Javalin Trackday at Silverstone yesterday (sat 5th sept)
Discussion
I had a really fun day, very different to every other track day i've ever done. If I was a newbie I'd have been put off for ever, but not being new and reasonable experienced it was possibly the best ever.
Every other trackday its been strict pull out the way for the faster car that apears behind you end of story, you'll get blue flagged if you don't and will end up being told off. So 1st session I having never driven Silverstone or been on a Javelin day and missed the siting laps I was on the indicator geting out the way for everyone, all fine, noticed a bit of "close" driving that may have been black flagged at a BAT or MSE day.
2nd session when I knew the track and started giving it beans I caught an S2000 and he didn't get out the way, was even blocking bit I though, the whole session I sat behind waiting for him to be blue flagged,.. he wasn't.. and I found chaps catching us just had no hessitation and overtook basically where ever be it under braking, into bends out of bends etc, didn't bother me but I though I'd be good and stick to what I was told in the breifing i.e. no overtaking with out consent.
3rd session I though sod it i'll play that game then as no one seemed to get past anyone with consent, everyone just went for it when they could. So I changed too, didn't bother waiting for any one to get out the way, just didn't slow and just get straight past and what fun
was more like racing than a trackday. Last session was brilliant fun on the bumper of a 997 with the plate "Richy" (hello if your here ) the whole time both really pushing and flying along, it would have spoilt a great fun tussle if he'd have been blue flagged which is what would have happened at a BAT or MSE day. Was only one little moment where someone in a Tuscan seemed to take objection to having an MX5 out drag him down the straight on the bumper of a Porsche and even though I'd pulled 3/4s of a car length past him and the Porsche was clear he refused to back off, bit silly I thought considering the Porsche & I had caught him through the bends as if he was stood still, but that was it the day worked really well on the whole. Overall great day, really was very good fun 
Every other trackday its been strict pull out the way for the faster car that apears behind you end of story, you'll get blue flagged if you don't and will end up being told off. So 1st session I having never driven Silverstone or been on a Javelin day and missed the siting laps I was on the indicator geting out the way for everyone, all fine, noticed a bit of "close" driving that may have been black flagged at a BAT or MSE day.
2nd session when I knew the track and started giving it beans I caught an S2000 and he didn't get out the way, was even blocking bit I though, the whole session I sat behind waiting for him to be blue flagged,.. he wasn't.. and I found chaps catching us just had no hessitation and overtook basically where ever be it under braking, into bends out of bends etc, didn't bother me but I though I'd be good and stick to what I was told in the breifing i.e. no overtaking with out consent.
3rd session I though sod it i'll play that game then as no one seemed to get past anyone with consent, everyone just went for it when they could. So I changed too, didn't bother waiting for any one to get out the way, just didn't slow and just get straight past and what fun
was more like racing than a trackday. Last session was brilliant fun on the bumper of a 997 with the plate "Richy" (hello if your here ) the whole time both really pushing and flying along, it would have spoilt a great fun tussle if he'd have been blue flagged which is what would have happened at a BAT or MSE day. Was only one little moment where someone in a Tuscan seemed to take objection to having an MX5 out drag him down the straight on the bumper of a Porsche and even though I'd pulled 3/4s of a car length past him and the Porsche was clear he refused to back off, bit silly I thought considering the Porsche & I had caught him through the bends as if he was stood still, but that was it the day worked really well on the whole. Overall great day, really was very good fun Edited by Herman Toothrot on Sunday 6th September 13:16
w4ndl said:
Was a very good day. I was instructing there in a yellow GT3. No time lost with red flags which made a nice change.
I lost just a couple of minutes from one session when the MR2 ended up in a gravel trap. The whole day I think there were only a few spins as well MR2, White MX5 (several times I think) & Classic Elan didn't see any others.I have one pic of the Yellow Porsche if you want it?
I was there yesterday as well and I thoroughly enjoyed the day and the spirited driving!!! I was there in a Red VXR220 with a few friends, ( CSL x 2 + Evo FQ400).
I thought it was run very well and I will definitely be going back to Siverstone only I would like to do the GP circuit.
I will post up some pics when I get a chance.
Cheers!
I thought it was run very well and I will definitely be going back to Siverstone only I would like to do the GP circuit.
I will post up some pics when I get a chance.
Cheers!
I was there yesterday with the GT-Four Owner's Club, we were sharing the yellow group sessions with the Alfa Romeo Owner's Club
A great day, all in all. It was only my second track day (and the first was only a small-ish sprint track where there weren't any other cars nearby on track) so it was a bit nerve wracking but all in all it was a good day.
A couple of incidents where people came past me a little bit too close for comfort, but I guess that's to be expected!
A great day, all in all. It was only my second track day (and the first was only a small-ish sprint track where there weren't any other cars nearby on track) so it was a bit nerve wracking but all in all it was a good day.
A couple of incidents where people came past me a little bit too close for comfort, but I guess that's to be expected!
I missed the group breifing but had my own and it was the usual, overtaking by consent only that should be indicators or hand signals, what the flags mean etc same as all other trackdays. Regardless the overtaking "rules" seemed to be universally ignored, but I actually quite liked it and it did all seem to work fine. If there were more similarly powered cars I could see it getting frustrating but as there were few it didn't matter.
Hi guys, this was my first visit to silverstone, I was only a passanger on this occassion though in my brothers evo FQ400, really good experiance and had a really good day, I also got to go as a passanger in one of the m3 csl's and the red vrx220 (beast) lol, thanks Glenn.
Also found the drifting quite good to watch after the track session had finished.
Roll on donnington tomorrow!!!
Also found the drifting quite good to watch after the track session had finished.
Roll on donnington tomorrow!!!
Isn`t the problem with a lot of circuits that even though the TDO mentions the blue flags, the marshalls are supplied by the circuit and not the TDO, and they don`t use Blue flags ?
I have done Silverstone with Circuit days, they mentioned Blue flags etc, but the marshalls never waved them, even though it was obvious they were needed. I mentioned this to the organiser and they said the marshalls were not their staff and even though they`d asked them to wave the blue flag, they never did...
I have done Silverstone with Circuit days, they mentioned Blue flags etc, but the marshalls never waved them, even though it was obvious they were needed. I mentioned this to the organiser and they said the marshalls were not their staff and even though they`d asked them to wave the blue flag, they never did...
It was a bloody awful day. The standard of driving was the worst i have ever seen. I had some guy trying to drift his Nissan in front of the crowd, messed it up spun and nearly took me out. Nobody followed the over taking rules, it was just a total free for all with some very in-experienced drivers.
That's fine provided there are people to marshal and use flags and calm people down where appropriate, but there was nothing. Nobody got black or blue flagged even pulling stunts like that. Never go there again
That's fine provided there are people to marshal and use flags and calm people down where appropriate, but there was nothing. Nobody got black or blue flagged even pulling stunts like that. Never go there again
plenty said:
I'm a novice, but am fairly sure the only way I could enjoy that kind of environment even with lots of experience under my belt is if were driving a banger.
Strangely the cars present I'd say were on average more expensive than the usual fair.My session consisted of the below, but at some points seemed at also have cars from other sessions present :-
MX5
Z3
Fisher Fury
MGTF
Tiger Avon
Westfield Sei
Porsche 911 X 2
Porsche 944
Mini One
Mini Cooper S
Caterham
Xsara VTS
Mini seven
M3 X2
SL55
Z4
205 Gti X 3
Ultima GTR
Tuscan 2
Alfa 164
106
Supra Race Car
Accord Type R
S2000
Elise
Civic
Edited by Herman Toothrot on Monday 7th September 22:18
PetrolTed said:
I've never seen a blue flag waved at a Silverstone track day.
Interesting, I wonder if its a case of the marshalls normally being there for racing so treat the trackday crowds the same as the racers? i.e. leave everyone to get on with it, certainly seemed that way on Saturday. 1st time I've ever been on a track day like it.PetrolTed said:
Do you really need blue flags on a track day? Not really if people behave themselves.
I didn't find not having them a problem, but then I also didn't see an indicator light all day. It was not an issue at all once I'd decided just to pass whenever I deemed it ok too (a bit like on the road) not when the person infront "gave consent", unless consent was just leaving enough room to the left.At trackdays where flags are prevalent I have previously been frustrated when people don't pull out the way at the sight of a blue. I feel I cannot break the rules if 99% of other people are abiding by them so the one chap who maybe holding me up and not reacting to flags or giving consent to pass is more of a problem than if there are no flags at all.
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