Millbrook Test Track
Discussion
Does anybody know what you need in the way of qualifications to get a job test driving at Millbrook test track, is it just a case of driving round in circles and anyone can get a job but its low paid or is it a case of you had to get started in carting at a young age, done racing, have rich parents e.t.c. e.t.c.
Is there a queue a mile long waiting for a job to come available?
Is there a queue a mile long waiting for a job to come available?
I was under the impression that Millbrook was a facility that car companies hired and took vehicles along with their own drivers and equipment.
It might be that there are jobs available (guess you'll have to speak to them) but they aren't likely to include driving on any of the circuits.
It might be that there are jobs available (guess you'll have to speak to them) but they aren't likely to include driving on any of the circuits.
I think Millbrook know. What did they say when you phoned them and asked for a job?
I know some people who have driven at Millbrook, but only testing for third parties rather than employees of Millbrook, and they all got their jobs by working for manufacturers (chassis engineers mostly)
I know some people who have driven at Millbrook, but only testing for third parties rather than employees of Millbrook, and they all got their jobs by working for manufacturers (chassis engineers mostly)
depends how old you are i guess, they have an apprenticeship scheme open at the moment and then there is a educational support programme too
http://www.millbrook.co.uk/Page/Vacancies
http://www.millbrook.co.uk/Page/Education-Support
after that, i guess you will need an degree in automotive engineering or something similar to be in with a shout of any vacancies that arise. as others have said, most of the manufacturers will use their own drivers for car testing/development for continuity.
I have had the pleasure of driving an armoured range rover (diplomatic service type of thing) around the alpine ciruit for a few laps which was good fun.
http://www.millbrook.co.uk/Page/Vacancies
http://www.millbrook.co.uk/Page/Education-Support
after that, i guess you will need an degree in automotive engineering or something similar to be in with a shout of any vacancies that arise. as others have said, most of the manufacturers will use their own drivers for car testing/development for continuity.
I have had the pleasure of driving an armoured range rover (diplomatic service type of thing) around the alpine ciruit for a few laps which was good fun.
Captain Muppet said:
I think Millbrook know. What did they say when you phoned them and asked for a job?
I know some people who have driven at Millbrook, but only testing for third parties rather than employees of Millbrook, and they all got their jobs by working for manufacturers (chassis engineers mostly)
They hold the Company Car in Action Days there still I believe? I went to a few of these in the late 90s and got to drive stuff like BMWs, Lexus, Subaru, Fiat and Hondas - both on the speed bowl ( limited to 100 mph IIRC ) and on the handling circuitsI know some people who have driven at Millbrook, but only testing for third parties rather than employees of Millbrook, and they all got their jobs by working for manufacturers (chassis engineers mostly)
CraigVmax said:
i bloody love that alpine circuit, gallardo was fabulous around it
That brings back memories - somehow, I ended up doing that too.Favourite bit was when the passenged (Lamborghini instructor) said "lets go down to the mile straight, see what you can do....."
He said something like "we're only supposed to let you do 140 but do what you like....and I'll tell you when to brake but I gaurantee you'll brake before I tell you - this thing has the best brakes of anything I've ever driven"
I hit an indicated 170mph before, as he rightly said, my never went and I hit the brakes before he told me to.
I did one of Aston Martin's days there. Brilliant fun. I ran out of bottle at 135mph on the bowl, feels really very quick indeed. We were there about 18 months ago while they were still testing the MP4-12C so shared the bowl with that for a little while which was interesting. Just a fascinating facility.
No idea about jobs there, mind.
No idea about jobs there, mind.
Pure "durability" driving to pre determined schedules is actually seriously tedious! Most of their work for contract driving will be either mileage accumulation or accelerated wear tests. These mean lots, and lots, and lots of fairly slow, and endlessly repetative driving on various facilities such as the PAVE, alpine, city course, rough road etc. However, it is all at a scheduled speed, you cannot just "tear off" and hoon around. After a couple of laps, with about 5000 left to do, it's dull with a capital D!
For more specific limit handling or performance testing these days the manufacturers will supply their own drivers. Things like risk assessments and Health 'n Safety, now limit what manoeuvers are allowed to be donw by what person under what circumstances.
If you want to regularly drive at high speed or do limit handling etc you need to get into the chassis or powertrain dept of a major OEM these days, and the "fun" jobs are very very sort after.............
I'm lucky enough to have done over 180mph around the bowl (in the days when the "bump round the back" was a lot smaller than it is now!), done a 214mph average lap of Nardo, driven limit handling and at over 150mph on a frozen lake in Finland, driven cars through death valley in 52DegC, and into the arctic circle / Russian borders at -45DegC, ponced around in the Italian Alps in various supercars, and many other "fun" things. In between that, i have now done the best part of 20 years of dull, complicated, and sometimes painful and often brain scrambling, normal work within automotive chassis and powertrain engineering........... ;-)
For more specific limit handling or performance testing these days the manufacturers will supply their own drivers. Things like risk assessments and Health 'n Safety, now limit what manoeuvers are allowed to be donw by what person under what circumstances.
If you want to regularly drive at high speed or do limit handling etc you need to get into the chassis or powertrain dept of a major OEM these days, and the "fun" jobs are very very sort after.............
I'm lucky enough to have done over 180mph around the bowl (in the days when the "bump round the back" was a lot smaller than it is now!), done a 214mph average lap of Nardo, driven limit handling and at over 150mph on a frozen lake in Finland, driven cars through death valley in 52DegC, and into the arctic circle / Russian borders at -45DegC, ponced around in the Italian Alps in various supercars, and many other "fun" things. In between that, i have now done the best part of 20 years of dull, complicated, and sometimes painful and often brain scrambling, normal work within automotive chassis and powertrain engineering........... ;-)
I go there fairly often for work and it does get surprisingly tedious pounding round and round the bowl at vmax!
As I understand it you can either work directly for Millbrook as suggested above or get a job in the right dept in an OEM's R+D sections like me.
155mph is my current record on the mile straight!
As I understand it you can either work directly for Millbrook as suggested above or get a job in the right dept in an OEM's R+D sections like me.
155mph is my current record on the mile straight!
I went for an apprenticeship there last year and just lost out at the last hurdle, we had the pleasure of going round the alpine course in a fully loaded minibus. Never thought a Vauxhall Movano would do what it did that day :P
A friend of mine works there as a driver through an agency, as far as I know it takes a long time and a lot of effort to become qualified as a driver there.
A friend of mine works there as a driver through an agency, as far as I know it takes a long time and a lot of effort to become qualified as a driver there.
I can't speak for Milbrook, but hold permits for MIRA, Idiada (Spain) and Ford proving grounds. As above - most drivers at proving grounds are employed by vehicle manufacturers or Tier one suppliers. This is the place to go for jobs. Tends to be split into two camps - the durability drivers that basically just put miles on the cars, and the technical specialists, that are performing more involved testing / tuning work. They tend to come from control systems / software type backgrounds, as you need to know the likes of Matlab, the Vector tools etc. Most of them aren't that "handy", just know their way round an embedded control system. There's also the pre-Madonna handling guys with the race booties but they are best avoided!
Alot of it is very tedious - we work on 4 hours / day testing being a very good day given the nature of development vehicles and tool chain issues. A lot of it is pretty repetitive and quite tough physically, the pave road testing being especially hard. Can also make you pretty car sick unless you have fighter pilot resolve! The other thing is that even with the most powerful supercars, they quickly become another workplace. Like working in a fantastic office, it's great for the first few weeks, but after a few weeks of it breaking down three times a day you get pretty bored of it.
Alot of it is very tedious - we work on 4 hours / day testing being a very good day given the nature of development vehicles and tool chain issues. A lot of it is pretty repetitive and quite tough physically, the pave road testing being especially hard. Can also make you pretty car sick unless you have fighter pilot resolve! The other thing is that even with the most powerful supercars, they quickly become another workplace. Like working in a fantastic office, it's great for the first few weeks, but after a few weeks of it breaking down three times a day you get pretty bored of it.
Working for an OEM gets you in there but as everyone has said its very boring and repetitive doing some of the tests.
I spent 5 hours brake testing on the bowl going from 70mph down to 30mph then a cooling lap after that. I was bored stiff by the end of that!
Alpine and city routes are good fun though
.
A lot of the guys I have worked with on events there are used because they normally have some racing background and are used as chaperones for the punters so they don't go nuts in the car unsupervised, again incredibly dull and boring. The last lot did a lot of stuff for Palmers at Bedford.
Its one of those jobs which potentially look good but really isnt all that once you have experienced it.
I spent 5 hours brake testing on the bowl going from 70mph down to 30mph then a cooling lap after that. I was bored stiff by the end of that!
Alpine and city routes are good fun though
.A lot of the guys I have worked with on events there are used because they normally have some racing background and are used as chaperones for the punters so they don't go nuts in the car unsupervised, again incredibly dull and boring. The last lot did a lot of stuff for Palmers at Bedford.
Its one of those jobs which potentially look good but really isnt all that once you have experienced it.
Try contacting County Drivers in Luton.
There are no specific qualifications, although the wider range of vehicles you can drive the better (HGVs etc).
I guess the pay would probably put you around the UK average salary. So better than working in a shop or a low level office job.
There isn't a particularly huge queue but the demand fluctuates a lot.
As others have said it can get pretty tedious depending on what you're doing.
There are no specific qualifications, although the wider range of vehicles you can drive the better (HGVs etc).
I guess the pay would probably put you around the UK average salary. So better than working in a shop or a low level office job.
There isn't a particularly huge queue but the demand fluctuates a lot.
As others have said it can get pretty tedious depending on what you're doing.
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