Track day short run cost
Discussion
A track near me has reopened giving cheap 20min track day runs.
There’s a legend in our family that a pal trackday’ed a 996 911 and it cost him his brakes clutch and tyres.
I’d quite like to take my f10 m5 to the track and try all the stuff I can’t do on the road. Do any of you do this regularly and can give some advice? I’m worried a couple of hours of fun might end up costing thousands.
There’s a legend in our family that a pal trackday’ed a 996 911 and it cost him his brakes clutch and tyres.
I’d quite like to take my f10 m5 to the track and try all the stuff I can’t do on the road. Do any of you do this regularly and can give some advice? I’m worried a couple of hours of fun might end up costing thousands.
Just as an example the figures I will now quote are for a car that is converted for track with bits that are meant for the abuse on track rather than for the road.
Track day entry - £150 (ish)
Fuel - £100 (8MPG average)
Brake pads - £ 50 (5/6 days out of £300/set pads)
Tyres £100 - (5/6 days out of £500/set tyres)
That is for a 2006 Mini Cooper S.
That is just consumables.
Having said that if you are just going to do short runs & be mechanically sympathetic it is a lot of fun.
Track day entry - £150 (ish)
Fuel - £100 (8MPG average)
Brake pads - £ 50 (5/6 days out of £300/set pads)
Tyres £100 - (5/6 days out of £500/set tyres)
That is for a 2006 Mini Cooper S.
That is just consumables.
Having said that if you are just going to do short runs & be mechanically sympathetic it is a lot of fun.
Just do it!
I have done 3 partial track days in my F10.
This was the first one - this is all I did because I had a blow out in the morning at 140mph in the wet and had to wait all day for a replacement tyre..
https://youtu.be/Y0tNuM8LrSU
I did another one at Bedford where I did about 10 minutes track time
Tyres and pads still original - and I was pushing on a bit as you can see..
20 minute stints not ideal- you should do no more than 10 minutes before stopping to let everything cool down, otherwise the tyres will start to fall apart..
I have done 3 partial track days in my F10.
This was the first one - this is all I did because I had a blow out in the morning at 140mph in the wet and had to wait all day for a replacement tyre..
https://youtu.be/Y0tNuM8LrSU
I did another one at Bedford where I did about 10 minutes track time
Tyres and pads still original - and I was pushing on a bit as you can see..
20 minute stints not ideal- you should do no more than 10 minutes before stopping to let everything cool down, otherwise the tyres will start to fall apart..
Edited by mb26 on Friday 17th May 03:10
I did all day at Bedford in my E60 M5 a few years ago. Replaced the tyres and had the front discs skimmed after. I hammered it all day though, obviously with short sessions. A 20 min session is a bit long in one go maybe do 10 min and let everything cool down by doing a few cooling down laps. You will probably just get slight wear to the front tyre outer edges due to the heat generated and massive weight of the car.
Edited by cosworth330 on Friday 17th May 09:44
20 mins won't have any noticeable impact on your consumables, unless you're sliding around everywhere with DSC off.
If your car/turbo gets hot then you can do some cool down laps but I've hammered it round for the full 30 mins during Silverstone PHSSs and been fine. You need a couple of warm up laps to get the tyres up to temperature anyway.
If your car/turbo gets hot then you can do some cool down laps but I've hammered it round for the full 30 mins during Silverstone PHSSs and been fine. You need a couple of warm up laps to get the tyres up to temperature anyway.
More to the point what circuit is it? I'd suggest you need something of reasonable size to get the most out of the car. Also take it easy if it's your first time on track. It's all too easy to get a little over enthusiastic when you only have a 20 minute slot and end up in the tyre wall. Especially if it's somewhere like Castle Combe.....Been there, got the tee shirt
Hi Landk,
I have taken my standard BMW F10 M5 on three track days, Goodwood, Rockingham and Anglesey.
As several other posters have said, it is a big, heavy car but the power means you can hit some impressive speeds on the straights. I got 143mph at Goodwood, according to my passenger. I was too busy looking where I was going! However, the suspension set up is definitely road focussed with safe understeer on corner turn in, the DSC/MDM protects you against spinning by delaying/restricting power until car is almost straight, which can be frustrating. Brakes (standard steel disks and factory pads) will take all the abuse you can give them. I am still on original disks and front pads after 40,000 miles and 3 track days.
My car runs Michelin PS4s tyres which were new 12 months ago. The last track day at Anglesey wore the edges of the front tyres, down to the top of the lettering, yet rest of tread untouched. Rear tyres no problem.
I did 1.5 tanks of fuel at around 7mpg at Anglesey for a full day and 3 drivers, so out most of the time.
Other than that, it used no oil, no water but hastened the next service by around 2000 miles according to dash display.
I choose not to take out Track day insurance, but for tracks which can be 200miles away, I chose to stay night before and arrive for typical 08;00 sign in/noise test.
Overall, I would recommend track days to exercise a fabulous car like this, but recognise the small, light,nimble cars will pass you going into to corners. With enough straight, you will get them up the next straight bit.
If you get hooked (many of us do), there are suspension tweaks which remove the understeer I am told. Barney MacDonald on M5 owners club or Nordschliefers on Facebook is worth talking to. He talks about being able to corner with gt3 Porsche’s at Nurburgring on mps4s road tyres.
Good luck and don’t be afraid to try it. Without doubt, get some tuition, it is the best way of improving your lines and times, whilst also reducing load on your car. Try with MDM before you turn DSC off altogether. Probably pay a price with rear tyres then!
Richardracer
I have taken my standard BMW F10 M5 on three track days, Goodwood, Rockingham and Anglesey.
As several other posters have said, it is a big, heavy car but the power means you can hit some impressive speeds on the straights. I got 143mph at Goodwood, according to my passenger. I was too busy looking where I was going! However, the suspension set up is definitely road focussed with safe understeer on corner turn in, the DSC/MDM protects you against spinning by delaying/restricting power until car is almost straight, which can be frustrating. Brakes (standard steel disks and factory pads) will take all the abuse you can give them. I am still on original disks and front pads after 40,000 miles and 3 track days.
My car runs Michelin PS4s tyres which were new 12 months ago. The last track day at Anglesey wore the edges of the front tyres, down to the top of the lettering, yet rest of tread untouched. Rear tyres no problem.
I did 1.5 tanks of fuel at around 7mpg at Anglesey for a full day and 3 drivers, so out most of the time.
Other than that, it used no oil, no water but hastened the next service by around 2000 miles according to dash display.
I choose not to take out Track day insurance, but for tracks which can be 200miles away, I chose to stay night before and arrive for typical 08;00 sign in/noise test.
Overall, I would recommend track days to exercise a fabulous car like this, but recognise the small, light,nimble cars will pass you going into to corners. With enough straight, you will get them up the next straight bit.
If you get hooked (many of us do), there are suspension tweaks which remove the understeer I am told. Barney MacDonald on M5 owners club or Nordschliefers on Facebook is worth talking to. He talks about being able to corner with gt3 Porsche’s at Nurburgring on mps4s road tyres.
Good luck and don’t be afraid to try it. Without doubt, get some tuition, it is the best way of improving your lines and times, whilst also reducing load on your car. Try with MDM before you turn DSC off altogether. Probably pay a price with rear tyres then!
Richardracer
My M3 has been fine on track, and I've done:
1)Spa
2)Nurburgring (DN Day)
3)Silverstone National
4)Oulton Park.
That's in now a 140k '03 M3 SMG, not a spring chicken by PH standards. I did Spa with the car just passing over 140k as well.
The only time it has given me bother is in traffic when I have been stuck in on a hot summer's day for almost 2 hours with a friend inside with the AC on etc etc.
1)Spa
2)Nurburgring (DN Day)
3)Silverstone National
4)Oulton Park.
That's in now a 140k '03 M3 SMG, not a spring chicken by PH standards. I did Spa with the car just passing over 140k as well.
The only time it has given me bother is in traffic when I have been stuck in on a hot summer's day for almost 2 hours with a friend inside with the AC on etc etc.
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