Advice Please - Thinking about 1st Track Day

[Maverick_JDL]

Hi everyone,

I am thinking about doing my first ever track day and was looking for some advice on the following points. Thanks

As its my first track day I would rather go somewhere very open with few hard things to hit - airfield?

Insurance - currently with direct line who will almost certainly not cver me I am guessing. Any advice?

Anything else I should Know.

Currently driving an 08' S3.

[the atomic punk]

I took a bunch of first timers to a motorsport-events.com day at abingdon earlier this year.

It was really well organised, with a good bunch of people, good behaviour and a very safe circuit layout. Whilst the surface isn't race track smooth, it isn't too bad, and I don't reckon that they wear on my toyo R888s was much worse than it typically is at brands, donington etc.

I would thoroughly recommend it for track day novices.

[the atomic punk]

I took a bunch of first timers to a motorsport-events.com day at abingdon earlier this year.

It was really well organised, with a good bunch of people, good behaviour and a very safe circuit layout. Whilst the surface isn't race track smooth, it isn't too bad, and I don't reckon that they wear on my toyo R888s was much worse than it typically is at brands, donington etc.

I would thoroughly recommend it for track day novices.

[splitpin]

There are umpteen reasons why I wouldn't want to be thinking about doing my first Trackday in an 08 S3. I'd recommend doing it with someone who is properly geared up for it like Track Club > e.g. [e-mail]

By the way, they don't know me from Adam and I'm not on commission!

[Maverick_JDL]

Thank you so much for everyone’s comments. Due to a lack of holiday days left at work it will need to be a weekend for me.

Thanks for the idea of track-club but I am trying to keep costs down and as such happy to use the S3. Not the perfect car for the event but it will do. It’s on a fully maintained lease and as such I will prob get away with a track day or two before they start asking to many questions about tyres and brakes.

[chevin]

Maverick_JDL said:

It’s on a fully maintained lease

Check your lease terms - I'd hate you to bin it on track and find yourself liable for the whole value of the vehicle because your insurance isn't valid (because you didn't have the permission of the 'owner' to use it on track).

[the atomic punk]

I don't know about the lease stuff, checking sounds very wise, but I reckon that you should be fine using the S3 from a driving perspective as long as you are very careful to do short stints to avoid your brakes overheating and make certain that you cool them down properly when you finish, which may involve driving slowly round the paddock to get air forced through before you park up.

[rockystarr]

Hi, I would like to do a track day. I have access to a FREE 4 door E30 325i. It does need some work to get an MOT for it. The thing I would like to know would this be suitable for a track day hack and I know its not a 3 door but its free! And lastly. which track is best for a novice in relation to where I live? I live in the new Forest.

Any comments would be gratefully recived

[Maverick_JDL]

Thanks for all the advice guys, but I think I am going to go down the route of hiring a car. I think in the long run it will work out better.

[System-G]

If you're thinking of hiring a car - you can't do wrong with one of the BookaTrack Caterhams. If you have a likeminded mate who wishes to split the costs - it becomes very affordable.

Professional ARDS instructors on board and all costs covered. The guys look after you a treat too

[poshgit]

rockystarr said:

Hi, I would like to do a track day. I have access to a FREE 4 door E30 325i. It does need some work to get an MOT for it. The thing I would like to know would this be suitable for a track day hack and I know its not a 3 door but its free! And lastly. which track is best for a novice in relation to where I live? I live in the new Forest.

Any comments would be gratefully recived

suitable ?......it's the best!!! - well i am biased.
BUT - get it properly prepared/ MOTd. when things go wrong at speed it will be nasty - worn pad/discs/bearing/shocks/not to mention engine stresses are massively magnified on a track after only 4 or 5 laps. get it set up right - lose 300kgs of weight from it and have fun!

[bigburd]

My first track day was Castle Coombe in my R32. This was an Autometrix organised day and it was brilliant for a first timer. Standard safety briefing was given, then they made an instructor available for free of charge this was for those improving or newbies alike. The instructor session consisted of him driving half of the 20min session talking you through the track, then you would switch over and he would talk you through whilst you are in control.

Fantastic day - can be tiring - take the advice to adjust tyre pressures (I don't think I had quite enough in) and make sure the car is in an acceptable condition with nothing loose inside (some idiots where on our day with an Audi S4 saloon complete with a boot load of crap rolling around, they could not keep it going smooth and were a hazard to other track users)

I did not take out track day insurance as they wanted £200 and the XS was 10% of the market value which at the time was about £20K (so figured £2K would fix most minor hiccups)

I timed my track day when my tyres would soon need changing and hoped they would hold out to get home ... there was plenty of tread left (started about a half worn)


http://www.bigburd.com/castlecombe (ignore the 2007 typo)

[PhillipM]

Curborough Sprint track will get you used to the limits of your car with fairly low risk in the event of an off.