Trackday info and help

[eztiger]

A friend and I are thinking (very tentatively!) about picking up a snotter or two (mx5's heading the list for the moment!) primarily for some trackday fun.

Sadly neither of us really know much about trackdays!

Can anyone help out with :

- What are our options? We are in Fife / Edinburgh so closer is better, but where in Scotland run open sessions?. Knockhill..anywhere else?

- The Knockhill website bills its days as 'hot hatch car trackday' - I presume that's just a name? You don't literally need a hot hatch to get on?

- What advice can you give for someone looking to do this sensibly. Both in terms of dos and do nots from the on track perspective but also from a car maintenance / parts viewpoint. Helmet? Grab bag of fluids / spanners for on the day? Other than a driving license and a car in good health what else might be required?

If anyone is doing similar I'd be extremely interested in hearing what sort of budget you work to (outwith the capital cost of the car) and how ruinous you find sessions are on a cars mechanicals.

[James B]

Get yourself over onto Trackscotland

It's a very much more focused trackday website than here.

[Rusty1]

I picked up my mx5 about a month ago planning to use it on track,

i got out on Knockhill last week and it was great fun,

Didn't do too many laps as on the MOT it said "brake lines are corroded" so didn't want to push too hard
to end up with no brakes,

I'm getting braided lines and will upgrade the fluid, maybe new pads before i'm back out on track.

For the cost of a mx5 (mk1 or mk2) you get a lot of fun, topless fun!

[GetCarter]

I've done about 50 track days (all in England)... and some years ago I put together a 'do/don't' guide. Some of the stuff will be out of date, but most of it will still apply. HTH

http://www.stevecarter.com/track-day-beginners.htm

[RandomTask]

Have a look on youtube at some of the Knockhill hot hatch days. I was somewhat disappointed in that they had cones out on all the corners, so it was single file and only on the straights could you overtake, not really an MX-5's strongpoint.

Maybe one of the sessions where you can take your own car with an instructor for an hour would be ideal.

[monthefish]

eztiger said:

- What are our options? We are in Fife / Edinburgh so closer is better, but where in Scotland run open sessions?. Knockhill..anywhere else?

Perfect for Knockhill.

eztiger said:

- The Knockhill website bills its days as 'hot hatch car trackday' - I presume that's just a name? You don't literally need a hot hatch to get on?

Correct. It's basically anything with brake lights, although it may also need to pass scrutineering by KH staff to check it's safe enough and not pose a danger to yourself or others on track.

eztiger said:

- What advice can you give for someone looking to do this sensibly. Both in terms of dos and do nots from the on track perspective

There'll be a brief before you go on which will cover most things.

The main things:
1. Don't push too hard, and don't feel the need to be competitive.
2. Check the car is up to the job.
3. Watch your mirrors, and try to avoid, like the ****ing plaugue, loud, attention seeking wannabe racers, in it for the glory. They don't mean to **k up, they just do.

[Kiltie]

monthefish said:

They don't mean to **k up, they just do.

[tvrolet]

RandomTask said:

Have a look on youtube at some of the Knockhill hot hatch days. I was somewhat disappointed in that they had cones out on all the corners, so it was single file and only on the straights could you overtake, not really an MX-5's strongpoint.

Maybe one of the sessions where you can take your own car with an instructor for an hour would be ideal.

Hot hatch days are to track days what Buckfast is to a nice Chianti.

They share some features, but in truth there is no real comparison. Regular Knockhill car track session (either organised directly by Knockhill or by other clubs/organisers) run open pit-lane and full track. The only cones in sight are on the kerbs as an advisory turn in and apex marker to help out new drivers on track.

There are loads of great in-car Knockhill videos (including many of mine ) on YouTube and elsewhere and the regular sessions are very well disciplined despite usually having a wide range of car performance and driving experience on track.

As recommended above, check out the TrackScotland web site. There will be dates on there with all the 'proper' sessions coming up. I'm a bit out of touch as the car is still broke and I'm avoiding looking as it's all too depressing. It is free to turn up and spectate at all the regular sessions so rather than get information second-hand, take a trip up on the next session (so long as its not a hot hatch one!) and see what's up and speak to some folk. You should also be able to blag a passenger ride or two.

[Ian974]

RandomTask said:

Have a look on youtube at some of the Knockhill hot hatch days. I was somewhat disappointed in that they had cones out on all the corners, so it was single file and only on the straights could you overtake, not really an MX-5's strongpoint.

Maybe one of the sessions where you can take your own car with an instructor for an hour would be ideal.

Just a point that while I agree that the other days are better than the hot hatch days, the majority of track days do only allow overtaking on the straights to avoid folk trying to out-brake each other.

[tvrolet]

Ian974 said:

RandomTask said:

Have a look on youtube at some of the Knockhill hot hatch days. I was somewhat disappointed in that they had cones out on all the corners, so it was single file and only on the straights could you overtake, not really an MX-5's strongpoint.

Maybe one of the sessions where you can take your own car with an instructor for an hour would be ideal.

Just a point that while I agree that the other days are better than the hot hatch days, the majority of track days do only allow overtaking on the straights to avoid folk trying to out-brake each other.

And a good thing too, since its a track day and not a race. What does is matter how many cars you overtake or how many overtake you so long as you are driving to your and your car's best ability, and consequently way beyond what could be done on the road.

But more importantly if over the course of a lap you are quicker than the car in front - catching up to them through the bends but getting left behind on the straights, then etiquette (and indeed the rules) say that the car in front has to ease off on the straight to let you through. This does generally happen; if it doesn't then just ease off for half a lap to get a gap to put the foot down again, or come in to the pits for a break, or if it really concerns you speak to the organiser and get whoever it is holding you up black flagged and get the rules emphasised to them.

Track days are immense fun IMHO, but they really are not races and if you go there with the aim of overtaking everything in sight (and sadly in an MX5 you won't) and not being overtaken (likewise) then you are starting off on the wrong foot. If that's your aim then go racing. Alternatively if you want to see just how quick you can go in your car in the company of lots of different cars (faster and slower) then you'll have loads of fun.

[Ian974]

tvrolet said:

And a good thing too, since its a track day and not a race. What does is matter how many cars you overtake or how many overtake you so long as you are driving to your and your car's best ability, and consequently way beyond what could be done on the road.

Agreed, was just pointing out it'd be the same for all track days. And although the hot hatch ones have had a bit of a reputation, the other ones are usually fine. I've only seen a few spins/bumps but never a collision on a track day. It's good to watch some of the more serious cars out on track as well sometimes!
Not been to nearly enough with the Elise, but keep your pace in your own comfort zone and it is great fun.

[DCL]

I've been a bit of trackday fanatic for the last five years and the best thing you can do is get out there and experience it. If you've not been involved in motor sport (or trackdays) before, then you're not going to be bothered by slower cars for a while. Etiquette is everything on a trackday - there's a huge range of cars and speeds, so for every car that you are quicker than, there'll be one that's quicker than you. If you are quicker on the corners then you'll want the car lapping slower to ease up on the straight to let you pass. That's the way it works and vice versa. Here's the last TrackScotland event I was on to give you an idea of how good track etiquette works for everyone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl_Y_XmEMFk

[eztiger]

Thanks all - some great info here and a really big help. This is all tentative and at the end of the day will cost me 'some money' but..hmm.

James B said:

Get yourself over onto Trackscotland

It's a very much more focused trackday website than here.

Thank you - great site. Their beginners guide is pretty comprehensive which coupled with..

GetCarter said:

I've done about 50 track days (all in England)... and some years ago I put together a 'do/don't' guide. Some of the stuff will be out of date, but most of it will still apply. HTH

http://www.stevecarter.com/track-day-beginners.htm

Answered lots of my questions - and some I didn't even know I should have asked

Rusty1 said:

I picked up my mx5 about a month ago planning to use it on track,

i got out on Knockhill last week and it was great fun,

That's reassuring..!

Our initial thoughts of an mx5 should probably indicate we don't see this as racing / aren't bothered about overtaking bragging rights. Just a bit of fun and an mx5 should be quite capable of doing that and my meagre driving abilities won't be anywhere close to seeing it's limits anyway!

Ideally a nice empty track would be perfect, but that's not realistic.

Thanks all - really got me thinking. Very interested in the differences between potential organisers (hot hatch day versus more open sessions), not something I'd really considered. I'd assumed they were all more or less equal!

[istoo]

another begineer who started with trackscotland here. Was very welcome. Usually a few MX5's there the last year or so. Also recommend SIDC.

Dont be put off by car, i took a wholey inappropriate 20 year old standard Audi 90 quattro for about 2 years which was the source of a lot of comedy, got a few mates into track stuff as well. Was a terrible track car but was so enjoyable by the same token. Nice folk at both those events.

[JohnS]

There is an SIDC event (9am to 1pm) on the 5th October, but it is full up I believe.

I was at the last round of the Super lap Scotland event a few weeks back, and in between there were a couple of 2 hour open pit Hot Hatch sessions. To be fair the standards of cars and driving has improved dramatically over the past couple of years, and there were no cones out forcing people into a single lane around the corners etc. There was a little bit of tailgating between some drivers (who looked like they knew each other), and a few spins and offs but nothing major. A few of my photos from the day are here on FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.65439233...

[monthefish]

JohnS said:

There is an SIDC event (9am to 1pm) on the 5th October, but it is full up I believe.

I was at the last round of the Super lap Scotland event a few weeks back, and in between there were a couple of 2 hour open pit Hot Hatch sessions. To be fair the standards of cars and driving has improved dramatically over the past couple of years,

That's what I'd heard.

JohnS said:

A few of my photos from the day are here on FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.65439233...

Great photos, and soem serious kerb mounting on a few of them!

The orange civic in your photos - is that the one that features in the three videos for 'idiot orange civic driver knockhill' on YouTube?

[istoo]

DCL said:

I've been a bit of trackday fanatic for the last five years and the best thing you can do is get out there and experience it. If you've not been involved in motor sport (or trackdays) before, then you're not going to be bothered by slower cars for a while. Etiquette is everything on a trackday - there's a huge range of cars and speeds, so for every car that you are quicker than, there'll be one that's quicker than you. If you are quicker on the corners then you'll want the car lapping slower to ease up on the straight to let you pass. That's the way it works and vice versa. Here's the last TrackScotland event I was on to give you an idea of how good track etiquette works for everyone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl_Y_XmEMFk

missed you there senior long, but a very good summary.

As for hot hatch days etc, worth a chat to the marshalls and such but i have heard things have improved in recent years as well. Marshalls are firm but fair.