"Experience" day ~£400

[bitwrx]

Shiv_P said:

MJ85 said:

Take your car to Cadwell. Almost anything can be good fun. I’ve paid £99 for my next visit. I’m in the east mids also.

2005 Fiesta 1.25? 75 bhp? No torque?
Don't think so tbh

Yeh, but you've never driven Cadwell.

[Hoofy]

bitwrx said:

Shiv_P said:

MJ85 said:

Take your car to Cadwell. Almost anything can be good fun. I’ve paid £99 for my next visit. I’m in the east mids also.

2005 Fiesta 1.25? 75 bhp? No torque?
Don't think so tbh

Yeh, but you've never driven Cadwell.

I see what you mean (just found a video). I think I'd take something slower than a Fiesta 1.25 round that the first time!

[SAS Tom]

Phil price is awesome and was my decision this time last year. Loads of fun, plenty of time in the car, great instruction when you want it or you can be left to your own devices if you want. I’ll be going again.

[exelero]

Sonie said:

Take the warmest coat you can find...I went there years ago, you are taken by minibus to the middle of the circuit where you register and then wait till it’s your turn.

Thanks for the advice, I will

[CraigyMc]

Matt Reeve said:

Have you thought about the BookaTrack experiences? They are really good and the half days are well within budget. And they are in the East Midlands. Having done numerous Palmersport days and taken clients to both, quite a few commented that the BaT day was better as they learnt more.

I've done both.

BaT is great once you know how to drive, but until then you really benefit from driving on a purpose built track with masses of runoff everywhere, which is what Palmers is. BaT run on great circuits, but if you lose it and hit something you can end up owing them five grand to rebuild/replace the car, so it's not for beginners.

[TVR1]

Just to chuck in a comment to the OP. I've done many an 'all day' drive. The last one was a 6 hours ice driving/rally course at a circuit in the French Alps. Chuck in a couple of hours for transport, then getting filled up with lunch, it becomes an incredibly exhausting day. I'd had enough on the track at about the 4 hour mark....

Hindsight says 'great experience' but I pretty much fell asleep in my dinner plate, back at the hotel.

Perhaps wanting more is better than, I've had enough of this!

[Yipper]

Rent an M4 from Sixt (or whatever).

[ambuletz]

£400 for a track day? pfft, you're 18, you might aswell save up another £600 and put it towards an iphone X.

[anonymous-user]

Might be a bit far to go but Driftlimits in Hemel Hempstead were really good. It’s a proper track rather than some cones on a badly surfaced airfield and there’s a lot of flexibility in what you can do. I booked 10 laps in a Gallardo (got it for my birthday - I think it was £120 on Groupon) but when you are there you can pay for more laps, different cars, passenger rides etc. The prices for that aren’t massively inflated either, it’s the same as you would pay if you booked in advance. They use proper racing slicks too (unless it rains like it did when I went!) which a lot of these places don’t.

Really great group of guys and a great day out, definitely going again!

https://driftlimits.co.uk/experiences/

[LG9k]

I've not done Palmersport but have only heard good things about it.

Out of a number of other days I've done, Phil Price was by far and away the best value and the most fun.

[Shiv_P]

I think palmersport is going to be difficult right now, and I want to do the full day in 2019 so I'll hold off for that

I'll give the others a think through and research, but looking at trip advisor 100% of the over 100 reviews of phil price are 5* which I've never seen on a review of anything before

Thanks for suggestions so far

[CABC]

fesuvious said:

Goracingmotorsport

Chat to John.

You will be taught to drive on a circuit, fast.
Cars are actual race cars, and you'll be using them properly.

Plus, they're often at Donington or Silverstone so perfect for your location.

interesting. but the website tells me very little of what they do, what is the format???
have you been? can you expand on what the day is? how much seat time?
how do they sell it with that website? (or maybe it's word of mouth and I've missed it!)

OP, Palmers half day is ideal, evening especially. full day is padded out with Caterham pursuit and off road, fun, but not same as a single/lmp

[GOG440]

Shiv_P said:

Hi all

Have been sitting on my 18th birthday present for a while from my parents which is a driving "experience" day on a rally/circuit up to around £400
Initially I was thinking of phil price (parents are happy to stay overnight nearby etc and make it into a weekend away) but are there any other alternatives that are better or perhaps closer to East Mids? Don't really want one of these crappy drive a fked GTR at 80mph for 10 minutes jobs but something that gives more seat time
I know the obvious Palmersport but that is possibly something for when I am a little older (currently 19) and £1k is a little too much for now

Thanks

I did the Phil Price rally day years ago, it was definitely well worth doing

[CABC]

fesuvious said:

CABC

With the goracingmotorsport day you'll be out in likely an MX5 or Clio racecar (yes, proper race car).

You may get a shot in the M3 but more likely a passenger lap (or 20!)

Instructors; an ex Britcar winner. And he has two quick and knowledgeable instructors with him.

You'll be fed well, learn theory and practical. Have a LOT of tracktime and will come away absolutely knackered, but exhilarated. And most certainly having new skills and a better understanding of the dynamics.

Call them, ask for John. Tell John Matt with the Hellcat sent you. He's a top bloke, and knows a thing or two having worked in BTCC in years gone by.

What do you have to lose by making the call?

it sounds great. social, fun and learn something. I will call.
thx

[Sir Bagalot]

Jbeale96 said:

Might be a bit far to go but Driftlimits in Hemel Hempstead were really good. It’s a proper track rather than some cones on a badly surfaced airfield and there’s a lot of flexibility in what you can do. I booked 10 laps in a Gallardo (got it for my birthday - I think it was £120 on Groupon) but when you are there you can pay for more laps, different cars, passenger rides etc. The prices for that aren’t massively inflated either, it’s the same as you would pay if you booked in advance. They use proper racing slicks too (unless it rains like it did when I went!) which a lot of these places don’t.

Really great group of guys and a great day out, definitely going again!

https://driftlimits.co.uk/experiences/

A word of warning about these guys. Always buy through Groupon, it's simply cheaper

[culpz]

Shiv_P said:

2005 Fiesta 1.25? 75 bhp? No torque?
Don't think so tbh

If it's your first ever track day, then there's probably no better car for it. You don't need power at first when learning, as i found out on my first few goes. Get your lines nice and tight and learn to push it a bit more.

I was that slow at first, i was being pressed by a rented MK7 Golf 2.0 tdi. I was in my dad's 997 Carrera S tiptronic, that i was completely unfamiliar with and never driven before, on my first time ever on track!

[Shiv_P]

I've given the track day idea some thought as grandad might be getting rid of the fiesta soon so might as well go have some fun with it...
Will I need to upgrade pads? Just a little worried there'll be none left at the end...

[Byker28i]

culpz said:

Shiv_P said:

2005 Fiesta 1.25? 75 bhp? No torque?
Don't think so tbh

If it's your first ever track day, then there's probably no better car for it. You don't need power at first when learning, as i found out on my first few goes. Get your lines nice and tight and learn to push it a bit more.

I was that slow at first, i was being pressed by a rented MK7 Golf 2.0 tdi. I was in my dad's 997 Carrera S tiptronic, that i was completely unfamiliar with and never driven before, on my first time ever on track!

Best thing I ever saw on a trackday was 4 lads turned up with a diesel corsa. They'd paid £100 for the car, £125 for main driver, £25 for other drivers, so £300 all in for the 4 of them.
They ragged that corsa all day, 15 min sessions each, only stopping to top up fluids and the enforced cool down at lunchtime. It was sounding a little rough at the end, but they were having huge fun.

I spoke to them over email the next day to share photos and the car got them within a mile of home and died, but started the next day...