Snetterton Trackday - 17th March
Discussion
Just booked on to this trackday -
https://javelintrackdays.co.uk/trackdays/Snetterto...
All details in the link. Too late for a garage but I'll bring me tent Cadwell style and I believe a longstanding trackday enthusiast may also attend with their motorhome.
Won't be needed as it'll be sunny and dry.
https://javelintrackdays.co.uk/trackdays/Snetterto...
All details in the link. Too late for a garage but I'll bring me tent Cadwell style and I believe a longstanding trackday enthusiast may also attend with their motorhome.
Won't be needed as it'll be sunny and dry.
Turned up yesterday to a paddock of mainly racecars which is always a disheartening sight on a trackday.
I read a lot of nonsense about trackdays online and the vast majority of it isn't true - most bad driving videos are from 'parade laps' put on as part of car events which aren't trackdays. Racecars turning up on a [much cheaper] trackday and treating it like a test day (despite it being made clearly explicit it is not) makes it very difficult to drive your road car. I can see how novices can be put off trackdays when racecars sign up and drive with no consideration of the 'rules'. There were four of five red flags in the first 90-minutes!
It was a very nice day, bit windy at first but the sun came out.
Unfortunately, we were the cause of one red flag after lunch. Phazed had a coolant hose issue (provisional diagnosis) that meant his coolant was on the track not in the engine
Managed to get in over a hundred miles on track - snuck the revs up to past 7500 on a few occassions with no ill effects, yet
MPG was single figures so must have been fun.
Sound test was 99dB which gets me on the Castle Coombe TVRCC day - may still get the back box repacked to be sure.
Will try and get a few more in before Donny in June - although Phazed wishes to avoid Snetts
I read a lot of nonsense about trackdays online and the vast majority of it isn't true - most bad driving videos are from 'parade laps' put on as part of car events which aren't trackdays. Racecars turning up on a [much cheaper] trackday and treating it like a test day (despite it being made clearly explicit it is not) makes it very difficult to drive your road car. I can see how novices can be put off trackdays when racecars sign up and drive with no consideration of the 'rules'. There were four of five red flags in the first 90-minutes!
It was a very nice day, bit windy at first but the sun came out.
Unfortunately, we were the cause of one red flag after lunch. Phazed had a coolant hose issue (provisional diagnosis) that meant his coolant was on the track not in the engine
Managed to get in over a hundred miles on track - snuck the revs up to past 7500 on a few occassions with no ill effects, yet
MPG was single figures so must have been fun.
Sound test was 99dB which gets me on the Castle Coombe TVRCC day - may still get the back box repacked to be sure.
Will try and get a few more in before Donny in June - although Phazed wishes to avoid Snetts
Sounds like an interesting day! The HSCC is racing at Snetterton this time next month, so I think a lot of those folks were out practicing yesterday.
Good to hear that Peter’s car is back up and running (most of the time anyway)
100 miles is very good going, especially with all those red flags.
Good to hear that Peter’s car is back up and running (most of the time anyway)
100 miles is very good going, especially with all those red flags.
Race teams and drivers have always used trackdays to test before the season commences and in fact many trackdays are placed only a day or two before race meetings throughout the season to attract these very people.
If people don’t follow the rules then go see the clerk of the course who will do something about it.
If people don’t follow the rules then go see the clerk of the course who will do something about it.
mk1fan said:
I know to report them to the organisers. It's just depressing to turn up to a trackday to see a load of race teams knowing you're going to be going have to deal with it.
But without these groups trackdays would be far less so it s six of one or half a dozen of another. I m surprised you find these race teams depressing. Racers are often far better behaved than street racer types and crashing into someone on a trackday is not what they are there to do but I suppose there s always the exception.
The thing is race tuned cars are not usually on track for very long as they overheat or tyres go off. Most races last 15 mins so the cars just don t work well after that. What you will find is they go round at a pace that s far faster than the average road car will ever do but keeping an eye on the mirrors should see you letting them through without to much drama. I understand how you feel if there s 30 of the b
ds 
PS I hope Peter hasn’t done any damage to his engine.
The last few trackdays I have done have been heavily marred by the abundance of race teams being there, their terrible driving habits (in relation to the well established Trackday protocols) and being the cause of multiple red flags. I really didn't think I would experience the number of red flags that were thrown at Brands last year. The clowns who turned up at Snetts last week just went 'hold my beer'.
Having done trackdays for too many years that my bank account would like, I could count on one hand the number of incidents on track during the days I've attended.
In the last six months that has changed to at least one dumb 'I'm going for that gap' manouvre per session on lap from .... a racecar. The change - more and more race teams turning up, and behaving in that way.
Truth of the matter is, they are paying £150 or so for a trackday to go testing rather than £600 for a proper test day - where the full circuit facilities are in place. Let's not perpetuate the nonsense that these trackdays are being arranged 'close to their upcoming events' for their benefit.
I accept that they are adding to the customer base for such days but that just adds to the number events and providers out to make money. Fewer events without racecars make for a better experience for the intended users and raise retention and more regular attendance. I suppose at some point either organisers are going to get fed up with removing people from the days and stop them booking or race teams are going to stop booking because they're packing up at 10am on each day.
That's not to say there aren't and weren't 'racecars' that do drive accordingly but you don't tend to get T-boned by them.
I am very proactive with my observation on trackdays as I know the expectation of seeing what I drive doesn't tally with how I drive it. Unfortunately, no amount of observation is going to compensate for someone deciding to pass you under brakes or try and pass round the outside mid corner, them having made no anticipation or adjustment to their speed.
Peter found a loose clip and blown off hose. Seems to have suffered no damage during the short(ish) running with no coolant.
Having done trackdays for too many years that my bank account would like, I could count on one hand the number of incidents on track during the days I've attended.
In the last six months that has changed to at least one dumb 'I'm going for that gap' manouvre per session on lap from .... a racecar. The change - more and more race teams turning up, and behaving in that way.
Truth of the matter is, they are paying £150 or so for a trackday to go testing rather than £600 for a proper test day - where the full circuit facilities are in place. Let's not perpetuate the nonsense that these trackdays are being arranged 'close to their upcoming events' for their benefit.
I accept that they are adding to the customer base for such days but that just adds to the number events and providers out to make money. Fewer events without racecars make for a better experience for the intended users and raise retention and more regular attendance. I suppose at some point either organisers are going to get fed up with removing people from the days and stop them booking or race teams are going to stop booking because they're packing up at 10am on each day.
That's not to say there aren't and weren't 'racecars' that do drive accordingly but you don't tend to get T-boned by them.
I am very proactive with my observation on trackdays as I know the expectation of seeing what I drive doesn't tally with how I drive it. Unfortunately, no amount of observation is going to compensate for someone deciding to pass you under brakes or try and pass round the outside mid corner, them having made no anticipation or adjustment to their speed.
Peter found a loose clip and blown off hose. Seems to have suffered no damage during the short(ish) running with no coolant.
Pleased to hear Peter hasn’t suffered damage.
Yeah I understand what you’re saying, I’m just sad there are race teams who act like that.
I assume you still get track days that stipulate no full on race cars, cars have to have an MOT etc
I suppose with race meetings happening most weekends during summer months it’s bound to happen that wed or Thurs trackdays might attract some keen race drivers who want to get the extra practice.
If drivers are overtaking in corners or braking zones and that’s prohibited my the track days rules they should be thrown off.
Sadly some drivers don’t show enough respect.
It’s a great track though. You must have had some fun but really when a friend has a breakdown it does put a bummer on the day and ruin the shared driving experience.
On wards and onto the next one.
Yeah I understand what you’re saying, I’m just sad there are race teams who act like that.
I assume you still get track days that stipulate no full on race cars, cars have to have an MOT etc
I suppose with race meetings happening most weekends during summer months it’s bound to happen that wed or Thurs trackdays might attract some keen race drivers who want to get the extra practice.
If drivers are overtaking in corners or braking zones and that’s prohibited my the track days rules they should be thrown off.
Sadly some drivers don’t show enough respect.
It’s a great track though. You must have had some fun but really when a friend has a breakdown it does put a bummer on the day and ruin the shared driving experience.
On wards and onto the next one.
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