Bedford / Rockingham vs Donington / Silverstone
Discussion
Quick question to the more experienced track-day guys here. I've done Donington a few times and love it. Done Anglesey and Combe, plus an experience day at Rockingham (National IIRC). Never done Rockingham Int'l or Bedford (any set up). Not done Silverstone yet but heard good things.
Both R'ham and Bedford look a bit flat and featureless (and 'contrived' - straights between corners, rather than compound corners and curving straights) compared to the other circuits I've done, but I'm wondering what they're like to drive on.
In essence, I'm looking at the track-club taster days...been toying with the idea of a track-car vs hire for a while now, this seems like a good opportunity to size them up. But I'd like to do a different circuit as well, and wondered if either Bedford or Rockingham WAS worth is against the other two?
Cheers for the advice,
M.
Both R'ham and Bedford look a bit flat and featureless (and 'contrived' - straights between corners, rather than compound corners and curving straights) compared to the other circuits I've done, but I'm wondering what they're like to drive on.
In essence, I'm looking at the track-club taster days...been toying with the idea of a track-car vs hire for a while now, this seems like a good opportunity to size them up. But I'd like to do a different circuit as well, and wondered if either Bedford or Rockingham WAS worth is against the other two?
Cheers for the advice,
M.
The only one of those I've actually been to is Bedford GT, and, while it doesn't compare with a "natural", 3D circuit like say Brands or (my personal all time favourite so far) Cadwell it's a lot better than you'd normally expect from an arifield circuit with a fair amount of variety (a couple of quite technical complexes, a lovely long constant radius curve onto the big straight, a couple of really quick bits where you can let a quick car stretch iot's legs and which with nothing much to hit you can attack a good deal harder than you would at a normal circuit, and a couple of quite tight hairpins. It took me quite a while to get my head round (and at that I'd probably still be trying to find my way back to the pits without the help of an MSV instructor 
) but once I'd something like got the hang of it damned good fun (especially on a damp track in an A4 quattro ) and definitely worth a visit!
--
JG
) but once I'd something like got the hang of it damned good fun (especially on a damp track in an A4 quattro ) and definitely worth a visit! --
JG
havoc said:
wondered if either Bedford or Rockingham WAS worth is against the other two?
Rockingham IS worth doing, the banking and its concrete wall makes it so different from any other track (I've done); however I still prefer Donington to it.
Bedford - I just find dull and I doubt I will do it again.
Silverstone - I don't find there's enough to keep me interested on the National circuit
but I do enjoy the GP circuit (even if there are long periods of doing very little such as
down the Hangar Straight).
I would like to try the International Circuit at Silverstone as a good compromise but
I've not seen any car Track Days advertised.
Silverstone GP is a great track, I would reccoemnd you do that for sure. Silverstone Int quite fun and Silverstone Nat is boring indeed...
Here is one Silverstone Int for you Elderly, Wed 7th March, Silverstone Int, Noisy day, £199, 2 groups per hour, Gold Track, www.goliathres.com/res_website.
Donington is a very nice track also, Bedford is boring and Rockingham is ok, it's different.
Imo, book a day at Silverstone GP!
www.seanedwards.eu
Here is one Silverstone Int for you Elderly, Wed 7th March, Silverstone Int, Noisy day, £199, 2 groups per hour, Gold Track, www.goliathres.com/res_website.
Donington is a very nice track also, Bedford is boring and Rockingham is ok, it's different.
Imo, book a day at Silverstone GP!
www.seanedwards.eu
Edited by Sean Edwards on Friday 26th January 07:22
francisb said:
...but as a whole doesnt flow
I guess that's as good a summary of what I was looking for as anything. There's only one spot at Donny you've time to think, and that's the back-straight. Not even that at Anglesey, and little-more at Combe. Draws you into them, so you lose track of time, lap numbers, everything bar driver-car-circuit.
Looks like Bedford is out. May have to do R'ham, as the March two are either side of a good friend's 30th birthday, and she doesn't know which weekend she's having it yet (depends on if she's abroad with work...).
Call to be made...
Bedford is a long cct which gobbles tyres and brakes, however it has three or four corners that are mega.
End of back straight into left/right chicane.
Right hander leading onto Paddock straight,
Pair of left handers medium speed with bumps.
The rest is technical and grinding your way around.
Donnington has Redgate, old hairpin and think its Macleans, the one that leads onto the back straight. Again great corners..
End of back straight into left/right chicane.
Right hander leading onto Paddock straight,
Pair of left handers medium speed with bumps.
The rest is technical and grinding your way around.
Donnington has Redgate, old hairpin and think its Macleans, the one that leads onto the back straight. Again great corners..
Bedford was my first car trackday circuit and thus I found it quite entertaining. I found Rockingham on a bike quite annoying as it was really too bumpy going onto and coming off of the banking.
The chances of writing off your P&J at Bedford is very, very low though, which must be a plus.
The chances of writing off your P&J at Bedford is very, very low though, which must be a plus.
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