Supercar focused & less busy trackdays / organisers
Supercar focused & less busy trackdays / organisers
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Discussion

sealtt

Original Poster:

3,091 posts

180 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
Hi, I recently went on a track day event with Ferrari which was great. I was only on the track with about 3-6 other cars at any time and so i rarely saw other people, giving me loads of space to drive and very little risk of a bump.

However, having looked at videos online it looks like a lot of track days are packed with 10s of cars on the circuit, lots of bangers flying around, and I really wouldn't want to be on such a busy day in my F430 which was expensive for me.

So I wanted to ask if anyone could point me in the direction of perhaps events or a particular organiser who focuses on days for higher end cars - Id hope resulting in lower volumes of traffic on track - or even just events with limited spaces. I don't mind events which are a bit more pricey as I won't be doing it that frequently, but when I do I want it to be a relatively clear track and certainly without too many bangers flying by!

Thanks for any pointers.

Trev450

6,642 posts

194 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
Cost is generally a good indicator of the type of track day goer the event is going to attract.

For example, I usually do Silverstone GP cicuit organised by Silverstone Circuits at least once a year, and although it is normally around £3-350, I have only ever seen good quality driving and in the main, high-cost costs attending.

HaylingJag

2,122 posts

170 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
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and "the old bangers" may have been expensive to the people who invested in those?

invariably more experienced as track day drivers watching out for Tarquin and Cuthbert as they pussy foot their "supercar" round the bends then tear off up the straights to justify the size of their nutsac. wink


D



gruffalo

8,083 posts

248 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
OP, a session track day may be what you are looking for, somewhere like Goodwood where only 10 car are allowed on track at a time.

To be fair though, it is usually the older cars that are used on track regularly that keep going all day with no issues. The people who have purchased modern performance are from my experience more likely to be the cause of bumps. A look at the thread on the day at Bedford is an example.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

mgv8dave

826 posts

235 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
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RMA always lots of expensive metal on them days.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

226 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
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I was going to say that a ferrari owners club trackday would probably give you what you want, but you know that already.

Stephanie Plum

2,797 posts

233 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
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If you do Goodwood make sure you book a 105db day which only has 5 cars out not 10 as posted above. The 10 car days are 98db and you'll fail that. Also check who the TDO is. Goodwood organise their own days and if you're a member of the GRRC their club days are excellent.

Alternatively you could use Bookatrack, Goldtrack and Lotus on Track might let you join them too.

jon23

19 posts

247 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
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I think your terminology of old banger should be re phrased,

Please don't do bedford or snetterton as I'm afraid my old banger will go round the outside of your ponce mobile, and wouldn't want to embarrass you, having said that silverstone would be a good bet, as cost are a bit more expensive so don't get too many decent trackdayers in there old bangers.


Also most of the time I see the worst driving from the expensive cars.

Sorry to have a rant but your old bangers comment makes you sound like a snob

sealtt

Original Poster:

3,091 posts

180 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
This is some really good advice, thanks for the tips. I think that should help me find a good couple of events. The Ferrari day was perfect, but they aren't that frequent so I will have a look at either the higher price events or the Goodwood 105db days.

Is bedford an especially busy circuit? It looks like great fun to drive around, but any specific layouts/days/noise limits/etc that might be less traffic?



When I say bangers I think you know what I mean, I don't particularly care about the value of the car, I am referring to the mentality of the driver. I just want to avoid being stressed out in the middle of a group that throws their cars around with total disregard for the other users and feel they have something to prove.

The exact thing I am trying to avoid is people who feel they have to show me that they + their less expensive car are so much faster than me in my 'ponce mobile'. I am already well aware that after 1 track day I am a total novice, despite driving a 'ferrari', if I did not have the basic intelligence to work that out, it is very unlikely I would have been able to earn enough to buy such a car in the first place.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

226 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
sealtt said:
This is some really good advice, thanks for the tips. I think that should help me find a good couple of events. The Ferrari day was perfect, but they aren't that frequent so I will have a look at either the higher price events or the Goodwood 105db days.

Is bedford an especially busy circuit? It looks like great fun to drive around, but any specific layouts/days/noise limits/etc that might be less traffic?
Days at Bedford will vary, depending who is running it. Basically a Track Day Organised (TDO) will rent the circuit and sell tickets for a track day. They will run their own briefings (not sure if they bring their own marshals and medics or if they are included in the circuit rental) and they will have their own rules and conventions on driving etiquette and their own way of enforcing those rules. So they may be a "pile them high sell them cheap" kind of operator where you'll get a cheap ticket, but find the track busy, or it will be more "exclusive" (expensive) in which case there's more chance there will be fewer people in attendance and consequently a less crowded track. What I'm saying is that it's about the TDO more than it is about the track. So generally speaking, as others have said, price is often a reasonable indication of the number of other cars that will be there and hence how much space you'll get. Hope that helps.

sealtt said:
When I say bangers I think you know what I mean, I don't particularly care about the value of the car, I am referring to the mentality of the driver. I just want to avoid being stressed out in the middle of a group that throws their cars around with total disregard for the other users and feel they have something to prove.

The exact thing I am trying to avoid is people who feel they have to show me that they + their less expensive car are so much faster than me in my 'ponce mobile'. I am already well aware that after 1 track day I am a total novice, despite driving a 'ferrari',
Unfortunatley, the price of the car and the skill and courtesy of the driver have little in common. There are plenty of skilled and courteous drivers of cheap cars, and expensive cars. But there are plenty of knobs in both.
sealtt said:
...if I did not have the basic intelligence to work that out, it is very unlikely I would have been able to earn enough to buy such a car in the first place.
Careful, you're in danger of disappearing up ones own backside again. wink

sealtt

Original Poster:

3,091 posts

180 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
Haha, I don't think I am enough of a politician to survive on pistonheads - I guess yobs was what I wanted to say rather than bangers, but what do you expect from the driver of a ponce mobile!!

Anyway that's great, thanks for explaining. I have used the info to line up a couple of events, now to try and get a decent insurance policy...

ukkid35

6,379 posts

195 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
quotequote all
Sounds like you need to sign up for the Ferrari Challenge. My mate spent more on tyres for one season than I've spent in total on every car I've ever owned, but he enjoyed every second.

wellground

450 posts

206 months

Monday 3rd November 2014
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sealtt said:
if I did not have the basic intelligence to work that out, it is very unlikely I would have been able to earn enough to buy such a car in the first place.
Does anyone else get the link to 'Harry Enfield and Chums' on TV here....

Can't make my mind up whether it's more of a "Tim, Nice but Dim" or "Loads a money" . But I think the Brummy Git's and "Considerably Richer than You" sketch does this post the best.

terenceb

1,488 posts

193 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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Try looking through the trackdays that RSRNurburg do at Spa and the Ring,
special events that that only cater for 300bhp plus" supercars".
Open pitlane events usually, and full catering included.

BobSaunders

3,110 posts

177 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
quotequote all
sealtt said:
This is some really good advice, thanks for the tips. I think that should help me find a good couple of events. The Ferrari day was perfect, but they aren't that frequent so I will have a look at either the higher price events or the Goodwood 105db days.

Is bedford an especially busy circuit? It looks like great fun to drive around, but any specific layouts/days/noise limits/etc that might be less traffic?

When I say bangers I think you know what I mean, I don't particularly care about the value of the car, I am referring to the mentality of the driver. I just want to avoid being stressed out in the middle of a group that throws their cars around with total disregard for the other users and feel they have something to prove.

The exact thing I am trying to avoid is people who feel they have to show me that they + their less expensive car are so much faster than me in my 'ponce mobile'. I am already well aware that after 1 track day I am a total novice, despite driving a 'ferrari', if I did not have the basic intelligence to work that out, it is very unlikely I would have been able to earn enough to buy such a car in the first place.
I get where you are coming from, you would prefer to not be around cars which cost only a couple of hundred to fix compared to 10's of thousands.

I looked at getting a MX5 due to low costs and if i smashed it up not a big issue. The whole point of track days is to have fun and push the limits - i have seen the mentality of certain individuals in you tube videos which involve elbow out of the window over takes, inside corner over takes, racing etc.

This is why i would never take my daily onto the track - i would love to in all honesty but i am scared of binning it or someone crashing into it.

Yes, aware that risk is reduced, but still, the risk is still there.

jaynobleM12

33 posts

164 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
quotequote all
oooo this is interesting, i have yet to find anything that caters for this.

I done a noisy day with gold track at donny earlier this year at a cost of almost £600!!! I have to say this was the only unlimited db level day i have found. On the basis of it being so expensive i thought numbers would be right down! It was packed, 60 cars, open pit lane!!! Whilst it was the best track day i have done the cost doesn't keep the number down sadly.

I would love to find an answer to this as I'm after what you are…. but I'm not sure it exists. My atom has 430hp, awesome on track but i spend most of the day behind professional race teams in their tin top race cars that are obstructive and rarely move over.

I have never done a session day? Not totally convinced of that setup as i like to go and do what i like. If there are specific days for high power to weight for example id be all over it wink

Stephanie Plum

2,797 posts

233 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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You're in an Atom? They aren't noisy. Why are you looking for loud days?

jaynobleM12

33 posts

164 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
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Has a rotex charger……trouble i have is the charger and intake is outside the engine cover…..making for a mammoth 115+db reading on static test!!!! Im limited to what track days i can do sadly which is a shame!!!

terenceb

1,488 posts

193 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
quotequote all
jaynobleM12 said:
oooo this is interesting, i have yet to find anything that caters for this.

I done a noisy day with gold track at donny earlier this year at a cost of almost £600!!! I have to say this was the only unlimited db level day i have found. On the basis of it being so expensive i thought numbers would be right down! It was packed, 60 cars, open pit lane!!! Whilst it was the best track day i have done the cost doesn't keep the number down sadly.

I would love to find an answer to this as I'm after what you are…. but I'm not sure it exists. My atom has 430hp, awesome on track but i spend most of the day behind professional race teams in their tin top race cars that are obstructive and rarely move over.
It
I have never done a session day? Not totally convinced of that setup as i like

to go and do what i like. If there are specific days for high power to weight for


example id be all over it wink
In that case Spa would be ideal for you.Come along to a day, you could have some fun playing with a BAT or similar car.Or is Spa out of reach for you?


sealtt

Original Poster:

3,091 posts

180 months

Tuesday 4th November 2014
quotequote all
Wow, 115! Yes I can see that being tough to find many places that accommodate!

I was considering cheaper cars to just not worry about it too much, but a lot of the enjoyment is from having a great driving car and getting to use it properly on track. I'm thinking of just trying to go to a £300-ish event, pay up for insurance and see how that goes. It's going to end up pricey but I want to do it in a way that it's enjoyable and not just a tonne of stress and worry about writing off a big asset.

The lotus club mentioned above seem to have a lot of good events where I get a feeling the rules would be more strictly enforced.