I would like to try a track day where do I go?

[pigeondave]

Hi all,

Where is the best place to go for a trackday if you have never tried it before.
I do not have a car that I can track. Can I hire one? I dont mind what I get (fury, caterfield, lotus etc..)
Also is it best to go out with an instructor?
Would it be easier to do a red letterday driving experience?
I am based in the south (brighton) so wouldn't want to travel much more than 3 hours one way.

Thanks

[ian964]

Might worth giving track-club a call ( http://www.track-club.com/  ). They have cars available that they can bring along to one of the MSV novice days (e.g. at Brands Hatch which is probably only an hour or so from you)

[driverrob]

Brands Hatch is within your range and a really interesting track.
Motorsportvision and others do a range of track days and 'driving experience' days (more expensive but they provide cars and instructors).
On a novice track day you can take any car you like; it doesn't have to be fast and instruction is available. Even in my GTO I've never got above 110 mph on the pit straight but it's terrific fun - and safe.

[GreenV8S]

I suggest you go for an airfield day for your first event, there is far less to hit if things go wrong. Most events have one or two people able to provide instruction, well worth it. Sometimes they don't even charge. They're usually busy though so grab one quick and don't hang about.

[pigeondave]

GreenV8S said:

I suggest you go for an airfield day for your first event, there is far less to hit if things go wrong. Most events have one or two people able to provide instruction, well worth it. Sometimes they don't even charge. They're usually busy though so grab one quick and don't hang about.

Where would I find airfield days advertised?
And do they supply cars?

Edited by pigeondave on Sunday 26th August 14:41

[LocoBlade]

Have a look at Bookatrack.co.uk for trackdays and car hire. You can hire a Caterham from Jonny for very reasonable amounts and even share it with a friend and halve the cost for no extra outlay, and you'll get 10x more track time than you will on an "experience" day where your day (or half day) is set out with a few laps in a slow tintop then maybe a few more laps in something a bit quicker. On a proper trackday you either go out 15-20 minutes per hour in sessions, or on an open pit day you go in and out whenever you like.

[pigeondave]

Thanks Locoblade
this is more like what im looking for.

[Craigc2]

Yea brands is a great place to start it has some tricky bends and some fairly easy bends also to master.

Proving grounds tend to be pretty good too as it has alot of run off area such as bruntingthorpe this is were a had my first track day and it was a great learing curve.

Snetterton is quick and also silverstone.

But i definatly rate motorsportvision easy website and well run track days.

[ph123]

IMHO try Bedford first. Acres of space, very safe.
Brands is small and run off areas tight; gets very 'busy' for a novice particularly if you're in a hire car that you're not used to.
All on Palmer's website.
Quite a few track day organisers have hire cars available. Google about.

[nicedude1976]

Rockingham, probably 3 hours from Brighton
Brands is not that easy and usually very busy, I still liked that and it's not far from you.

[smckeown]

hi dave,
i'm from shoreham so only up the road.
i'd agree with the guy above that bedford autodrome is by far the best first track day to attend, as it's so safe. Plenty of companies like bookatrack hire out cars for the day, but there are other companies also. This guy is well known on the pug scene that hires 205's, but i have no connection what so ever http://www.trackdayuk.co.uk/

Happy to take you out in my pug sometime and have chat with you, i've been doing track days for a few years now, plenty of my exploits on my website.

Goodwood is the nearest and demands a lot of respect, brands isnt that far away and both are good fun. I also like castle combe and anglesey (bit of a trek though)

cheers
sean
http://track-monkey.co.uk

Edited by smckeown on Saturday 1st September 01:58

[pigeondave]

smckeown said:

Happy to take you out in my pug sometime and have chat with you, i've been doing track days for a few years now, plenty of my exploits on my website.

Edited by smckeown on Saturday 1st September 01:58

A trip out would be good, where were you thinking?

[smckeown]

My car will be back with me in the next week or so. Happy to take you out on the road for a spin and have a chat about all things track day related :-)

Sean
[e-mail]

[mgv8dave]

Hi
I have to agree with most People on here that Bedford is a good bet for your first event, My two main reasons are
1) a nice smooth track with great run off areas if you get it wrong ,
2) the full track is about 4 miles i think so you can get in to a flow, as oppose IMHO at Brands Indy you feel it is like a merry go round. short burst and Break.

Hope you have a good time at which ever track you go too also some passenger laps and instruction is worth its weight in Gold.
and most people are happy to offer advice .

[Butzi]

The first trackday is always going to be quite daunting.

Plenty of on-line info from various forums and websites including here, and eg. openpitlane.co.uk where people talk about everything related to trackdays.

Try to go to the first few trackdays with someone yo know, or with a group of people, that'll make the day a lot more enjoyable.

[bolide]

I'd do a day with Motorsport Events at one of their airfield days. Normally there's miles of run-off. I'd do it in your own car so you have something familiar to work with and I'd book a couple of sessions of instruction

There are plenty of other Brighton-based track dayers about, myself included

Nick Froome

[Stevorocket]

Goodwood is near to Brighton - you can go and watch a track day there and talk to people for free - they're always helpful and it gives you an insight into what happens and how to prep your car. If you ask nicely they'll noise test your car so you know whether you have to change that big silencer for something legal. Look us up on Openpitlane.com for more detailed track day info.