How to get the best from my car - tuition wanted..

[thenortherner]

Hi,

I've just returned from a weekend at the Nurburgring and after just a few laps, I realised just how little talent I have and how I'm getting nowhere near using my car to its full capability. I've not a great amount of confidence when pushing on, especially in the corners.

So I'm looking for some advice on where to get some decent tuition on the track. I'm in Bristol, but will travel a few hours to get on the right course and track.

Any links or advice decent companies or experience welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[sebhaque]

I did a Roadcraft driver training session at Millbrook (in Bedfordshire). It's probably 3 hours or so from Bristol, but I guess they'd run courses at Castle Combe or on airfields etc. Definitely worth it, think mine was £300 for the day.

Edit: in fact, I have my programme in my desk drawer:

0830: arrival
0915: threshold braking/brake and avoid
1020: corner line work
1125: limit points
1235: lunch
1330: high speed and emergency lane change
1430: free laps
1600: gymkhana in their track car
1700: COP

Edited by sebhaque on Wednesday 6th October 20:46

[thenortherner]

sebhaque said:

I did a Roadcraft driver training session at Millbrook (in Bedfordshire). It's probably 3 hours or so from Bristol, but I guess they'd run courses at Castle Combe or on airfields etc. Definitely worth it, think mine was £300 for the day.

Edit: in fact, I have my programme in my desk drawer:

0830: arrival
0915: threshold braking/brake and avoid
1020: corner line work
1125: limit points
1235: lunch
1330: high speed and emergency lane change
1430: free laps
1600: gymkhana in their track car
1700: COP

Edited by sebhaque on Wednesday 6th October 20:46

Cheers. So I'm guessing it was worth it then? The tuition good?

[sebhaque]

Absolutely. I've just looked on t'interwebs and here is an example of one of the tuition days at Castle Combe. Also, if you do a trackday, you can book tuition from the guys there, or ask any of the other guys running their cars there for some tips.

[Grey Ghost]

Pop a similar post in the "Track Days" section. It is a little late in the year now for track days to be common but you should get some good feedback from regulars on who to do days with and what sort of tuition is available on these.

A few of the more household organisers (circuit days etc) used to have some instructors on tap at their days for free on a first come first served basis.

I was lucky enough to get this tuition on a couple of days and it certainly helped my driving.

[thenortherner]

Cheers guys.

Ideally I'm looking for a decent amount of 1-2-1 tuition, so I'm guessing there won't be more than a handful of people per day or half day session.

[sebhaque]

There were about 20 people on my session, but we were split into groups of 4 with our own instructor. If I was in group A, for example, then group B would start on the corner lines and rotate that way, group C would start on limit points etc. We ran into each other a few times driving between areas, good cause for overenthusiastic waves and lights

[thenortherner]

sebhaque said:

There were about 20 people on my session, but we were split into groups of 4 with our own instructor. If I was in group A, for example, then group B would start on the corner lines and rotate that way, group C would start on limit points etc. We ran into each other a few times driving between areas, good cause for overenthusiastic waves and lights

Sounds good.

Do the instructors come in the car with you and give you tuition? This is what I'm after really.

[HereBeMonsters]

Bristol you say?

http://www.motorsport-events.co.uk/

(Ed, I accept PayPal as commission. This must be the 20th chap I've sent your way. At least do me a Headtec. M size please. Thankyou.)

[ewenm]

The chaps at Cadence are good.

[thenortherner]

HereBeMonsters said:

Bristol you say?

http://www.motorsport-events.co.uk/

(Ed, I accept PayPal as commission. This must be the 20th chap I've sent your way. At least do me a Headtec. M size please. Thankyou.)

This looks spot on. Which airfield does he use?

Looks like he's a pretty impressive profile!

[Herman Toothrot]

As Herebe says, phone Ed at MSE they do Colerne and Abingdon airfields which are both nice and close to you and they have good instructors. Alternatively go to Castle Combe with Bookatrack and get some instruction from the guys at Combe.

Edited by Herman Toothrot on Wednesday 6th October 21:29

[HereBeMonsters]

thenortherner said:

HereBeMonsters said:

Bristol you say?

http://www.motorsport-events.co.uk/

(Ed, I accept PayPal as commission. This must be the 20th chap I've sent your way. At least do me a Headtec. M size please. Thankyou.)

This looks spot on. Which airfield does he use?

Looks like he's a pretty impressive profile!

In all seriousness, they are fking great. If Rupert is still with them, he's the bomb. Had so many lessons on various trackdays with them - Abingdon, Colerne, Keevil, Hullavington - that I'm actually not a bad driver these days.

Ex racing driver on a Mazda "experience day" (we were driving brand new MX-5s around the Berkshire/Wiltshire ridges) came up to me afterwards and shook my hand. "Nice to drive with someone who knows what they're doing for once" he said. I was glowing with pride for days.
As another example, we recently went indoor karting with work. One of those unlimited sessions where they sell 50 spaces and you're racing against the clock. Despite being almost 16 stone at the moment (look, there were some holidays, cheap beer, belly pork recipes etc.) I was fastest of all my colleagues by half a second, and was within three tenths of the fastest lap of the evening by anyone - who turned out to be a kart racer, 15 years old and weighed under 8 stone. All of this I attribute to the fabulous instruction I have had on MSE days. Do it. See you at Keevil.

[thenortherner]

HereBeMonsters said:

thenortherner said:

HereBeMonsters said:

Bristol you say?

http://www.motorsport-events.co.uk/

(Ed, I accept PayPal as commission. This must be the 20th chap I've sent your way. At least do me a Headtec. M size please. Thankyou.)

This looks spot on. Which airfield does he use?

Looks like he's a pretty impressive profile!

In all seriousness, they are fking great. If Rupert is still with them, he's the bomb. Had so many lessons on various trackdays with them - Abingdon, Colerne, Keevil, Hullavington - that I'm actually not a bad driver these days.

Ex racing driver on a Mazda "experience day" (we were driving brand new MX-5s around the Berkshire/Wiltshire ridges) came up to me afterwards and shook my hand. "Nice to drive with someone who knows what they're doing for once" he said. I was glowing with pride for days.
As another example, we recently went indoor karting with work. One of those unlimited sessions where they sell 50 spaces and you're racing against the clock. Despite being almost 16 stone at the moment (look, there were some holidays, cheap beer, belly pork recipes etc.) I was fastest of all my colleagues by half a second, and was within three tenths of the fastest lap of the evening by anyone - who turned out to be a kart racer, 15 years old and weighed under 8 stone. All of this I attribute to the fabulous instruction I have had on MSE days. Do it. See you at Keevil.

I'm sold. Will give him a bell tomorrow. Hope they've still got slots over the next month or so.

[sebhaque]

I might join you tbh, I need to get to grips with my VX220. I'm a very ham-fisted driver, which was fine in my old Impreza as you couldn't really do anything to unsettle the car, but perhaps isn't the best approach in a mid-engined rwd roadster

[cptsideways]

Happy to offer some track based tuition, its what I'm doing many days of the week, often with a bias towards car control on track.

I'm N Dorset/Wilts based too

[thenortherner]

cptsideways said:

Happy to offer some track based tuition, its what I'm doing many days of the week, often with a bias towards car control on track.

I'm N Dorset/Wilts based too

Good stuff. Let me know about location, format of the day, prices etc. Thank you.

[thenortherner]

Well I've booked a full 1-2-1 tuition day with Mike Cooper of http://www.drivertuition.com/

Heard lots of good things about him. We're doing the EVO triangle route as it's a full day on the road.