Driver's Experience Gift Pack..... WHICH CIRCUIT??

[foster3jd]

The g/f has just given me a driver's experience gift for my birthday and I'm looking for some advice on which circuit to choose for my single seater racing experience.

The choice is from; Aintree, Castle Coombe, Goodwood, Knockhill, Mallory Park, Pembrey, Rockingham, Silverstone or Thruxton.

Living in Kent and having read the trackday reviews, unless someone gives me a damned good reason to change my mind, I'm excluding; Aintree, Knockhill, Mallory Park, Pembrey and Silverstone from my selection.

So from the remaining four circuits, which would my fellow PHers recommend... and why?
Castle Coombe
Goodwood
Rockingham (offers something different to the others!)
Thruxton

[foster3jd]

Way to go for putting a downer on my birthday gift...... next time, before you rain on someone's parade, try reading the post!!!!!!

foster3jd said:

I'm looking for some advice on which circuit to choose for my single seater racing experience...... Living in Kent and having read the trackday reviews, unless someone gives me a damned good reason to change my mind, I'm excluding; Aintree, Knockhill, Mallory Park, Pembrey and Silverstone from my selection.

>> Edited by foster3jd on Wednesday 20th July 01:15

[foster3jd]

Geographically the easiest for me to get to would be Goodwood or Thruxton, and after reading the informative posts from Don and Ian964 it has definitely got me leaning towards Thruxton, which just happens to be fast, is familiar to me from watching on tv and has some decent left hand corners.

I'm really keen to hear some more opinions about the other circuits available to me... and yes, GarrettMacD, that includes Silverstone.

Anyone with experience of Rockingham?...
The trackday reviews suggest that the infield is a bit technical and slow, having noted that, I'm especially keen to hear from anyone with experience of driving this section in a single seater.

[foster3jd]

Don said:

For a single seater thing... Go hit the websites. Work out how many laps you get at each "racing school". Its the number of laps that's important. The more laps, the more familiar you get with the car, the more you start to push, the more you enjoy it.

The single seater experience at Silverstone uses the Stowe F1 test circuit see here, which is a tiny little thing in the GP infield, but you do get comparatively good car time and so will get to do lots of laps.

The choice now appears to be between:
1. Thruxton - full circuit, formula renault on slicks
2. Silverstone - small circuit, longer sessions, lots of laps
3. Goodwood

I'm no longer considering Castle Combe, as it's actually further away than I first realised and it appears from other threads to be a more difficult circuit to master... especially in an unfamiliar car in a short period of time!!!!..... Maybe next time

As for Rockingham, I can't seem to get any decent info or feedback.


>> Edited by foster3jd on Thursday 21st July 01:58

[foster3jd]

number 46 said:

If you are in Kent what about Brands?? Nothing compares to being in a s/seater going into paddock for the first time and seeing just sky ahead of you!!

I'd love to, but unfortunately that is not one of the options available to me

[foster3jd]

Don said:

Given the info - I'd try Thruxton if I were you. Save up an extra few bob and when you're there buy some extra laps in some of the other cars as well...you'll have a good, fun, day out.

Thanks Don... you've given me some great feedback. I'd already looked at the other options and think that if I do choose Thruxton, I'd like to upgrade my present to the 355 challenge which elondon was referring too... you get all the same package as the single seater challenge, plus 4 extra laps in the 355.


ps. great first post Elaine (elondon)

[fozzi]

Went to Thruxton today... had a few drops of rain, but had an absolutely blinding day!!!!

3 laps as passenger with instructor driving an RX-8
3 laps driving an RX-8 with an instructor marking my performance
5 laps in Formula Renault single seater... tight squeeze for my substancial frame!!!!
5 more laps in Formula Renault... actually 4, plus another 3 as I was called back into the pits too early so got sent out again!!..... all recorded "in car" on DVD... and overtaking everyone else on the circuit ... plus cars spinning out in front
3 laps in Ferrari 355 with an instructor marking my performance... also recorded on DVD
1 lap as passenger with instructor driving a race tuned RX-8... "white knuckle ride".... tried to get him to do an "Yvan Muller" in the chicane!!

Can thoroughly recommended the Thruxton driving experience... first class service and instruction, though not cheap when you add on the extras (£35+ for DVD, £15+ for photo etc.) but a thoroughly enjoyable day all the same!!

So need to get behind the wheel of a single seater again!


edited to add:
ps. foster3jd=fozzi
pps. can't wait for DVD to arrive... reckon about 7-10 days!!!

>> Edited by fozzi on Friday 24th March 23:35

[fozzi]

jpivey said:

Try the oval experience at rockingham when it reopens in may, you get 30 mins driving time in a single seater on the oval at speeds up to 130 mph if your any good you shouldn't drop below 110.

Sounds like fun, might have to give that a go!

[fozzi]

francisb said:

for anyone reading this thinking mmm that sounds like a good idea; please don't. i thought thruxton was one of the worst corporate days ive done and ive done most. the single seaters are very restricted and you can expect to spend the vast majority of your lap bouncing off the limiter in top. also general standard of driving, unsuprisingly, is very low, get stuck behind someone who cant drive and thats your laps knackered, overtaking errs on the side of extreme caution (rightly). very frustrating day.

The single seaters are restricted but that is done for a reason, to stop complete novices destroying each and every car out there... not to mention that Thruxton Motor Centre does not want to have a stream of ambulances coming and going all day long!!!

Virtually everyone doing the event day was a novice and yes, some were particularly slow, but given the pissing rain, water on visor, misting etc... I'm not entirely surprised, at times it was very difficult to see where you were going!!!

Apart from karting, this was my first single seater experience and each lap was quicker than the last, but the only place where the rev limiter really irritated me was on Brooklands heading down to the chicane, but given the fun I was having round the rest of the circuit, e.g. getting sideways out of Seagrave... so what?

As a result of my experience, I now want to go on to the next step and do some proper single seater driving.. but for most, the taster is all they will ever do and they have gone home happy.

>> Edited by fozzi on Monday 27th March 12:32