Appalling driving
Discussion
Attended the Castle Combe Performance Car Action Day on Sept 11.
Everyone who went on track had to have a wristband on before being allowed out, these wristbands were only handed out as you left the briefing so there was no choice, you had to attend. But half the people must have slept through it. We were told that overtaking was allowed ONLY on the straights and ONLY on the right; there are even little notices beside the circuit to remind you.
Now it was my first drive at CC for over 20 years (pre-chicanes) and the first time I had driven the car more than about ten yards apart from actually driving to the circuit so I was taking it really easy and letting people pass. But idiots were passing on the left, in braking areas, through corners ... it was bloody crazy.
Even had some d
head in a Sooby honking at me on the apex at Tower because he thought I was holding him up. It's a Sooby sonny, wait for the next straight, you'll soon get past an MX-5.
Everyone who went on track had to have a wristband on before being allowed out, these wristbands were only handed out as you left the briefing so there was no choice, you had to attend. But half the people must have slept through it. We were told that overtaking was allowed ONLY on the straights and ONLY on the right; there are even little notices beside the circuit to remind you.
Now it was my first drive at CC for over 20 years (pre-chicanes) and the first time I had driven the car more than about ten yards apart from actually driving to the circuit so I was taking it really easy and letting people pass. But idiots were passing on the left, in braking areas, through corners ... it was bloody crazy.
Even had some d
head in a Sooby honking at me on the apex at Tower because he thought I was holding him up. It's a Sooby sonny, wait for the next straight, you'll soon get past an MX-5.
splitpin said:
I was at Combe a few weeks ago and it was the UK norm of clockwise circulation; hand in hand with that is usually the UK trackday norm of overtake only on the left.
Was it really overtake only on the right?
Either way I wasn't there, so Not Guilty M'Lud
Combe is usually overtake on the right only because the pit lane entrance is on the left; most other tracks it's on the right, hence overtake on the left.Was it really overtake only on the right?
Either way I wasn't there, so Not Guilty M'Lud
Edited by ian964 on Sunday 12th September 21:13
splitpin said:
I was at Combe a few weeks ago and it was the UK norm of clockwise circulation; hand in hand with that is usually the UK trackday norm of overtake only on the left.
Was it really overtake only on the right?
Either way I wasn't there, so Not Guilty M'Lud
Combe is, as far as I know, the only circuit in the UK that operate an overtake on the right policy (because of the position of the pit exit and entrances on the LH side of the circuit at very fast points), so I think you'll find the OP is right ... Was it really overtake only on the right?
Either way I wasn't there, so Not Guilty M'Lud
Video from my last day there here: http://www.vimeo.com/12778942
You only have to watch for about 10 seconds to see an overtake on the right.
ian964 said:
splitpin said:
I was at Combe a few weeks ago and it was the UK norm of clockwise circulation; hand in hand with that is usually the UK trackday norm of overtake only on the left.
Was it really overtake only on the right?
Either way I wasn't there, so Not Guilty M'Lud
Combe is usually overtake on the right only because the pit lane entrance is on the left; most other tracks it's on the right, hence overtake on the left.Was it really overtake only on the right?
Either way I wasn't there, so Not Guilty M'Lud
Edited by ian964 on Sunday 12th September 21:13
Croft - pit lane entrance is on the left
Cadwell - left
Donington - left
Elvington - left
and they all operate left hand overtake
isn't the overtake on the left more to do with the slower car getting off the racing line on a clockwise track where most corners will be right handers which would be approached from the left hand side of the track?
Edited by NorthernExposure on Sunday 12th September 21:42
tertius said:
...........so I think you'll find the OP is right ...
Didn't doubt it for a minute, but I thought it was an amusing play on why it was (shall we just say) all a bit chaotic.But as Northern Exposure rightly points out, there's quite a few tracks where the pits are hook off left but which still operate the 'only on the left' policy norm.
For some reason, the 'only on the right' policy looks inherently less safe than 'only on the left', I think because the latter allows a nervous newbie to keep hugging the right kerb, whereas with the former it requires him/her to move across the track. That said 1) the logic all falls apart a bit when there's some sort of Esses and 2) if people are allowed to act like knobheads, irrespective of policy, it won't be as safe as it should be on a trackday?
!Steve H said:
Back to the issue of the day mentioned in the OPs post, I'm thinking that an "Action Day" is the kind where you buy you track time in 20 minute sessions - always the kind of trackday to avoid IMO.
We crossed!Sorry for veering off the OP's original topic.
If that's what it was, I agree with you 100% - a cheap way to put oneself off trackdaying forever.
OP - put it down as a bum decision - book yourself in on a proper trackday with a good TDO like Bookatrack, Goldtrack etc, preferably an open pit lane when you can go out when you feel like it (and that jerk you've spotted has screwed up his car and has retired to the pits) and you'll have a ball. The MX5 is a great little car to get into low stress trackdaying - have fun!
Steve H said:
Back to the issue of the day mentioned in the OPs post, I'm thinking that an "Action Day" is the kind where you buy you track time in 20 minute sessions - always the kind of trackday to avoid IMO.
Having seen the standard of driving at Trax at Silverstone the other week, I'd agree! Events where you can buy 20 minutes of track time seem to attract the wrong sort of drivers.Edited by hyperblue on Sunday 12th September 22:45
GTWayne said:
Evangelion said:
...Castle Combe Performance Car Action Day...
I rest my case 
coyft said:
Loads of crashes at this corner. One guy was lucky to walk away, near the end. What's so dodgy about that corner? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0-zkEyHIE
The last two were very nasty. From the earlier ones, there must be quite a collection of nearside mirrors on the ground there!That's Quary that is - the single most crashed at point on the circuit. There is only one way round it and that is sloooowly 
I haven't spent a huge amount of time at CC but every time I have been there somebody has come of at that corner - it's a classic lap stopper
Castle Coombe is one of the fastest circuits in the country, not really fit for things like 'action days' in my opinion. They have to turn a coin just like the rest of us I guess but you will never catch me attending such an event, and I have a bit of a reputation of being a yahoo myself, so what does that tell you?
I haven't spent a huge amount of time at CC but every time I have been there somebody has come of at that corner - it's a classic lap stopper
Castle Coombe is one of the fastest circuits in the country, not really fit for things like 'action days' in my opinion. They have to turn a coin just like the rest of us I guess but you will never catch me attending such an event, and I have a bit of a reputation of being a yahoo myself, so what does that tell you?
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