably better for that as the instructor will have a better view than in the Caterham we had.
Look after their car too, eh?
Bookatrack are reasonably strict about driving standards and really encourage polite driving. If someone keeps catching you up in the corners LET THEM PAST on the next straight. Overtaking is on the LEFT ONLY and BY CONSENT. If someone gets in your way chances are they'll hold right and indicate for you to pass.
The clientele were friendly too. One chap (erroneously) came up to us to apologise for spinning in front of a car.
There was no bollocks about if you span you'd be banned. But there was no doubt left in anyone's mind that if you drove like a loon and endangered anyone else you'd be going home rapido. Similarly if you kept spinning off and needing to be recovered whilst the session was stopped (and everyone else has to WAIT...whilst valuable track time is ticking away) you'd get a limited second chance before going home as well.
So all in all: the arrive and drive thing is good. And they're a company I'd recommend to anyone for a track day.
Interestingly I used them because a) Ted uses them for the Folembray thing and b) CarZee (respect!) personally recommended them and I value his opinion.
Very friendly. Sign on was the usual. The lady who signed us on remembered we were hiring a car. I was careful to introduce myself properly to bookatrack staff and make sure they knew who I was and that I'd rented a vehicle but they seemed on top of it all anyway.
It was a sessioned day so twenty minutes in the hour in the car.
They'll want to make sure you aren't a nutter. Jonny went out with me briefly and then was happy to let us get on with it.
Instruction is essential if the circuit is new to you. The pug is probably better for that as the instructor will have a better view than in the Caterham we had.
Look after their car too, eh?
Bookatrack are reasonably strict about driving standards and really encourage polite driving. If someone keeps catching you up in the corners LET THEM PAST on the next straight. Overtaking is on the LEFT ONLY and BY CONSENT. If someone gets in your way chances are they'll hold right and indicate for you to pass.
The clientele were friendly too. One chap (erroneously) came up to us to apologise for spinning in front of a car.
There was no bollocks about if you span you'd be banned. But there was no doubt left in anyone's mind that if you drove like a loon and endangered anyone else you'd be going home rapido. Similarly if you kept spinning off and needing to be recovered whilst the session was stopped (and everyone else has to WAIT...whilst valuable track time is ticking away) you'd get a limited second chance before going home as well.
So all in all: the arrive and drive thing is good. And they're a company I'd recommend to anyone for a track day.
Interestingly I used them because a) Ted uses them for the Folembray thing and b) CarZee (respect!) personally recommended them and I value his opinion.
mikeww said: I was on a track day with them on Sunday-my own car not arrive and drive. Very impressed. Made the rules for the day really clear, well organised, friendly, slick change overs between sessions. No incidents on the day. would definitely recommend them.
MikeW
What were you in Mike? I was there. Thoroughly enjoyed myself and got very wet! Disappointed with the pictures but its to be expected in those conditions I guess.
robp said: After reading all the above I think I'll go ahead and book
Anyone been to Elvington airfield for a trackday? Never heard of it myself.
Yep, went last year with Easytrack. Airfield in the middle of nowhere, no noise limits and the surface is pretty good. The layout varies quite a bit from other videos I've seen but for us it was a huge sweeping right-hander (absolutely loads of space and runoff for gooning on), straight, fastish left-right-left complex then short straight before 90 right then another 90 right onto the runway. Then it zig-zagged across there before braking into a slow chicaned bit to complete the lap.
Probably the best place you could pick to learn how a car behaves, you'd really be going some to leave the edge and then it's just onto flat grass. Cone damage is about the only risk. And like every airfield, it's completely flat and sometimes hard to keep track of where corners go when they're just cones on a big flat bit of tarmac.
It's pretty harsh on tyres, more so if you're sliding everywhere, but if you're hiring a car it's not your problem
As others say, bookatrack are top of the pile when it comes to organising - have done two days with them, both excellent and am planning a couple more this year.
sjg - cheers for the advice.
Sounds like a perfect set-up for me as I have not done a trackday before. Hopefully the first of many!
A lot of people have commented on the tracks harsh abuse of tyres, but as you rightly say it wont be my car!
I am just waiting for the money to clear in my account so I can book the day.
Cant wait!
Sounds like a perfect set-up for me as I have not done a trackday before. Hopefully the first of many!
A lot of people have commented on the tracks harsh abuse of tyres, but as you rightly say it wont be my car!
I am just waiting for the money to clear in my account so I can book the day.
Cant wait!
Beej,
I was there on the Sunday-March 2nd in a Caterham. Think you must have been the weekend after I guess because we had sunshine all day.It was the first time I'd used Book a Track and they were the best organisers I've been with so far. The thing I liked most was the clarity of the overtaking rule which was anywhere by consent. I was there with about another 60 Caterhams ( all race drivers)- no accidents, no hassles
Mikew
I was there on the Sunday-March 2nd in a Caterham. Think you must have been the weekend after I guess because we had sunshine all day.It was the first time I'd used Book a Track and they were the best organisers I've been with so far. The thing I liked most was the clarity of the overtaking rule which was anywhere by consent. I was there with about another 60 Caterhams ( all race drivers)- no accidents, no hassles
Mikew
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