Discussion
Went twice last year as it was a bucket list track,but will never be going back.
As mentioned the amount af race cars you would easily have thought it was a British gt test day, standards we’re awful both day, such arrogance from the racers and nowt done by the circuit, one day even had a few car to car incident, which I have not seen before at other tracks attended ( do roughly 10 TDs a year, donny, Snetterton, BH gp etc)
They give a great talk at briefing, but don’t enforce anything despite saying they have more circuit cameras than anywhere else
Price is eye watering in reality and the coffe place even closed not long after lunch..
As mentioned the amount af race cars you would easily have thought it was a British gt test day, standards we’re awful both day, such arrogance from the racers and nowt done by the circuit, one day even had a few car to car incident, which I have not seen before at other tracks attended ( do roughly 10 TDs a year, donny, Snetterton, BH gp etc)
They give a great talk at briefing, but don’t enforce anything despite saying they have more circuit cameras than anywhere else
Price is eye watering in reality and the coffe place even closed not long after lunch..
Im planning on going up there for the first time later on this year.
tried and failed to go (due to snow) a few years back before silverstone started running their own days, and then when the prices went through the roof i thought i'd missed my chance.
but fortunately there is a trackday organiser that does do its own days for a reasonable price, so hoping to hope on to that. also hoping that because it wont be open to the general public there shouldnt be any racecars testing there - it'll also be past the end of the season.
tried and failed to go (due to snow) a few years back before silverstone started running their own days, and then when the prices went through the roof i thought i'd missed my chance.
but fortunately there is a trackday organiser that does do its own days for a reasonable price, so hoping to hope on to that. also hoping that because it wont be open to the general public there shouldnt be any racecars testing there - it'll also be past the end of the season.
I wouldn't be able to bring myself to pay summer prices, especially given the likely 'aggressive test day' type scenario describe by many.
Luckily my club does track days there, which I've been on a couple of times and plan to do again.
Pros: Less than £400 per event, no race teams present
Cons: Their two dates are always March and November.
Luckily my club does track days there, which I've been on a couple of times and plan to do again.
Pros: Less than £400 per event, no race teams present
Cons: Their two dates are always March and November.
Have to admit, while some days there are more race cars pseudo-testing than others, it's never been a major issue at Silverstone for me as mostly they actually know what they are doing so it's easy to let them pass with minimal interference. It's a bit of pot luck about traffic with other, ahem, expensive and powerful road cars that are being rather badly driven I think but that's always been the case and also with any track pretty much....
My experience is the same. You do seem to get more and more race teams doing shakedowns and testing at Grade 1 and Grade 2 tracks.
Silverstone has both the wide open spaces and experience to accommodate all comers.
Racers are used to passing slower moving vehicles and i can see why this might surprise a complete novice. In my experience they cause far fewer incidents than any groups.
Silverstone has both the wide open spaces and experience to accommodate all comers.
Racers are used to passing slower moving vehicles and i can see why this might surprise a complete novice. In my experience they cause far fewer incidents than any groups.
WombleCate said:
My experience is the same. You do seem to get more and more race teams doing shakedowns and testing at Grade 1 and Grade 2 tracks.
Silverstone has both the wide open spaces and experience to accommodate all comers.
Racers are used to passing slower moving vehicles and i can see why this might surprise a complete novice. In my experience they cause far fewer incidents than any groups.
Would agree normally but both incidents we saw were race cars hitting road cars, one was deep into the breaking zone gt3 cup car against gt3rs road car… other was proved by GoPro footage to be very clearly race cars fault , no excuse and they of all should no better, but also they are above the rules apparently and both continued with there day leaving the road cars damaged in there wakeSilverstone has both the wide open spaces and experience to accommodate all comers.
Racers are used to passing slower moving vehicles and i can see why this might surprise a complete novice. In my experience they cause far fewer incidents than any groups.
Edited by matt5964 on Friday 14th February 22:36
isaldiri said:
Have to admit, while some days there are more race cars pseudo-testing than others, it's never been a major issue at Silverstone for me as mostly they actually know what they are doing so it's easy to let them pass with minimal interference. It's a bit of pot luck about traffic with other, ahem, expensive and powerful road cars that are being rather badly driven I think but that's always been the case and also with any track pretty much....
I agree. Brilliant track and mostly really good driving. I try and go a few times a year, never had any issues, just pass well wide of the occasional 'experience' car. Since it went in-house and there are no prototypes anymore there's really no reason not to see faster cars approaching any more. Probably not best for novices but there are plenty of fast drivers in slower cars (esp the classic race cars) that are great fun to share track with.I went to my first and only track day at Silverstone GP circuit at the end of March last year to tick it off the list. Brilliant day and the weather mainly played ball. Driving standards definitely appeared better than most track days but the difference between the slowest and fastest cars on track was greater than normal. As others have mentioned there seem to be a few race teams who use it as unofficial "cheap" testing. My 220bhp FWD car was alongside some form of Ferrari GT race team who bought down 3 cars. Needless to say they were rapid! They had the full lorries and everything with them. There was also a highly tuned GTR that I saw post his onboard online later that day who was nearly touching 170 on the straights. Standards were generally good but did you feel a sense of "get out of my way and do not mess up my line" when you spotted them in your rear view mirror.
Other than an old Porsche dumping coolant all over Becketts towards the end of the day, proceeding to drive another half way around the track and nearly causing a few of us to spin out it was a great day despite finishing 90 minutes earlier than it should have. A lot of coolant needed to be cleaned! The high barrier to entry seems to weed out most of the idiots but there were a few people with so much money they don't care doing and resulted in a some very close encounters in corners. I'd definitely do it again but it's definitely a track for 350hp+ cars to get the most out of it. I am very tempted to go again but you can't control our lovely weather.
Other than an old Porsche dumping coolant all over Becketts towards the end of the day, proceeding to drive another half way around the track and nearly causing a few of us to spin out it was a great day despite finishing 90 minutes earlier than it should have. A lot of coolant needed to be cleaned! The high barrier to entry seems to weed out most of the idiots but there were a few people with so much money they don't care doing and resulted in a some very close encounters in corners. I'd definitely do it again but it's definitely a track for 350hp+ cars to get the most out of it. I am very tempted to go again but you can't control our lovely weather.
Edited by Goatwidcoat on Wednesday 26th February 12:39
Did a TD there last year, hands down the worst TD i have ever been on, as mentioned there were full on race teams basically testing, i don't think they should be allowed on what is billed as a simple trackday, to cap it off there was (rumour) an ex touring car driver taking people out in GT3's, on a normal TD you can almost guarantee no ones over or undertaking you into a braking zone where you might be taking a line thats different to any following car, this means no meeting of metal! Overtaking should be on the straights and by consent only, not for this d
head though, forcing his way through anywhere he wanted, ruined the day for me as all i was doing was constantly checking the mirrors into every corner, he wasn't the only one though, reminded me of the open days they used to run at Castle combe, a complete free for all, i certainly won't go back unless it's with Lotus On track who wouldn't tolerate such poor driving standards.
head though, forcing his way through anywhere he wanted, ruined the day for me as all i was doing was constantly checking the mirrors into every corner, he wasn't the only one though, reminded me of the open days they used to run at Castle combe, a complete free for all, i certainly won't go back unless it's with Lotus On track who wouldn't tolerate such poor driving standards.EX51GE R said:
Did a TD there last year, hands down the worst TD i have ever been on, as mentioned there were full on race teams basically testing, i don't think they should be allowed on what is billed as a simple trackday, to cap it off there was (rumour) an ex touring car driver taking people out in GT3's, on a normal TD you can almost guarantee no ones over or undertaking you into a braking zone where you might be taking a line thats different to any following car, this means no meeting of metal! Overtaking should be on the straights and by consent only, not for this dhead though, forcing his way through anywhere he wanted, ruined the day for me as all i was doing was constantly checking the mirrors into every corner, he wasn't the only one though, reminded me of the open days they used to run at Castle combe, a complete free for all, i certainly won't go back unless it's with Lotus On track who wouldn't tolerate such poor driving standards.
We’re running must have been on the same day, unless the same ex BTCC driver was there multiple days, which is possible head though, forcing his way through anywhere he wanted, ruined the day for me as all i was doing was constantly checking the mirrors into every corner, he wasn't the only one though, reminded me of the open days they used to run at Castle combe, a complete free for all, i certainly won't go back unless it's with Lotus On track who wouldn't tolerate such poor driving standards.What shocked me was the organisers knew about it and made joking comments about it, rather than deal with it, which was in stark contrast to the big bravado talk in the drivers briefing… we have more cameras than any other circuit…we are constantly out on track…bad driving will not be tolerated… blah blah blah, several people on both days we were at mentioned things to the organisers and nowt was done or said.
I've done Silverstone National and International layouts but never GP. Been a few times with PH for their Sunday Service and during Japfest just to dip my toe in and they've been great fun.
https://youtu.be/km6BfJ5I6ls?si=ETuF8WNC6Hls8JGu
https://youtu.be/km6BfJ5I6ls?si=ETuF8WNC6Hls8JGu
A track day is more expensive than a test day on the GP Circuit test days are only £350 ish. The reason you get lots of race cars is that the test days are not very frequent and only 4 sessions a day.
So a track day is better to try setup changes out. Noting the track day prices v high on GP track.
So a track day is better to try setup changes out. Noting the track day prices v high on GP track.
Bertrum said:
A track day is more expensive than a test day on the GP Circuit test days are only £350 ish. The reason you get lots of race cars is that the test days are not very frequent and only 4 sessions a day.
So a track day is better to try setup changes out. Noting the track day prices v high on GP track.
Almost everyone i know who enjoys trackdays now does it in race cars. Not many of us actually race or if we do we keep it separate. I don't think your average open access trackday is that great for testing is it? Pretty hard to string together many unimpeded laps without driving too aggressively.So a track day is better to try setup changes out. Noting the track day prices v high on GP track.
Rob_R said:
Standards seem slightly higher now from subjective experience.
Be prepared to be sharing the track with race teams though, however they seem to only do small stints to get data and then come back in.
When I was there the GT cars were testing, fBe prepared to be sharing the track with race teams though, however they seem to only do small stints to get data and then come back in.
king nutters; followed me out of the pits an inch from my bumper then blasting past at what seemed twice the speed once out there!TX.
Edited by Terminator X on Thursday 24th April 21:38
It's the risk of race teams en masse using your expensive day as a cheap test day before a race meeting that weekend.
Test days are about double the cost of track days.
I just went on a Donington track day last Wednesday. I thought there were a lot of serious race cars, but dismissed it.
Then after lunch all the trucks for the BTCC turned up and started setting up, and, given the various support series running as well, the penny dropped.
During the day I actually managed two laps where I got in a clean lap on the proper racing line.
I am not slow, underpowered or inexperienced.
But the number of cars with twice my BHP, not much more weight and professional drivers meant that I spent over 90% of my time trying to get out of their way for most of the track.
My day ended early, when a 911 Clubsport in full racing livery and will full team support decided to overtake me on the correct side after Coppice, when my momentum had taken me to the outside of the track and I was about 4 feet from the edge of the track. The amount of grass that flew into my car was the final straw (or hay, if you have horses and understand the difference
). I called it a day while my car was still in one piece.
In future I will research my intended track's program for the days after my chasen track day before booking, and reduce the risk of having my fun spoiled again - or do TVR club days, which by their very nature avoid all but a very few race cars.
Test days are about double the cost of track days.
I just went on a Donington track day last Wednesday. I thought there were a lot of serious race cars, but dismissed it.
Then after lunch all the trucks for the BTCC turned up and started setting up, and, given the various support series running as well, the penny dropped.
During the day I actually managed two laps where I got in a clean lap on the proper racing line.
I am not slow, underpowered or inexperienced.
But the number of cars with twice my BHP, not much more weight and professional drivers meant that I spent over 90% of my time trying to get out of their way for most of the track.
My day ended early, when a 911 Clubsport in full racing livery and will full team support decided to overtake me on the correct side after Coppice, when my momentum had taken me to the outside of the track and I was about 4 feet from the edge of the track. The amount of grass that flew into my car was the final straw (or hay, if you have horses and understand the difference
). I called it a day while my car was still in one piece.In future I will research my intended track's program for the days after my chasen track day before booking, and reduce the risk of having my fun spoiled again - or do TVR club days, which by their very nature avoid all but a very few race cars.
I sold my track car not long ago because I lost enthusiasm for doing regular TD's - both from the increasing costs, and also the increasing amount of race teams turning up. One of the last days I did was at Donington Park which had everything from several Civic Cup teams (who would go out at the same time and race each other) to a Ferrari GT race car, and it was chaos. At one point I was 3 wide going into turn 1 with a slower car letting me by on my right, and then a race car trying to squeeze by both of us. I usually do TD's with a couple of mates, one a current GT World Challenge driver and the other a former British GT driver and they had a chat with the people running it, and the topic was basically laughed off with a shrug.
As long as you accept it's a complete free for all and the driver briefing is firmly tongue in cheek it's still possible to have a good time, especially as it seems a lot of the race teams pack up early so if you can stick it out to the end you can get some clear track time, it's just frustrating spending a lot of the day driving in your mirror. I'll now only do track days when the opportunity arises to do it in someone else's much faster car!
As long as you accept it's a complete free for all and the driver briefing is firmly tongue in cheek it's still possible to have a good time, especially as it seems a lot of the race teams pack up early so if you can stick it out to the end you can get some clear track time, it's just frustrating spending a lot of the day driving in your mirror. I'll now only do track days when the opportunity arises to do it in someone else's much faster car!
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