Thursday 20th August 2009

PH Track Session 27/08/09

Join us at Bedford Autodrome for the next PH track session with Club MSV

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Next Thursday evening PistonHeads returns to Bedford as part of the 2009 track day programme, and there are still some places available if you fancy joining us.

The Southwest Circuit at Bedford Autodrome is a fantastic layout for both experienced and novice track day drivers as it offers some great corners and chicanes, but has plenty of run-off, should you push things a little too hard, so it's a great place to safely test the limits of your car.

We are running an open pit lane format, so you can go on and off circuit as you please throughout the session, ensuring that you can make the most of your time.

The format for the afternoon is as follows:

15:30 Signing on and noise testing. Signing of indemnity forms, checking of driving licences and allocation of instruction sessions. The noise limit at Bedford is 101 dB(A)

16:30 Briefing. This will cover everything you need to know about the day, from rules of the event, through to car preparation, driving techniques and circuit information.

17.00 Familiarisation laps. These are carried out behind a pace car and give you a chance to experience each bend at a reduced speed before unrestricted track time begins.

17:30 Track time begins. The trackday begins and it's time to put your car through its paces. Warm your tyres, start off slow and aim to build up your pace.

20:00 Track Time Ends

Places for this session are priced at £119, and you can book using the form here

We look forward to seeing you there.

PistonHeads will also be visiting Brands Hatch later this year, please see below for more information.

Brands Hatch 10th September

Brands Hatch 19th November

[tedzwedz]

Never done a track day before, very keen

Do you think this one is suitable for beginners?

What might 1 day insurance be do you think?

Dont want to write off my 996 daily driver!

[andy798]

Never been to Bedford before but from what i understand it is the best place for a beginner.

Due to the fact they hold NO motorsport events, theres not a piece of armco in sight and long grass run off areas on every bend.

Cant advise on Insurance as i dont bother getting it.

Edited by andy798 on Thursday 20th August 15:55

[tedzwedz]

andy798 said:

Never been to Bedford before but from what i understand it is the best place for a beginner.

Due to the fact they hold NO motorsport events, theres not a piece of armco in sight and long grass run off areas on every bend.

Cant advise on Insurance as i dont bother getting it.

Edited by andy798 on Thursday 20th August 15:55

Thnaks Andy! Im just worried of smashing up my car, or someone elses, accident do happen depite the best precautions!

Am I correct in thinking that one is only responsible for ones own car?

[andy798]

Yes, and if you do get Insurance that also applies to your car only. I havent spent too much time on track, but from what i have seen and heard i Wouldnt be worrying too much about contact with another car. Most days seem to have a decent standard of drivers.

[oxfordbiker]

I can highly recommend coming off the track at Bedford - I did it twice on my last visit, once after spinning 180 degrees in the wet and just shot backwards, and once where the corner just tightened up too quickly (it was the corner's fault, not mine, of course) and I just drove straight off onto the grass. Both very civilized experiences

[DaveL485]

God damn noise limits. I'm over that before I get on boost, let alone when it hits full chat and the screamer pipe starts up....

Is there anywhere that doesn't spec to 101db any more?

[Petey_H]

Ooops, I seem to have booked up for this. Still, that's what credit cards are for

[tedzwedz]

DaveL485 said:

God damn noise limits. I'm over that before I get on boost, let alone when it hits full chat and the screamer pipe starts up....

Is there anywhere that doesn't spec to 101db any more?

I wonder what my 996 C2 3.4 puts out, has an Oettle Sports exhaust with bypass pipes, any way of finding out without going to the track day and being rejected?

[NUEZ]

tedzwedz said:

DaveL485 said:

God damn noise limits. I'm over that before I get on boost, let alone when it hits full chat and the screamer pipe starts up....

Is there anywhere that doesn't spec to 101db any more?

I wonder what my 996 C2 3.4 puts out, has an Oettle Sports exhaust with bypass pipes, any way of finding out without going to the track day and being rejected?

If there is a track near you, you could pop down on a track day you weren't attending and ask for a noise test. I'm sure most stewards wouldn't have a problem with that.

Failing that, you can pick up a sound meter on eBay / google search for circa 20 quid.

[nfo]

Worth bearing in mind you probably want to pass with a fair margin as there's a lot of room for variation between different testers (exact distance and location), test locations/environment and (although hopefully calibrated) noise meters. There was an interesting video interview with Jonathan Palmer on Autocar's website a while ago where he talked about the problems they have with noise.

How does the cost of this compare to a full day at Bedford? £119 for 2 and a half hours of track time seems quite steep, but I guess Bedford is a very good, modern facility.