getting 13 yr old kid on track in car with tuition

getting 13 yr old kid on track in car with tuition

Author
Discussion

zebedee

Original Poster:

4,592 posts

284 months

Friday 3rd November 2006
quotequote all
A colleague of mine wants to get his 13 yr old (lucky git) out in a proper car somewhere with decent tuition. He's done a bit of karting but is looking for experience in a real car. I thought of the scholarships out there, but they can be quite expensive and intensive - is there anything out there a bit more "arrive and drive" oriented? He can already 'drive' in terms of clutch, gears etc so would get nothing from driving round cones, but his dad basically wants him to learn racing lines, car control etc

any ideas?

cheers

stockhatcher

4,640 posts

229 months

Friday 3rd November 2006
quotequote all
silverstone will take all your money and let him have a play, with tuition, on what ever he wants, failing that wait till he's 14 and then he'll be allowed on trackdays with an ards instructor, in something like a saxmax, or t-car.

gridgway

1,001 posts

251 months

Friday 3rd November 2006
quotequote all
he could try the Under 17 Car Club www.under17-carclub.co.uk/

A volunteer run organisation where under-17s learn the best of road driving, some higher speed car control (when they get good enough) at Castle Combe and all kinds of other fun stuff. You have to be interested in proper driving and be prepared to stick at it, but it is a fabuluous organisation. Two of mine have been members with the third joining next year.

Kids can start as young as 12 but they have to be tall enough (with cushions maybe) but more importantly mature enough. Costs just over £100 from memory at there is pretty much one event per weekend through a march till november season.

Graham

HiRich

3,337 posts

268 months

Saturday 4th November 2006
quotequote all
As well as the professional stuff, you could use an old airfield. Scout around for a site and have a chat with the owners/management - a crisp £20 note often works wonders.
Obviously there are limitations to what you can achieve but you can:
- Take time to get seating position and general basics right
- Get him comfortable with transferring his kart experience to cars
- Get him basic experience with the dynamics of a car (the things you don't learn at BSM): under/oversteer, weight transfer, what happens when you brake into a corner accelerate too much on the exit.
- Take one corner time and time again.
It won't replace a proper course, but he'll have got a lot of the basics sorted, and begin with far more confidence.

If you can't find an airfield, you could check out a private or semi-private (with mates) half-day at Llandow or Curborough, where you also gain the benefit of proper corners and a decent surface. They both have rules on age but are more generous than proper circuits. They may so no, but you have to ask first.

sdd

347 posts

288 months

Saturday 4th November 2006
quotequote all

www.track-club.com can arrange it but it's not particularly cheap.

Call Stephen on 0870 24 25 402

gridgway

1,001 posts

251 months

Sunday 5th November 2006
quotequote all
Under 17 car club is extremely cost effective when you think that your £100+ gets something like 25-30 events per year!
Graham

whitelockbne

3 posts

227 months

Sunday 3rd December 2006
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heyy, im 15 now and am looking into getting into motorsport i wanted to try some tract tuition but the only people i can find are silverstone that are relatively affordable
i live in middlesbrough and cant really travel far, does any one have any info it would be much appriciated

ben

heebeegeetee

28,956 posts

254 months

Sunday 3rd December 2006
quotequote all
zebedee said:
A colleague of mine wants to get his 13 yr old (lucky git) out in a proper car somewhere with decent tuition. He's done a bit of karting but is looking for experience in a real car. I thought of the scholarships out there, but they can be quite expensive and intensive - is there anything out there a bit more "arrive and drive" oriented? He can already 'drive' in terms of clutch, gears etc so would get nothing from driving round cones, but his dad basically wants him to learn racing lines, car control etc

any ideas?

cheers


Owen motor club will be holding one of their fun autotests on the 27th December at Curborough, and they allow children to participate. Think the minimum age might be 14 though.

www.owenmotoringclub.co.uk/index.php?page=slithering-santa-2

Simon Mason

579 posts

275 months

Monday 4th December 2006
quotequote all
I can get any of you on track in a Mazda MX5 if you still seriously want to get on track and learn. I don't do "experiences" though only real training. Details on my profile.

BenElliottRacing

375 posts

227 months

Tuesday 5th December 2006
quotequote all
www.benelliottracing.com

I trained most of this years saxmax and ginetta jr drivers this year.

use your car or my mini / elise.

call katie on 01243 670467 for details