Knockhill open session, Sat 7th March

[8bit]

Noticed this on the KH website just now. http://trackdays.knockhill.com/get-event.php?e=735

Anyone going? I've done one experience thing there only so far (own car with instructor), would that be a good one as a first regular track event?

[samvia]

I've done a few of these over the last year or two, good fun but in all honesty I don't think I'd do another. Too many red flags, oil spills with lengthy delays etc. - noticably more than your average club track day or similar in my experience.

There are usually a lot of experienced guys out there as well as race cars like the MINIs and Compacts, so maybe not as forgiving as something like a Track Scotland organised event for a relative beginner or someone who isn't as confident yet.

ETA: Track Scotland have a 4 hour session on Sat 28th Feb

Edited by samvia on Thursday 12th February 13:18

[e7sti]

Wouldnt go near a hothatch day at knockhill, standard or car and driver isnt great. Trackscotland is on 28th Feb, already booked up. 100% better driving ability, better organised and safer imo

[ryanthescot]

Last year I went to numerous (at least 12) days up at Knockhill including a mix of KH open session, track Scotland open session and a couple of hot hatch days. To be fair I wouldn't say there was a great deal between them all. The open sessions are the best as you get a lot of seat time and can pretty much go as much as your car can handle. The hot hatch days are a bit more hit and miss since they are organised as sessions, so if someone in your session does something stupid and it gets red flagged then you can potentially get 5 mins track time then have to wait an hour before your next session. However I'd say there has always been a mix of skill levels at the track days I've attended and none of them stuck out as particularly better or worse in terms of driving ability (despite KH organised days getting a bad rep). No matter what track day you go to there's the same mix of beginners (i.e. the ones likely to not move over to let a faster car past), track day regulars who just get on with it and the odd race driver who forgets it's a track day rather than a competition.

So basically don't worry about which one you sign up for. You pay more for open session but it's worth the extra just for more seat time. Other than that there's not been much between them in my experience. Enjoy!

[8bit]

Thanks guys. The March date isn't listed as a Hot Hatch day (I've heard they can be dodgy), it's an open session, not really sure of the difference? I know about the Track Scotland day but I'm not sure I can make that one and there aren't many places left.

I don't really have a track car as such, I'd be taking my XKR on. I have heard that Knockhill do some days where folk turn up and thrash around basically in bangers so keen to avoid that.

[ryanthescot]

The difference is that on a Hot Hatch day you get put into a group and they run sessions throughout the day. So if there are 4 groups and each group is on track for 15 mins then you need to wait 45 mins between each time you get out on track. This isnt too big an issue but what can happen is you get out for 5 mins of your session and then someone comes off track (or whatever) and the session gets red flagged, so you go back to the paddock and have to wait the 45 mins again. Hot Hatch days are a fiar bit cheaper though so it's worth keeping that in mind.

On an open session track day you can go on and off the track as you please throughout the day (there are no groups) so they are generally better than hot hatch days since the only limit to how much track time you get is really down to how your car holds up.

[bigblock]

With a heavy car like the XKR the limiting factor for you will be how long the brakes hold up if you are being 'enthusiastic'.

I would suspect you would not be doing much more than 30 minutes at a time on track before you would need to let them cool off. Don't forget to leave enough material on the pads to get you home