Discussion
I don't think I'd spend much more than £150, but it depends on what track it is, I might make an exception for Silverstone or Brands Hatch..
Do it!! It's nothing like driving on the road (you have to slow down and there are cars going the other way), you can happily drive you car at 100% all day, types squeeling, brakes glowing, rev limiter, er.. limiting!
I did my first track day the other week, best fun i've had in ages!
Do it!! It's nothing like driving on the road (you have to slow down and there are cars going the other way), you can happily drive you car at 100% all day, types squeeling, brakes glowing, rev limiter, er.. limiting!
I did my first track day the other week, best fun i've had in ages!
As long as they are open pit days, they are good value.
Other than the very special venues like Spa and Silverstone, avoid the sessioned days like the plague.....ESPECIALLY BRANDS HATCH. Ive done loads of days at Brands. On a full day with sessions, I once only got 25 minutes of driving due to constant interuptions caused by the Max Power Brigade. On an open pit day youll easily get 2hrs.
This is because, people going out in sessions always drive as if they have to get the best or worst out of their car in the 15 mins theyve got.
It does also depend on the car you drive, how you drive it and how much the wear and tear are likley to cost you.
If you want spectacular value for money, try BEdford Autodrome with the RMA or with Palmersport. Its about £195, but this really is the best facility with a 4 mile, safe, flowing circuit that great for beginners and exhilarating for advanced drivers. Its open pit so there are generally no cues, and the cars are always well spaced.
If youve got a performance car and you havent taken it on track yet, I reckon you should be locked up.!!
Other than the very special venues like Spa and Silverstone, avoid the sessioned days like the plague.....ESPECIALLY BRANDS HATCH. Ive done loads of days at Brands. On a full day with sessions, I once only got 25 minutes of driving due to constant interuptions caused by the Max Power Brigade. On an open pit day youll easily get 2hrs.
This is because, people going out in sessions always drive as if they have to get the best or worst out of their car in the 15 mins theyve got.
It does also depend on the car you drive, how you drive it and how much the wear and tear are likley to cost you.
If you want spectacular value for money, try BEdford Autodrome with the RMA or with Palmersport. Its about £195, but this really is the best facility with a 4 mile, safe, flowing circuit that great for beginners and exhilarating for advanced drivers. Its open pit so there are generally no cues, and the cars are always well spaced.
If youve got a performance car and you havent taken it on track yet, I reckon you should be locked up.!!
peterpeter said:
If youve got a performance car and you havent taken it on track yet, I reckon you should be locked up.!!
I wouldn't go too cheap either. There is a very informative rant from madcop somewhere on here where he went on a budget day and was surrounded by kevs trying to kill him.
Car club days can also be good, as there tends to be a similar mindset amungst all of the drivers. The Bedford days are excellent (I drove TopCat's Tuscan racer there and it was fantastic) - the track is so long, that even if they have 100 cars plus signed up, you tend to get your own bit of road to play with. Have a deffinite soft spot for Donnington too.
Or hire a circuit privately. Croix or Folembray in France are both about 2,500 Euro for the day, split between 18 like minded drivers that’s about £90 per car. Add in £20 a ferry (plus another £50 if you are towing a trailer). It’s a cheap day and easy to get to. Croix is under an hour from Calais, Folembray is a little further.
For that you get the whole track to yourselves 9 to 5. No queues, no hassles and with so few cars on the track you really get as much track time as you can cope with.
I have hired Croix for 10th September and have room for a couple more cars if anyone is interested
For that you get the whole track to yourselves 9 to 5. No queues, no hassles and with so few cars on the track you really get as much track time as you can cope with.
I have hired Croix for 10th September and have room for a couple more cars if anyone is interested
Threeracers,
I hope for your sake you're taking out public liability insurance, and preferably running these events as a limited company. No matter how well you know someone, if there's an incident someone will try and make a claim.
I was in your situation some years ago, and had to make a decision to either stop organising or get serious. The risks are huge.
HTH
J5
BaT
I hope for your sake you're taking out public liability insurance, and preferably running these events as a limited company. No matter how well you know someone, if there's an incident someone will try and make a claim.
I was in your situation some years ago, and had to make a decision to either stop organising or get serious. The risks are huge.
HTH
J5
BaT
No, we are not a limited company. A very good point though and I do understand the risks. We are just a group of friends who are privately hiring it collectively for our own use. The cost of the hire is just divided equally between the participants and there is no profit. There is no organiser and each driver participates at his or her own risk.
The core of the group race karts together in an informal league and have added these test days for our own fun. We are happy to take other drivers with us to share the costs, providing they agree that they participate at their own risk. We have no intention of going beyond what we are doing now as to make any money at it we would have to increase the costs and take 50 cars over and that defeats the object for us.
France also has a couple of added attractions for us in that their noise Police are not so militant as they are in the UK. They also allow open wheeled single seaters, which are often tricky to get on a UK trackday.
Mark
The core of the group race karts together in an informal league and have added these test days for our own fun. We are happy to take other drivers with us to share the costs, providing they agree that they participate at their own risk. We have no intention of going beyond what we are doing now as to make any money at it we would have to increase the costs and take 50 cars over and that defeats the object for us.
France also has a couple of added attractions for us in that their noise Police are not so militant as they are in the UK. They also allow open wheeled single seaters, which are often tricky to get on a UK trackday.
Mark
Last time we had five Elises, a 944, a couple of 911s (a ’91 Turbo 2 and a current one), a rally Pug 205, two Tigers, a Mini Cooper and an E-Type Jaguar.
The Elises had been at the track only two or three weeks previously and enjoyed it so much that they came back with us. The 944 is owned by Paul Devyea Porsche and the 911s were a couple of customers of La Rose Porsche who were also there. The Pug 205 was using the day to test tyres but everyone else was just there to have fun.
For the next one we expect a similar mix as most are coming again. The Porsche contingent has committed and there will also be an older Kremer 911 joining them. This time we will have four Tigers. The Pug isn’t coming but they are bringing a Formula Ford instead. We should also have a Formula Atlantic.
Mark
>> Edited by Threeracers on Sunday 17th August 10:36
The Elises had been at the track only two or three weeks previously and enjoyed it so much that they came back with us. The 944 is owned by Paul Devyea Porsche and the 911s were a couple of customers of La Rose Porsche who were also there. The Pug 205 was using the day to test tyres but everyone else was just there to have fun.
For the next one we expect a similar mix as most are coming again. The Porsche contingent has committed and there will also be an older Kremer 911 joining them. This time we will have four Tigers. The Pug isn’t coming but they are bringing a Formula Ford instead. We should also have a Formula Atlantic.
Mark
>> Edited by Threeracers on Sunday 17th August 10:36
The next one is on the 10th September. Sorry, you might have meant that you cannot do the 10th but let you know about the next one after that (?). If you send me an email to my profile I will include you on the next email announcement to everyone.
I think the next one will be Folembray but I don’t have any dates yet.
Mark
I think the next one will be Folembray but I don’t have any dates yet.
Mark
Threeracers said:Folembray's owner was a full meter carrying, black flag waving noise policeman last time I was there with the PH/Bookatrack Folembray day. With my "quiet" 98db exhaust on the Radical, I could get away with lifting off non obviously going past him, but obviously removes some of the fun. Other bike engines cars were not so lucky.
France also has a couple of added attractions for us in that their noise Police are not so militant as they are in the UK.
danyn
Well, I was like you until last week. I hired bookatracks (www.bookatrack.com) pug 205 GTi for the day at Elvington and had a excellent day.
I loved it so much I've put my car up for sale and am looking to buy a Pug
The airfield was set up with cones so plenty of run-off and for a first-timer this was spot on. The open pit lane helped too. Everyone was well behaved and the organisers excellent.
Some people complained that Elvington was bad for stone chips, I never had any probs or saw anyone else getting chipped.
In short
DO IT! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!
I loved it so much I've put my car up for sale and am looking to buy a Pug
The airfield was set up with cones so plenty of run-off and for a first-timer this was spot on. The open pit lane helped too. Everyone was well behaved and the organisers excellent.
Some people complained that Elvington was bad for stone chips, I never had any probs or saw anyone else getting chipped.
In short
DO IT! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!dannylt said:
Folembray's owner was a full meter carrying, black flag waving noise policeman last time I was there....
Thanks for that Danny, I have not been to Folembray yet but intend to shortly.
My experiences at Croix were vastly different! I went on a public day earlier in the year and there were some very noisy unsilenced cars in the paddock. We took a 911 with two “Goodwood Dildos” on it a one French chap said we didn’t need them.
I think Folembray is a bit closer to the village so that would make sense. Do you recall what the official noise limit was on your day?
Mark
I'm sure Jonny will let you know if you ask, but given there was no static test and it was done as a drive-by from a distance of about 5 metres, who knows? Apparently it was the first time they'd done any noise testing, so it was a bit of a surpise.
My exhaust is supposed to be 98db, though who knows at what revs and what distance. It's not very loud though.
My exhaust is supposed to be 98db, though who knows at what revs and what distance. It's not very loud though.
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