WAM Trackdays?

Author
Discussion

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Just wondered if anyone had used them, thoughts, experiences? Wasn't a name I recognised and on finding the website had mixed emotions on the following statement...

"We carry Public Liability Insurance of £10million & will soon be members of The Association of Track Day Organisers."

Thoughts gratefully received. Cheers.


Nickjd

207 posts

207 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
quotequote all
I do believe the membership requirements of the ATDO is that you make absolutely no claim until you have been granted membership.

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Nickjd said:
I do believe the membership requirements of the ATDO is that you make absolutely no claim until you have been granted membership.
Cheers - sounds like they're in probationary period then. To be fair, they're not claiming to be members, just stating that they hope to soon be.

We took the plunge, so I'll report back. They're on the budget end of days (<£200) for the tracks I'm interested in, so if it's badly run, we'll walk away. Repairing car damage will be more than the price of the day if its full of bad driving and the TDO isn't strict.

Altrezia

8,517 posts

212 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
My trackday insurance only covers me for trackdays run by ATDO members. Might be worth a brief thought smile

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
A good point for me to check. The reality is everyone starts somewhere and needs punters to get them through the first year, or six events, and into the ATDO. So I'll take it with a pinch of salt. The 10% excess means I'd think long and hard about any claims anyway, but I'm more likely to quit in one piece if the driving's bad and not controlled. I need the car to drive home in!

Personally, I'm not in a position to do Donington and Silverstone at £300-400 a pop several times a year, so I prefer to get two or three budget days instead.

Nickjd

207 posts

207 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
The point about the ATDO is that you should not make any reference at all until you have been granted membership, which a bit like the EU requires all members to agree that you can join.
I am not being down on them, other than these things are a lot more work than they look from the outside, but saying they will soon be members is not at all up to them, in the same way as Katie Hopkins can't say she will soon have a peerage.
The fact they has stated that is, to me, rather like Chinese companies putting their CE (China Export) logo on things to be a pseudo European CE Mark.

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Friday 1st July 2016
quotequote all
OK - I don't read their T&Cs the same way. Any way I look at it though, a TDO has to run for a year, or six events prior to passing from probation to full ATDO membership, and someone has to attend!

mad4amanda

2,410 posts

165 months

Friday 1st July 2016
quotequote all
.have worked with them a number of times brilliant guys very friendly and run well.

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Good to hear. Spoke to Phil this morning to confirm my booking and he was a thoroughly friendly chap. I shall now spend the next few weeks doing to non-rain dance. And also re-proofing my roof, which leaked catastrophically onto my lap last time out. Looked like I'd got a little over-excited and wet myself. Not a great look on-track.

Mr Plow

1,193 posts

229 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Smitters said:
Good to hear. Spoke to Phil this morning to confirm my booking and he was a thoroughly friendly chap. I shall now spend the next few weeks doing to non-rain dance. And also re-proofing my roof, which leaked catastrophically onto my lap last time out. Looked like I'd got a little over-excited and wet myself. Not a great look on-track.
Which one did you sign up for? I'm doing one with these guys in a couple of weeks.

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
Mr Plow said:
Which one did you sign up for? I'm doing one with these guys in a couple of weeks.
Pembrey. Been once before and it's a great track for me as a novice. The idea of doing Silverstone GP or Spa is great, but in reality, fewer corners mean less to learn, so I can concentrate on the driving, not if I go left or right, if it's tightening or opening and so on.

Be there with a mate, both in Caterhams.

Mr Plow

1,193 posts

229 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
Smitters said:
Pembrey. Been once before and it's a great track for me as a novice. The idea of doing Silverstone GP or Spa is great, but in reality, fewer corners mean less to learn, so I can concentrate on the driving, not if I go left or right, if it's tightening or opening and so on.

Be there with a mate, both in Caterhams.
Me too. I'll be in a TVR chimaera. A novice as well, not been to Pembrey before. Only other track day has been at an airfield, so looking forward to it.

See you on the 15th.


Edited by Mr Plow on Tuesday 5th July 19:56

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
Excellent - look forward to it.

Smitters

Original Poster:

4,004 posts

158 months

Monday 18th July 2016
quotequote all
Reporting back, as promised.

Friday at Pembrey was the friendliest, calmest, most relaxed trackday I've attended. Everything from sign on, to briefing, to the running of the day was just spot on. What really made the day was that it was a deliberately limited numbers day. This meant never queuing to get on track, rarely getting held up/holding someone up and just being able to do lap after lap concentrating on your lines and techniques and having fun.

Absolute highlight was Phil and the staff, who took the time to walk round the paddock several times chatting to folks, finding out what we thought and how we were doing.

An unreserved recommendation from me.

TGC-Z33

1 posts

91 months

Sunday 9th October 2016
quotequote all
Just completed pembrey circuit organised by wam trackdays. I can see no fault in there organisation. Was a great day. I too have insurance that isnt covered unless atdo members. Would be a bonus if they were but made no difference to the safety and fun of the day. Phil is a great guy, he said they will be pursuing atdo for membership early next year, with all 2016s trackdays under there belt.