First Trackday - Oulton Park (novice day) or Bedford Auto
Discussion
Going to try a tracday for the first time.
Want some advice on which people would think would be safer and easier for someone that has never been on a track before.
MSV Trackdays
Oulton Park (novice day)
Limted cars out and more tuition as it is a novice only day, but the circuit looks quite challenging in lots of armco? #
Bedford Autodrome (Open pitlane)
More cars and I would imagine lots of regular trackday goers. Bit more jumping in the deepend, but the huge run offs make it good for beginners.
Any advice welcome
Matt
Want some advice on which people would think would be safer and easier for someone that has never been on a track before.
MSV Trackdays
Oulton Park (novice day)
Limted cars out and more tuition as it is a novice only day, but the circuit looks quite challenging in lots of armco? #
Bedford Autodrome (Open pitlane)
More cars and I would imagine lots of regular trackday goers. Bit more jumping in the deepend, but the huge run offs make it good for beginners.
Any advice welcome
Matt
As you've said, Bedford is good for the amount of run-off it has, although you'll find it difficult to pinpoint the turns as it's flat & featureless.
Oulton Park is a great circuit, but as you've said it can seem daunting to a novice.
If the OP date is a proper novice day then there shouldn't be a problem as you should be able to take advantage of a decent instructor who'll get you to build up your speed gradually and comfortably.
Overall, I'd go for whichever is closest, as you don't want to drive 3 hours and be tired when you arrive for a track day. If you take it easy and everyone else takes care, then there's no reason bar mechanical failure why you'd go off anyway, it's not like you'll be driving at 10/10ths on your first event - I'm still at 8-9/10ths after a good few years (as that 10/10ths can easily become 10.1/10ths and spit me off).
Oulton Park is a great circuit, but as you've said it can seem daunting to a novice.
If the OP date is a proper novice day then there shouldn't be a problem as you should be able to take advantage of a decent instructor who'll get you to build up your speed gradually and comfortably.
Overall, I'd go for whichever is closest, as you don't want to drive 3 hours and be tired when you arrive for a track day. If you take it easy and everyone else takes care, then there's no reason bar mechanical failure why you'd go off anyway, it's not like you'll be driving at 10/10ths on your first event - I'm still at 8-9/10ths after a good few years (as that 10/10ths can easily become 10.1/10ths and spit me off).
Depends where you live, but Bedford offers a nice wide track, no nasty surprises and nothing to hit. I know several people who've done a first track day there, amongst experienced trackers, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves without feeling crowded out or intimidated.
Never been on a novice only day, so can't comment.
Never been on a novice only day, so can't comment.
oulton's a great circuit with in my opinion the best set up in britain. as above you won't be going 10/10's on your 1st track day & the track is so nice you'll definately get the bug!
one thing i would say is oulton is quite hard on brakes & in your first few track days its the brakes that take the hammering, could be excuse to take some spare pads with you
on a plus side there are some gorgeous hotels & country pubs so if you're taking the missus you can gain some brownie points!
one thing i would say is oulton is quite hard on brakes & in your first few track days its the brakes that take the hammering, could be excuse to take some spare pads with you
on a plus side there are some gorgeous hotels & country pubs so if you're taking the missus you can gain some brownie points!
TBH it doesn't really matter as long as you are careful.
I wouldn't worry whether it is a novice day or not though. Novice days can actually be worse as no one knows what they are doing.
If you go on normal day, the pace is likely to be faster, but at least you can more likely see the proper etiquette, better lines etc etc.
I know numerous people who have done novice days in hot hatches for their first day and found the pace to be too slow and no one with any idea.
I wouldn't worry whether it is a novice day or not though. Novice days can actually be worse as no one knows what they are doing.
If you go on normal day, the pace is likely to be faster, but at least you can more likely see the proper etiquette, better lines etc etc.
I know numerous people who have done novice days in hot hatches for their first day and found the pace to be too slow and no one with any idea.
Did my first trackday last monday at Bedford, open pitlane.
Great day, great bunch of blokes running it, no pressure from anybody, just got out there and enjoyed myself.
On the downside, i think my car makes it just too easy, almost spoilt my first trackday, it just went about its job, no mistakes,no spins, even with an idiot like me driving.
Great day, great bunch of blokes running it, no pressure from anybody, just got out there and enjoyed myself.
On the downside, i think my car makes it just too easy, almost spoilt my first trackday, it just went about its job, no mistakes,no spins, even with an idiot like me driving.
I wouldn't get with an insructor on your first day, unless you really don't have a clue about gears, speed, braking points, racing line any of that. You have too much to think about anyway.
I would turn up and spend the day finding you feet, gradually getting faster and then worry about tuition after a couple of days when you start to reach a peak in speed.
As I said above, only if you really don't know what you are doing should you book tuition for your first time.
I would turn up and spend the day finding you feet, gradually getting faster and then worry about tuition after a couple of days when you start to reach a peak in speed.
As I said above, only if you really don't know what you are doing should you book tuition for your first time.
mmm-five said:
As you've said, Bedford is good for the amount of run-off it has, although you'll find it difficult to pinpoint the turns as it's flat & featureless.
I've been round a reasonable number of circuits now and found Bedford the hardest to learn - there's virtually nothing in the way of reference points. That said, some tuition is probably advisable to get you going if it's a first track day and that will help you learn a lot quicker. Have to say I did enjoy Bedford and it was probably the best run event I've been to.
I've done a novice day at Bedford and definitely preferred to it my second outing, a normal OPL day at Brands Indy with the same organiser. On the novice day, the marshals were more alert versus the normal day where I was overtaken on the right and cars were overtaking on yellow flags with impunity. Also, the novices were generally more careful and cautious compared to the normal day where there were several black flags and I had a couple of "moments" with over-aggressive drivers.
I also found it intimidating and distracting to constantly have faster cars looming in the mirror, and having to pull over all the time to allow overtaking isn't the greatest way to build flow and momentum.
Of course, a sample of two isn't conclusive, and this may be at least partly be due to the fact that Brands Indy is much smaller and more crowded than Bedford, and is known for attracting the lairy element.
Oh - and in my experience tuition makes all the difference even if it's your first time out.
I also found it intimidating and distracting to constantly have faster cars looming in the mirror, and having to pull over all the time to allow overtaking isn't the greatest way to build flow and momentum.
Of course, a sample of two isn't conclusive, and this may be at least partly be due to the fact that Brands Indy is much smaller and more crowded than Bedford, and is known for attracting the lairy element.
Oh - and in my experience tuition makes all the difference even if it's your first time out.
The circuit is very rewarding and you WILL know when you get better I did my first ever trackday in £20k of mint E46 M3 on a frozen Oulton. I was terrified.
We had to wait an hour for the track to be deemed 'safe' enough - I hoped they would cancel it.
On my 3rd lap a mint track-prepped E30 span into the Armco in front of me.
But there really was nothing to worry about - you just go at your own pace, admire the view, and just don't push yourself. By the afternoon the sun had come out, and the DSC came off, and it was the best thing I've ever done with any car I've owned. I'm now hooked!
There's only one 'dangerous' corner, Druids, and I'm yet to conquer that one as it's a bit scary in the damp, but I just trundle round that one.
I thought about doing one of the airfield-type ones initially, but I got bought a 'Driving Experience' on one and it was crap. As has already been posted, it's a bugger at there's no actual 'track' to follow, no landmarks to remember, etc. Just cones and loads of boring concrete. Crap.
My opinion anyway!
We had to wait an hour for the track to be deemed 'safe' enough - I hoped they would cancel it.
On my 3rd lap a mint track-prepped E30 span into the Armco in front of me.
But there really was nothing to worry about - you just go at your own pace, admire the view, and just don't push yourself. By the afternoon the sun had come out, and the DSC came off, and it was the best thing I've ever done with any car I've owned. I'm now hooked!
There's only one 'dangerous' corner, Druids, and I'm yet to conquer that one as it's a bit scary in the damp, but I just trundle round that one.
I thought about doing one of the airfield-type ones initially, but I got bought a 'Driving Experience' on one and it was crap. As has already been posted, it's a bugger at there's no actual 'track' to follow, no landmarks to remember, etc. Just cones and loads of boring concrete. Crap.
My opinion anyway!
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