North West Track Day suggestions?
Discussion
Hi Guys,
This is my first post on here, reason of my thread is that last year i went on a track day (best gift from gf ever!) and drove a Lambo. Was fantastic and loved every minute of it, but sadly i didnt really get that many minutes.
Just as i was getting a feel for the car and the track it was over, which is fair enough but i was just wondering if any one can suggest a decent track day they have been on recently?
Obviously there are plenty of websites out there all portraying that they have the best day, but some of them just look a bit "touristy". I really want to get out on the track and give it hell for a good number of laps.
Any advice is much appreciated!
Thanks
Andy
This is my first post on here, reason of my thread is that last year i went on a track day (best gift from gf ever!) and drove a Lambo. Was fantastic and loved every minute of it, but sadly i didnt really get that many minutes.
Just as i was getting a feel for the car and the track it was over, which is fair enough but i was just wondering if any one can suggest a decent track day they have been on recently?
Obviously there are plenty of websites out there all portraying that they have the best day, but some of them just look a bit "touristy". I really want to get out on the track and give it hell for a good number of laps.
Any advice is much appreciated!
Thanks
Andy
Do you mean in your own car or someone else's? In either case north west means Oulton Park - best circuit in the UK in my opinion. If not your own car some of the track day operators (possibly bookatrack and others) rent out cars for track days.
Oulton is simply brilliant, whatever you drive it'll be great fun.
Oulton is simply brilliant, whatever you drive it'll be great fun.
If you're looking at a 'supercar' type experience day, then the more you pay will generally give you more time/better cars.
If you're happy to drive a Caterham/Elise/etc. all day, then Bookatrack (and others) can rent you one of their's for the day for £500+ for the car and £100+ for the trackday.
Depending what you mean by 'North West', then you've got Anglesey as well as Oulton Park.
If you're happy to drive a Caterham/Elise/etc. all day, then Bookatrack (and others) can rent you one of their's for the day for £500+ for the car and £100+ for the trackday.
Depending what you mean by 'North West', then you've got Anglesey as well as Oulton Park.
North West - definitely Oulton Park. They do a single seater experience and also an M3 one too.
If its the thrill of circuit driving you liked, rather than the experience of driving a supercar, then I would strongly urge you to dispell the myth that your fiesta isnt up for the task - driving on track, in any car, is simply a must do for any petrolhead. You will get a lot of satisfaction of perfecting a line, and, especially in a less powerful car, carrying speed. You will learn more skills which are transferrable to the road and you will learn more about your car, too.
There are some affordable trackdays in the winter months, and i caertainly wouldnt be too hung up on not being in a fast car. Trackdays are about fun, and everyone (well 99%!) who go are friendly and approachable
Have a try - you'll be hooked!
If its the thrill of circuit driving you liked, rather than the experience of driving a supercar, then I would strongly urge you to dispell the myth that your fiesta isnt up for the task - driving on track, in any car, is simply a must do for any petrolhead. You will get a lot of satisfaction of perfecting a line, and, especially in a less powerful car, carrying speed. You will learn more skills which are transferrable to the road and you will learn more about your car, too.
There are some affordable trackdays in the winter months, and i caertainly wouldnt be too hung up on not being in a fast car. Trackdays are about fun, and everyone (well 99%!) who go are friendly and approachable
Have a try - you'll be hooked!
My neighbour has done a few of these too, and he calls them track days as well, though I think 'supercar experience' is more relevant.
As had been said, Oulton is the place to be, but they don't really have what you're after if it's the supercar thing. These tend to be held at disused airfields where there's little danger of hitting anything if you come off. IMHO they're crap, as it's just a guy barking orders at you to get you safely round at a quick pace, then get the next punter in.
I was bought one by a girlfriend who thought it was the same as the track days I'd already experienced (driving my own M3 at Oulton). It wasn't. The guy told me when I could change gear, when I could brake, and went mental because I regained the racing line after passing a slower car when he'd told me to stay wide. When I asked him about it later, he pointed at some dolly bird tottering around in heels and told me that they have to cater for people like that so have to play it mega-safe. He also said that they have no time to check your experience/skills beforehand so have to play it this way with everyone.
It's much more rewarding to take your own car around a track and learn to drive it yourself with an instructor (who advises, instead of barking orders) even if it is something 'normal'. There's plenty of people having fun with early Clios, Saxos, 205's etc on track days.
As had been said, Oulton is the place to be, but they don't really have what you're after if it's the supercar thing. These tend to be held at disused airfields where there's little danger of hitting anything if you come off. IMHO they're crap, as it's just a guy barking orders at you to get you safely round at a quick pace, then get the next punter in.
I was bought one by a girlfriend who thought it was the same as the track days I'd already experienced (driving my own M3 at Oulton). It wasn't. The guy told me when I could change gear, when I could brake, and went mental because I regained the racing line after passing a slower car when he'd told me to stay wide. When I asked him about it later, he pointed at some dolly bird tottering around in heels and told me that they have to cater for people like that so have to play it mega-safe. He also said that they have no time to check your experience/skills beforehand so have to play it this way with everyone.
It's much more rewarding to take your own car around a track and learn to drive it yourself with an instructor (who advises, instead of barking orders) even if it is something 'normal'. There's plenty of people having fun with early Clios, Saxos, 205's etc on track days.
Hiring a track car seems to be silly expensive.
IMO you'd be best to chuck your £500 hiring fee into a grotty MX5/205/Saxo if you plan on doing a few trackdays.
Then you're only looking at £100-200 fee for 6ish hours of tracktime.
You could always sell it on if you get bored, Might even make a tidy profit, Will be some bargains out there at this time of year!
IMO you'd be best to chuck your £500 hiring fee into a grotty MX5/205/Saxo if you plan on doing a few trackdays.
Then you're only looking at £100-200 fee for 6ish hours of tracktime.
You could always sell it on if you get bored, Might even make a tidy profit, Will be some bargains out there at this time of year!
shim said:
edb49 said:
snorkel sucker said:
(on a track day).. You will learn more skills which are transferrable to the road...
Great post apart from this bit, honestly don't think you learn useful things for road driving from being on the track.Regardless anyway; I know im a better driver for having done some track driving. I have had tuition though; maybe thats where we differ
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