Track Day Tips
Discussion
If you want to let him use his own car then Thruxton is out. There are virtually no "Track Days" (own car) held there. Last year I heard of one. The tracks that are the best bet for you are Brands Hatch in Kent, Castle Combe in Wiltshire and Silverstone in Northhants.
At most track days the organisers arrange for instructors to be available. Sometimes you can book this in advance - sometimes not.
I would probably recommend Motorsport Vision
www.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch/trackdays/trackdays-car.asp
and a day at Brands. Don't forget that your car insurance may not cover the day. You can get seperate insurance but this is likely to be expensive. In this event I would, instead, buy a day of Jonny at Bookatrack and rent a Caterham from him. Brilliant day. Lots and lots of time in the car.
www.bookatrack.com
At most track days the organisers arrange for instructors to be available. Sometimes you can book this in advance - sometimes not.
I would probably recommend Motorsport Vision
www.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch/trackdays/trackdays-car.asp
and a day at Brands. Don't forget that your car insurance may not cover the day. You can get seperate insurance but this is likely to be expensive. In this event I would, instead, buy a day of Jonny at Bookatrack and rent a Caterham from him. Brilliant day. Lots and lots of time in the car.
www.bookatrack.com
Don said:
If you want to let him use his own car then Thruxton is out. There are virtually no "Track Days" (own car) held there. Last year I heard of one. The tracks that are the best bet for you are Brands Hatch in Kent, Castle Combe in Wiltshire and Silverstone in Northhants.
At most track days the organisers arrange for instructors to be available. Sometimes you can book this in advance - sometimes not.
I would probably recommend Motorsport Vision
www.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch/trackdays/trackdays-car.asp
and a day at Brands. Don't forget that your car insurance may not cover the day. You can get seperate insurance but this is likely to be expensive. In this event I would, instead, buy a day of Jonny at Bookatrack and rent a Caterham from him. Brilliant day. Lots and lots of time in the car.
www.bookatrack.com
At most track days the organisers arrange for instructors to be available. Sometimes you can book this in advance - sometimes not.
I would probably recommend Motorsport Vision
www.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch/trackdays/trackdays-car.asp
and a day at Brands. Don't forget that your car insurance may not cover the day. You can get seperate insurance but this is likely to be expensive. In this event I would, instead, buy a day of Jonny at Bookatrack and rent a Caterham from him. Brilliant day. Lots and lots of time in the car.
www.bookatrack.com
I would agree with Don entirely, and if you go down the Motorsport Vision route, look more to booking him on a novice day, he'll feel less intimidated by quicker cars/drivers.
I instruct for both companies regularly, and as Don says, give serious consideration to booking your husband on a BookaTrack day, using one of their Caterhams, pound for pound, you won't find better value!! If you should choose them, the nearest circuits they use, are Rockingham, near Corby, Castle Coombe in Wiltshire, Goodwood in East Sussex and the occasional day at Brands Hatch, Kent. As an all round venue, .... ease of access, superb circuit, generally safe ..... look at Donington, next to East Midlands airport, near Derby.
if he wants to use his TVR (and he should 
) you could try
www.easytrack.co.uk
or
www.tvrmonster.com
his insurance more than likely WILL cover him with these operators.
Don't forget the TVRCC trackdays (TVR Car Club) same goes there!
andy
tvrmonster
) you could try www.easytrack.co.uk
or
www.tvrmonster.com
his insurance more than likely WILL cover him with these operators.
Don't forget the TVRCC trackdays (TVR Car Club) same goes there!
andy
tvrmonster
Guillotine said:
if he wants to use his TVR (and he should ) you could try
www.easytrack.co.uk
or
www.tvrmonster.com
his insurance more than likely WILL cover him with these operators.
Don't forget the TVRCC trackdays (TVR Car Club) same goes there!
andy
tvrmonster
) you could try www.easytrack.co.uk
or
www.tvrmonster.com
his insurance more than likely WILL cover him with these operators.
Don't forget the TVRCC trackdays (TVR Car Club) same goes there!
andy
tvrmonster
It is very doubtful that his normal road insurance will cover him on any track day!!! That is unless he has a special inclusion, allowing for track days, and as it is his first, he is unlikely to be paying for something he has never needed!!
True.
I deliberately select my road policy insurer on the basis that they
a) Include Porsche Club Track Days for FREE
b) Include ATDO/MSA approved events at a reasonable extra cost (about £70)
I do, however, pay slightly more for my insurance than I could get it at. I have to tell you, though, that "CONFUSED.COM" works wonders as a negotiating tool!
I deliberately select my road policy insurer on the basis that they
a) Include Porsche Club Track Days for FREE
b) Include ATDO/MSA approved events at a reasonable extra cost (about £70)
I do, however, pay slightly more for my insurance than I could get it at. I have to tell you, though, that "CONFUSED.COM" works wonders as a negotiating tool!
Don't forget to also budget for the running costs during the day which are significant.
A friend of mine used to track a 4ltr Chimera and from what he's said in the past, you can budget for probably £100 in fuel, plus a set of brakes (pads and possibly discs too) and the best part of a set of tyres if pushing it hard.
I can fully understand him wanting to take his own car on circuit, but if he's more interested in getting on track than driving own car on track then hiring a Caterham from Bookatrack might not work out any more expensive.
A friend of mine used to track a 4ltr Chimera and from what he's said in the past, you can budget for probably £100 in fuel, plus a set of brakes (pads and possibly discs too) and the best part of a set of tyres if pushing it hard.
I can fully understand him wanting to take his own car on circuit, but if he's more interested in getting on track than driving own car on track then hiring a Caterham from Bookatrack might not work out any more expensive.
Locoblade said:
A friend of mine used to track a 4ltr Chimera and from what he's said in the past, you can budget for probably £100 in fuel,
Locoblade said:
plus a set of brakes (pads and possibly discs too) and the best part of a set of tyres if pushing it hard.
Not quite that bad, surely! I use the rough guide that one track mile has the effect of around twenty road miles on the car. This does mean I get through pads and discs and tyres a lot more often than I would otherwise but I still get several track days and my road miles out of a set of discs and pads...
Locoblade said:
I can fully understand him wanting to take his own car on circuit, but if he's more interested in getting on track than driving own car on track then hiring a Caterham from Bookatrack might not work out any more expensive.
When you take into account fuel, wear and tear, insurance and so on it makes Jonny's Caterham deal look pretty excellent value. He can do it because he has in-house maintenance for the cars and because Caterhams, being unusually light, do a LOT better on wear and tear in terms of pads, discs etc. Not to mention the fact that the bits can be less expensive than on a Porsche for example...If you think he would definitely want to use his own car then consider booking his first outing at Bedford autodrome. This has big run off areas and therefore is more forgiving than a full blooded race track. You can book this through easytrack.co.uk (there's one mid-march that I'm booked on) and you can book a half hour instructor slot (£30) at the time you make a reservation.
Like Don said, inclusive insurance for track-use on your policy is something that you can get from specialist insurers. But strangely, they often insist that you provide evidence that you have already done a track day before they will give you cover
. That's another reason to try somewhere like Bedford for the first one to minimise the risk of having an accident.
Like Don said, inclusive insurance for track-use on your policy is something that you can get from specialist insurers. But strangely, they often insist that you provide evidence that you have already done a track day before they will give you cover
. That's another reason to try somewhere like Bedford for the first one to minimise the risk of having an accident.
combemarshal said:
Come to Combe, Straight up the M4!
If you join a car club you could do one of the 6 car days, TVR normally have a stand at the Classic & sports car track days and the block book sessions through out the day!
If you join a car club you could do one of the 6 car days, TVR normally have a stand at the Classic & sports car track days and the block book sessions through out the day!
My very first Track Day ( I did it in a borrowed car! ) was at Combe and I had a fantastic time.
But now ( 4 seasons later) with hindsight - I would not recommend Combe for a first timer,
(IMO it's a really good circuit that demands respect)
and the Classic & Sportscar Action day I went on there was SO overcrowded,
and had the worst standard of track etiquette I have ever experienced.
elderly said:
combemarshal said:
Come to Combe, Straight up the M4!
If you join a car club you could do one of the 6 car days, TVR normally have a stand at the Classic & sports car track days and the block book sessions through out the day!
If you join a car club you could do one of the 6 car days, TVR normally have a stand at the Classic & sports car track days and the block book sessions through out the day!
My very first Track Day ( I did it in a borrowed car! ) was at Combe and I had a fantastic time.
But now ( 4 seasons later) with hindsight - I would not recommend Combe for a first timer,
(IMO it's a really good circuit that demands respect)
and the Classic & Sportscar Action day I went on there was SO overcrowded,
and had the worst standard of track etiquette I have ever experienced.
Not with me it doesn't!!
The max on track would be 30, but most days are even less than that now, I think Combe is great for beginers as overtaking is on the right, like what you do on the road!
You can also start the day with a parade lap so you know where to go!
combemarshal said:
You can also start the day with a parade lap so you know where to go!
On the basis of my experience (only a handful of days in a car but about 10 years of regular circuit riding on bikes) parade laps are greatly over rated as a way of learning a circuit - it's great if you can get yourself at the front of the snake tucked in behind the leader but if you're more than a couple of places back it's almost impossible to pick up the lines. I much prefer Melindi & Calum's arrangement of putting an instructor in the car with "virgins" at a particular circuit for a (free!) familiarisation session, and I think it's a good enough reason in it's own right for paying a little extra for a Gold Track day.
--
Jonathon
Don said:
Locoblade said:
plus a set of brakes (pads and possibly discs too) and the best part of a set of tyres if pushing it hard.
Not quite that bad, surely! I use the rough guide that one track mile has the effect of around twenty road miles on the car. This does mean I get through pads and discs and tyres a lot more often than I would otherwise but I still get several track days and my road miles out of a set of discs and pads...
I didnt know him at the time so can't be sure, but thats what he said. I dont think he did that many trackdays in it though so maybe he averaged one set per trackday, plus whatever road mileage in between.
rachelluddem said:
My husband has a TVR and for his birthday I would like to book a track day for him, using his own car. Based in SW London.
If you can get to Hammersmith quickly, Silverstone National is closer than you might think. It is good for beginners, especially with the grunt of a TVR to eat up the straights.
Quite a nice drive up as well, taking the A413 to Towcester.
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