Goldtrack at Silverstone yesterday was dogsh*t

[Wollcage]

Felt really great having a Mosler sticking up the inside of me on yesterday's Goldtrack testing track day. I know there's a Britcar event there, but the number of race cars out there was taking the piss.

Not only that, but the driving standards on the way were possibly the worst I've ever seen at a track day, with red flags every session. And not you're average 'drag out of the kitty litter' stoppages either, but oil clean ups - and what type of car was it that was dropping oil I wonder?

I did think that some heads might be banged together at the lunch break in attempt to sort it out for the afternoon - but, there was no lunch break. So the crashes continued, and the white Focus RS still held up the Radicals. A nicely run day all in all... sort it out Goldtrack!

[Herman Toothrot]

Thats a shame, Silvertone can be great fun. I went with Javelin last month and it was a "different" experience for me but I loved it and there was only one stoppage in the day, as it happens that was a racing car as well. I don't think some of these racing drivers are as talented as they claim to be.

My comments :-

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0...

if it was similar, but worse standard of driving maybe its as i concluded a specific "silverstone thing".

[GnuBee]

So you I'm assuming you did go and talk to Melindi and Callum about your concerns whilst there?

[Birdthom]

Oil and red flags would make me grumpy, but personally I love being on track with uber-rapid machinery and think it's great to see people pushing hard in properly fast cars (within reason of course).

It shouldn't be that much of a problem at Silverstone anyway should it? It's not exactly a narrow place. As above, fair enough if you made your feelings known on the day, otherwise your post is rather out of order.

[legaleagleboy]

Goldtrack are an excellent organisation, IMO one of the best -- but with over 100 cars participating things may happen, there is no way they can legislate for someone dumping oil/coolant, crashing their car or getting caught in the kitty litter

stuff happens - just make sure it is not you next time out !!

Edited by legaleagleboy on Thursday 1st October 19:14

[shim]

Wollcage said:

Felt really great having a Mosler sticking up the inside of me on yesterday's Goldtrack testing track day. I know there's a Britcar event there, but the number of race cars out there was taking the piss.

Not only that, but the driving standards on the way were possibly the worst I've ever seen at a track day, with red flags every session. And not you're average 'drag out of the kitty litter' stoppages either, but oil clean ups - and what type of car was it that was dropping oil I wonder?

I did think that some heads might be banged together at the lunch break in attempt to sort it out for the afternoon - but, there was no lunch break. So the crashes continued, and the white Focus RS still held up the Radicals. A nicely run day all in all... sort it out Goldtrack!

heared a few say the same

shame coz Goldtrack are normally a good choice for trackdays. They always seem to have the faster boys/cars there as well but this week seemed a little belwo par from the feedback i saw

[RatBoy M3CS]

Well 1stly.. I will say Goldtrack are my preferred organiser, well run, policed and structured.. with harsh words where needed to those making a nuisance.., over the last 2 yrs, like most i have found it irritating when we get a red light, and have to come off..

Generally, I have found the type of cars on their days are the top end stuff, and not so many pugs,golfs,escorts etc.. and thats why i do their days.. to keep out of the slow traffic, which is frustrating..

It was the 1st red that was my undoing...! giving my slicks time to cool off, which caught me out properly at Abbey.. so, apologies for causing the 2nd and my 1st ever red flag..

The 1st red was for an oil down I hear.. I'm trying to piece together the chain of events.. anyone know where the 1st oildown was..?

RatBoy... pissednbroke.. out of A+E but in a world of pain..

Edited by RatBoy M3CS on Friday 2nd October 10:28

[Raify]

I've experienced quite a few different track day organisers getting innundated by racers and testers. It doesn't seem like they can (or want to) do much about it.

[AndrewD]

RatBoy M3CS said:

Well 1stly.. I will say Goldtrack are my preferred organiser, well run, policed and structured.. with harsh words where needed to those making a nuisance.., over the last 2 yrs, like most i have found it irritating when we get a red light, and have to come off..

Generally, I have found the type of cars on their days are the top end stuff, and not so many pugs,golfs,escorts etc.. and thats why i do their days.. to keep out of the slow traffic, which is frustrating..

It was the 1st red that was my undoing...! giving my slicks time to cool off, which caught me out properly at Abbey.. so, apologies for causing the 2nd and my 1st ever red flag..

The 1st red was for an oil down I hear.. I'm trying to piece together the chain of events.. anyone know where the 1st oildown was..?

RatBoy... pissednbroke.. out of A+E but in a world of pain..

Edited by RatBoy M3CS on Friday 2nd October 10:28

You were in the green/black BMW? Ouch that looked nasty - glad to hear you're ok. I was in the orange/purple Juno in the garage next to you.

To the OP, as others have said I hope you voiced all this to the organiser so that they had a chance to do something about it at the time. I don't do many Goldtrack days so I've no idea if this particular one was representative or not - there were certainly a lot of cars, and the stoppages affected group 1 the most (I think they had two sessions effectively binned). I've no idea if it was the race cars though who has a monopoly on causing the problems, as you seem to be suggesting. And I followed the Mosler quite closely for several laps, he seemed to be driving perfectly within the rules and it was brilliant to see a car like this in action. My comment on the day: I only wish the sr8 had bigger mirrors

[Nurburgsingh]

I think the other thing that doesn't help is that Silverstone is a bit red flag happy... Some circuits will operate a "live recovery" under yellow... Silverstone wont. I dont think its anything that a TDO can help.

[RatBoy M3CS]

I heard there were a lot of flags 'n' lights thro' the day.. unfortunately i was on a board looking at some bright lights and nurses..!

In my Exp this was not typical of the GT days... I have done about 20 ... over the last 2 yrs.. it was in the middle of the Britcar set up and those guys in their race cars will have wanted to do a bit of running too... thats just how the calender landed..

I'm not bothered about being on track with the quick stuff., I prefer it, it's the 15 car train of slow traffic doing 3+ minute laps which winds me up..

Your always going to get a few yellows, and 1 red... Wed was not representative of a typical GT day.. just a lot of bad luck.. of which i had a slice myself..

[Raify]

I agree that moving out of the way of quick stuff is less of a pain than sitting behind a slow car with no mirrors. But, it's still galling to see people with enough money to race, spoiling the day of paying customers.

IMO if you can afford to race, then just hire the track to test, don't hijack a track day.

[Baby Blue]

i like others here use Gt as best /1st choice organiser , i ve sat with Calum on track and watched him get out at the end of a session and tell people we have passed/been passed by what they must /must not do to avoid going home .............without going too far off topic , if u want real crap try being on track , on a dry sunny day with the 14 years old drivers of the Ginetta Junior chanmpionship learning Brands GP.............A GOOD PROFESSIONAL BRIEFING BUT 6 OF THEM ON A DRY SUNNY DAY OFF IN SAME HOUR! MSV response less than brilliant ,gets better the same protagonists did the same abt 2 weeks earlier and apparently had a rerun at RMA DAY THIS WEEK ...............THIS TIME THEY WERE APPARENTLY EJECTED AFTER LUNCH ..............in my case £399 for a day and got half of it just felt robbed...................their driving when on track was pretty lurid explains how easyily they came off !

Like ,i suspect the op i want to drive to and from the circuit for a track day not a test day ...this means organisers have to be strict......i think GT have the right attitude but u must tell them so they can act on ur behalf

[Regional]

Raify said:

IMO if you can afford to race, then just hire the track to test, don't hijack a track day.

That's not quite right mate, if you have a big UK event coming up then testing is indeed key but track time is track time and if you have a new driver getting a feel for the car then a track day is perfect.

That said there are idiots everywhere so these things will happen, they do need to be brought to the attention of the organiser though - I have seen MSV run days kick out rich city boys playing around in radical SR4's and dive bombing every bugger into russell - these were not racers, just paying customers.

[Flying Trotter]

I was in group 1 and missed 2 sessions sitting in the pit lane with an instructor - frustrating but better than lying on a board - hope you are not too badly banged around - you asked about the oil location that caused the red in session 3 for group 1 - I think it was on the way into Maggots - a ferrari went off into the litter

the discipline seemed to go as we went into the afternoon - perhaps due to frustration through lost sessions but certainly more pushing through under braking on the inside

[Elderly]

legaleagleboy said:

Goldtrack are an excellent organisation, ......... -- but with over 100 cars participating .....

Only about six weeks ago people were complaining that another TDO's track day at Oulton was too quiet (because it was too expensive?).

IMO opinion, if TDOs are going to run busy trackdays at or near the track limit in terms of numbers, then the price charged to each participant should reflect that. If you pay a premium 'gold' price (particularly for a sessioned day) you should expect low numbers; how-ever if it's a 'bargain' day, you shouldn't be surprised to find the track crowded, and hence with an increased chance of incidents.

[shim]

i am old and wrinkled enough to realise that track days can be dry or wet, quiet or busy, clear or loads of overtaking BUT i fail to see really how race cars suddenly became the norm on some track days

not only race cars but race cars that are qualifying the next day on the same track

recipe for disaster imho doesnt matter if tey are slower or faster, they are just in a different mental state and not suited to mix with typical track day types

[tertius]

Baby Blue said:

i like others here use Gt as best /1st choice organiser , i ve sat with Calum on track and watched him get out at the end of a session and tell people we have passed/been passed by what they must /must not do to avoid going home .............without going too far off topic , if u want real crap try being on track , on a dry sunny day with the 14 years old drivers of the Ginetta Junior chanmpionship learning Brands GP.............A GOOD PROFESSIONAL BRIEFING BUT 6 OF THEM ON A DRY SUNNY DAY OFF IN SAME HOUR! MSV response less than brilliant ,gets better the same protagonists did the same abt 2 weeks earlier and apparently had a rerun at RMA DAY THIS WEEK ...............THIS TIME THEY WERE APPARENTLY EJECTED AFTER LUNCH ..............in my case £399 for a day and got half of it just felt robbed...................their driving when on track was pretty lurid explains how easyily they came off !

Like ,i suspect the op i want to drive to and from the circuit for a track day not a test day ...this means organisers have to be strict......i think GT have the right attitude but u must tell them so they can act on ur behalf

+1

Though it was an otherwise fantastic day - first fully dry day I've had on the GP circuit. But the lost time was extremely annoying. I called up afterwards and got a discount off my next booking.

BTW, your car was looking great, I have a few pics, though none of them too special, let me know if you'd like them.

[Baby Blue]

Thkls for kind words , must ave been angry dont remember seeing u wat car were u in ?

I also got offered 10% and a free gargage next time ..............we ve come to terms but frankly wud have liked money back ,unlike some of the Silvesrtone probs ,this was all inflicted IMO by lack of control by organisers on the with a bunch of brainless ,wud be race drivers .............or a few bad eggs in the group most likely , though i am assured each one only came off once ! if i d paid for half a day , which is what i got i wud nt have been so mad ..................IT COULD HAVE BEEN SORTED IF THE ORGANISER HAD ACTED AND CLEARLY PRE A RACE W/END HAS NOW OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN ABT THE LAST MONTH

[tertius]

I was in the yellow Elise. Usually you've seen me in a 993.