Track days to Avoid...??

[chutley]

Hi everyone

I've signed up for my first Track day (in a car, I have a few bike days under my belt).

Please can I ask if there are any companies that I should avoid? In short, I will be driving a decent car (not a £500 crash if you liker), and don't want to run around with people who don't car about their car, other people's cars and other people's safety. I don't mean to sound in any way offensive, so I hope you understand the gist of my request.

To give an analogy - I used to race Motocross in the 450cc class, riding a smaller 250cc bike. The reason was that the younger (crazier riders) rode in the smaller class and some of them would literally run you over for a plastic trophy and cared about nothing. I had and still have, to go to work on Monday morning...

Hope that makes sense. or perhaps I should be asking what are the better track day companies to go with?

[RKi]

RMA

[james_gt3rs]

Castle combe action days look like ones to avoid..

[chutley]

RKi said:

RMA

To use or avoid?

[wellground]

I have not been to a track day operated by any company that I would avoid. However, avoid the so called 'Action Days' at circuits like Castle Combe, where have a go hero's turn up to show how badly they can drive to a baying audience at the expense of everyone else.

[geeks]

Speak to Dave at Open Track, great organiser and well put together days!

[McSam]

I don't think any track day is going to give you the experience you described from your motocross time. Track day organisers (TDOs) take an extremely dim view of poor driving, and will pull people in to give them a bking if any fellow drivers have cause to complain, and then send them home if they persist. Car-to-car contact is very, very rare.

RMA track days mentioned above are one to avoid when starting out, these allow overtaking on both sides and without consent, which makes it a lot more like a motorsport test day. They see a lot of high-performance cars and race teams, it's about as aggressive as a track day gets.

Javelin and Opentrack both have excellent reputations, which from the days I've done with Javelin, is well deserved on their part.

[chutley]

McSam said:

I don't think any track day is going to give you the experience you described from your motocross time. Track day organisers (TDOs) take an extremely dim view of poor driving, and will pull people in to give them a bking if any fellow drivers have cause to complain, and then send them home if they persist. Car-to-car contact is very, very rare.

RMA track days mentioned above are one to avoid when starting out, these allow overtaking on both sides and without consent, which makes it a lot more like a motorsport test day. They see a lot of high-performance cars and race teams, it's about as aggressive as a track day gets.

Javelin and Opentrack both have excellent reputations, which from the days I've done with Javelin, is well deserved on their part.

Thanks folks. I have booked with Javelin at Blyton. Sadly they do not offer instruction there, but i am hoping that I might get some help from friendly experienced folk on the day? I've done the racing thing - this is just about having some fun and driving at speed with no fear of police and cameras.

[evilmiyagi]

Have a word with Richard at Blyton before you go. He may be willing to take you round himself or if not sort somebody out for you

[LaSource]

All ATDO affiliated companies should be fine (check their website for a list).
They all do left side overtaking with consent, dim view of bad behaviour, etc.
Many insurers provide solutions for any company on the ATDO list.

RMA are a step up (not ATDO anymore) but do tend to have a more expensive pitlane and more 'grown up' overtaking policy. Some people love it, some dont like it. Either way probably not best for the beginner

[scubadude]

Book-a-Track was very grown up experience without stomping all over your fun, the vast majority of the cars/drivers where serious but tolerant- highly recommended.

[sydown]

General rule of thumb , I find that the £250+ days tend to have a better standard of driving than the £150 days. Last time I did a cheap day I nearly got taken on more than one occasion by a Clio!!

[geeks]

sydown said:

General rule of thumb , I find that the £250+ days tend to have a better standard of driving than the £150 days. Last time I did a cheap day I nearly got taken on more than one occasion by a Clio!!

Not sure that follows, Bedford tends to be quite cheap and I haven't had an issue like that there!

[gbk]

I think a more realistic rule of thumb is the more expensive a track day is on a particular circuit the less cars that will be booked and those cars will generally be of the more track focussed / expensive type. However there are always exceptions to any rule !!!

The only way driving standards are controlled is by the TDO giving realistic briefings and then following up on any breaches of the particular rules of the day / circuit.

Enjoy your day and be safe.

[wellground]

sydown said:

General rule of thumb , I find that the £250+ days tend to have a better standard of driving than the £150 days. Last time I did a cheap day I nearly got taken on more than one occasion by a Clio!!

I think that is a sweeping generalisation. A bit unfair to quality TDO's that run days fairly but offer days at cost effective prices. To say you pay more and get a safer day is not the best advice I have heard.

[Rob197]

Whats wrong with clios on a trackday?

[Jim1556]

Rob197 said:

Whats wrong with clios on a trackday?

At Blyton in Feb, my mate blew his gearbox ... He just managed to coast into the pit area where it promptly dropped its guts, so at least didn't spoil it for others with a big oil slick...

No worries in general though, highly recommend Javelin!

Oh, and my mate chucked another gearbox in it, sold it, then bought an M3...

[Thecarper]

Agree with other comment, Dave at Opentrack as he's very personal, or Stuart at MSV as they do look after you as well. As for ones to avoid, I've never come across any bad TD organiser as such yet. There all governed by the track rules and marshals anyway.

[egor110]

sydown said:

General rule of thumb , I find that the £250+ days tend to have a better standard of driving than the £150 days. Last time I did a cheap day I nearly got taken on more than one occasion by a Clio!!

So the clio outbraked you into every corner using its advantage low weight you then shot past on the straight using your advantage more bhp.

[Phateuk]

I've used most TDOs and they're pretty similar, although I was impressed with book-a-track day recently where a group of 6+ chavs sharing 3 cars racing round carelessly in an astra vxr and civic type r and clio 172 - after their first lap it was obvious they were a liability to everyone. I saw the clio spin in front of me into the gravel of the first corner at donny, then again, on the same lap(!) at the last chicane before the pit straight on the short circuit.

I saw them get black flagged pretty sharpish, then I presume the astra owner got sent home as I never saw him after that. I find nothing worse on a TD than constantly fearing being shunted off by someone driving recklessly.