Abysmal Trackday at Donnington Park 7th Dec
Discussion
I was really looking forward to my trackday at Donnington Park with Book a Track on Sunday 7th Dec. What a Joke!
The track was frozen when we arrived and we spent the whole morning following a pacecar around trying to thaw the ice until 1 pm when we were allowed to "play". By this time a bloke with a nice shiny red capri had lost it on the icy start finish straight and smashed it into the armco doing extensive front end damage.
Then the fun began. Some numbskull (all be it a rich one) in a new white 911 997 GT2 was harrasing everything site intimidating to the point where people were falling off the track! His piece de resistance had to be overtaking on the ice at 100 mph on the main straight. I thought I was going to be witnessing £100K hitting the wall but alas he lived to fight another day. Book a Track gave us the usual drivers briefing about being courteous to one another on track yet failed to send the porsche pillock home until 10 minutes from the end! A bit like closing the stable gate 3 months after the pony has left. But hey what do I know? Only done trackdays for the last 10 years;)
I paid £160 for a couple of hours proper driving. Worst still I recommended a fellow driver came who paid £190 the night before and he only managed 1 hours driving due to the petrol station on site closing early so he had to go off circuit to re-fuel. £190 for 1 hours driving! Hell that makes barristers look cheap
Then I dare to post negative comments about the day on a sister forum only to be chastised by a Book a Track representative telling me how I can take my business elsewhere. Maybe the money grows on trees round their way but I have to work for mine
One to avoid.
The track was frozen when we arrived and we spent the whole morning following a pacecar around trying to thaw the ice until 1 pm when we were allowed to "play". By this time a bloke with a nice shiny red capri had lost it on the icy start finish straight and smashed it into the armco doing extensive front end damage.
Then the fun began. Some numbskull (all be it a rich one) in a new white 911 997 GT2 was harrasing everything site intimidating to the point where people were falling off the track! His piece de resistance had to be overtaking on the ice at 100 mph on the main straight. I thought I was going to be witnessing £100K hitting the wall but alas he lived to fight another day. Book a Track gave us the usual drivers briefing about being courteous to one another on track yet failed to send the porsche pillock home until 10 minutes from the end! A bit like closing the stable gate 3 months after the pony has left. But hey what do I know? Only done trackdays for the last 10 years;)
I paid £160 for a couple of hours proper driving. Worst still I recommended a fellow driver came who paid £190 the night before and he only managed 1 hours driving due to the petrol station on site closing early so he had to go off circuit to re-fuel. £190 for 1 hours driving! Hell that makes barristers look cheap
Then I dare to post negative comments about the day on a sister forum only to be chastised by a Book a Track representative telling me how I can take my business elsewhere. Maybe the money grows on trees round their way but I have to work for mine
One to avoid.
To be fair BaT can't dictate the weather conditions. I suspect tehy have little say over the fuel station closing times aswell. Other than the erratic Porsche driver I can't really see what you have to complain about. Yes it was expensive for the track time, but if you don't want to risk losing time to the conditions book your track days over summer 
I've done a fair few BaT track days and always enjoyed them, they've run smoothly on every day I've done with them
I've done a fair few BaT track days and always enjoyed them, they've run smoothly on every day I've done with them fuchsiasteve said:
I was really looking forward to my trackday at Donnington Park with Book a Track on Sunday 7th Dec. What a Joke!
The track was frozen when we arrived and we spent the whole morning following a pacecar around trying to thaw the ice until 1 pm when we were allowed to "play". By this time a bloke with a nice shiny red capri had lost it on the icy start finish straight and smashed it into the armco doing extensive front end damage.
Then the fun began. Some numbskull (all be it a rich one) in a new white 911 997 GT2 was harrasing everything site intimidating to the point where people were falling off the track! His piece de resistance had to be overtaking on the ice at 100 mph on the main straight. I thought I was going to be witnessing £100K hitting the wall but alas he lived to fight another day. Book a Track gave us the usual drivers briefing about being courteous to one another on track yet failed to send the porsche pillock home until 10 minutes from the end! A bit like closing the stable gate 3 months after the pony has left. But hey what do I know? Only done trackdays for the last 10 years;)
I paid £160 for a couple of hours proper driving. Worst still I recommended a fellow driver came who paid £190 the night before and he only managed 1 hours driving due to the petrol station on site closing early so he had to go off circuit to re-fuel. £190 for 1 hours driving! Hell that makes barristers look cheap
Then I dare to post negative comments about the day on a sister forum only to be chastised by a Book a Track representative telling me how I can take my business elsewhere. Maybe the money grows on trees round their way but I have to work for mine
One to avoid.
I have the solution..... become god...then you could raise the sun higher in the sky and bring it closer and if you could do that I'm sure you'd also have the power to zap bad drivers off the track without the need to talk to anyone in authority about it.... Now that would be cool The track was frozen when we arrived and we spent the whole morning following a pacecar around trying to thaw the ice until 1 pm when we were allowed to "play". By this time a bloke with a nice shiny red capri had lost it on the icy start finish straight and smashed it into the armco doing extensive front end damage.
Then the fun began. Some numbskull (all be it a rich one) in a new white 911 997 GT2 was harrasing everything site intimidating to the point where people were falling off the track! His piece de resistance had to be overtaking on the ice at 100 mph on the main straight. I thought I was going to be witnessing £100K hitting the wall but alas he lived to fight another day. Book a Track gave us the usual drivers briefing about being courteous to one another on track yet failed to send the porsche pillock home until 10 minutes from the end! A bit like closing the stable gate 3 months after the pony has left. But hey what do I know? Only done trackdays for the last 10 years;)
I paid £160 for a couple of hours proper driving. Worst still I recommended a fellow driver came who paid £190 the night before and he only managed 1 hours driving due to the petrol station on site closing early so he had to go off circuit to re-fuel. £190 for 1 hours driving! Hell that makes barristers look cheap
Then I dare to post negative comments about the day on a sister forum only to be chastised by a Book a Track representative telling me how I can take my business elsewhere. Maybe the money grows on trees round their way but I have to work for mine
One to avoid.
You're missing the point. I wasn't asking BaT to play god with the weather. Rain and sleet isn't a problem with FWD but ice is a different matter.
I wasn't asking for a full refund just a concession off another Bat event. But instead got a flaming off "good old Jonny" telling me how my business wasn't welcome anymore.
Very poor business practice. If I spoke to my customers that way I wouldn't have a business. Not good. If you think I'm just a winger then I hope this happens to you one day.
But then maybe you lot on here have more money than sense. Like the porsche plonker
I wasn't asking for a full refund just a concession off another Bat event. But instead got a flaming off "good old Jonny" telling me how my business wasn't welcome anymore.
Very poor business practice. If I spoke to my customers that way I wouldn't have a business. Not good. If you think I'm just a winger then I hope this happens to you one day.
But then maybe you lot on here have more money than sense. Like the porsche plonker
Edited by fuchsiasteve on Thursday 11th December 07:56
Don't book a trackday in december and then moan about the conditions or the organisor not wanting to give a concession due to the weather.
As for being bullied by a faster car, how can that be? Just let him past on the straights and make your car wide enough on the corners so he gets the idea he can't pass there.
As for being bullied by a faster car, how can that be? Just let him past on the straights and make your car wide enough on the corners so he gets the idea he can't pass there.
Did anyone complain to the management regarding the behaviour of the Porsche driver? If no-one did until an hour before the end, then they couldn't give him a warning. I'm not saying he wasn't being a 
, but on sessioned days I just wait until the end of the session and then complain, and keep complaining until it is resolved. If it's a open pitlane day then I wait until the tosser comes in before I go out.
BTW, the closest petrol station is less than 10 minutes away. Even filling up my M5 (90 litres) only takes a 25 minute round trip. If it was a sessioned event, then your friend could have filled up between sessions and lost none of his afternoon. If it was open-pitlane then how did he only get 1 hour out on track out of 3-4 hours?
, but on sessioned days I just wait until the end of the session and then complain, and keep complaining until it is resolved. If it's a open pitlane day then I wait until the tosser comes in before I go out.BTW, the closest petrol station is less than 10 minutes away. Even filling up my M5 (90 litres) only takes a 25 minute round trip. If it was a sessioned event, then your friend could have filled up between sessions and lost none of his afternoon. If it was open-pitlane then how did he only get 1 hour out on track out of 3-4 hours?
To put this loser into perspective - i've had 1 complaint (him) out of 54 cars that were booked up on the day. Conversely i've been in contact with approx 25-30 of the people who were there and all have agreed we made good decisions given the conditions (see the other thread on here for starters).
I've already said both here and on the other forum that I will be investigating a partial credit with the circuit and issuing a response in due course. This impatient and obnoxious wazzock has shot himself in the foot as far as that's concerned and can whistle for his credit.
Does that make me arrogant? Probably. But then I don't run BaT to try and make a million - I run it because I enjoy what I do and the people I do it with. At the point at which i'm having to deal with tossers like this i'd rather not bother - hence it's easier for me to bomb him off than to try and pamper to his ridiculous complaints.
As an aside about the porsche driver. He had 1 warning very early on (during the sighting laps) for aggressive driving. Everyone gets 1 warning - that's how we work. Bear in mind we only had ~2 hours proper running there was a limit to how quickly we were going to be able to respond. As it was there were no complaints about him during that time. Not even this knob-jockey complaining here said anything to us about him. However, AFTER the GT2 driver was sent home I had 4 seperate complaints about him - go figure!
Jonny
BaT
I've already said both here and on the other forum that I will be investigating a partial credit with the circuit and issuing a response in due course. This impatient and obnoxious wazzock has shot himself in the foot as far as that's concerned and can whistle for his credit.
Does that make me arrogant? Probably. But then I don't run BaT to try and make a million - I run it because I enjoy what I do and the people I do it with. At the point at which i'm having to deal with tossers like this i'd rather not bother - hence it's easier for me to bomb him off than to try and pamper to his ridiculous complaints.
As an aside about the porsche driver. He had 1 warning very early on (during the sighting laps) for aggressive driving. Everyone gets 1 warning - that's how we work. Bear in mind we only had ~2 hours proper running there was a limit to how quickly we were going to be able to respond. As it was there were no complaints about him during that time. Not even this knob-jockey complaining here said anything to us about him. However, AFTER the GT2 driver was sent home I had 4 seperate complaints about him - go figure!
Jonny
BaT
This so called plonker.
On a trackday? In the fast session? Over 600bhp? Tricky conditions? 2wd? Overtaking on the straights? Reckless fool!
Sounds like a blight on the brethren of 911 ownership....
Corblimey, Get a grip man! Have a day off. If the poor sap can't stretch his GT2 on track, where can he?
On a trackday? In the fast session? Over 600bhp? Tricky conditions? 2wd? Overtaking on the straights? Reckless fool!
Sounds like a blight on the brethren of 911 ownership....
Corblimey, Get a grip man! Have a day off. If the poor sap can't stretch his GT2 on track, where can he?
I watched from the pit lane wall so can only comment on what I saw there. I only saw the GT2 overtaking safely and with consent from other drivers (indicator on and clearly moving over for him). On the straight and not in the brakinng zone. Everything looked to be done by the book IMO. Others were also overtaking there with consent too. The GT2 was by far the quickest car out there on the day. I noted what time he was circulating in on a clear lap. I won't publish what the time was but suffice to say, you need to know what you're doing on a track to do those sort of times at Donny . It certainly wasn't just a case of a rich bloke in an expensive car. BTW I don't know the GT2 owner/driver.
. It certainly wasn't just a case of a rich bloke in an expensive car. BTW I don't know the GT2 owner/driver.jleroux said:
As an aside about the porsche driver. He had 1 warning very early on (during the sighting laps) for aggressive driving. Everyone gets 1 warning - that's how we work. Bear in mind we only had ~2 hours proper running there was a limit to how quickly we were going to be able to respond. As it was there were no complaints about him during that time. Not even this knob-jockey complaining here said anything to us about him. However, AFTER the GT2 driver was sent home I had 4 seperate complaints about him - go figure!
Jonny
BaT
Hahaha!Jonny
BaT
Was he fat, ginger and from Birmingham?
Edited by phatgixer on Thursday 11th December 09:07
In my experience, BaT are one of the best TDO's, and Johnny always does his best to organise a good show, and deal with poor driving promptly.
I notice that trackday prices seem cheaper at this time of year - I wonder if that might have anything to do with the possibility of the circuit being fogbound, icebound, flooded, snowed in, fewer daylight hours or whatever December can bring?
I notice that trackday prices seem cheaper at this time of year - I wonder if that might have anything to do with the possibility of the circuit being fogbound, icebound, flooded, snowed in, fewer daylight hours or whatever December can bring?
Erm....as has been said... December, trackday, you take your chances on the weather. Sounds to me like everything was done to increase safety. If the paced laps hadn't been done how many other cars would have ended up in the barrier ?
As far as Bookatrack are concerned, I have done many days with them and will always look at them first when wanting to do a trackday simply because they are the best run trackdays in the country in my experience.
I've found Bookatrack to be very fair when it comes to allowing people to experience the potential of their cars on track, whilst always maintaining safety on track.
Just nice to have the other side of the coin sometimes... haven't got a bad word to say about Bookatrack.
DaveP.
crossle said:
In my experience, BaT are one of the best TDO's, and Johnny always does his best to organise a good show, and deal with poor driving promptly.
I notice that trackday prices seem cheaper at this time of year - I wonder if that might have anything to do with the possibility of the circuit being fogbound, icebound, flooded, snowed in, fewer daylight hours or whatever December can bring?
Fat bloke in a sledge with a bit wildlife H&S issues going on?I notice that trackday prices seem cheaper at this time of year - I wonder if that might have anything to do with the possibility of the circuit being fogbound, icebound, flooded, snowed in, fewer daylight hours or whatever December can bring?
Catharsis. - Sometimes (make it rare!) telling a bolshy customer who keeps telling you how to run your business to shove his custom up his jacksie...
Different circuits have different attitudes towards Winter track hire. One circuit who shall remain nameless flatly refused to give us any credit when we got rained off last year citing the cheaper track hire as a reason for not wanting to issue a credit.
Other circuits are much more accomodating. We've never had this situation at Donny Park which is why I can't give an answer sooner. I have a meeting there next week to discuss our options.
Jonny
BaT
Other circuits are much more accomodating. We've never had this situation at Donny Park which is why I can't give an answer sooner. I have a meeting there next week to discuss our options.
Jonny
BaT
phatgixer said:
Sounds like a case of Porsche envy going on there.....
"I mean, it was overtaking on the straight and everyfink!. I was so incensed I didn't finish the Daily Mail crossword...."
"I mean, it was overtaking on the straight and everyfink!. I was so incensed I didn't finish the Daily Mail crossword...."
Crazy huh, overtaking on a straight, on a track day, no way! Thought you had to wait until you got back on the public roads to overtake?!
BAT is on of the best track day companies around, but even they can't book the weather...
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