Track day tomorrow

[SPS]

Evening All,
Got a track session tomorrow evening at Donington.
My son and I have spent the last few days preparing his car and we are going to split the driving. Really looking forward to it as it's the first one I have been on for ages.
If anyone else is going give us a shout - we will be in a red BMW coupe with black wheels.
Cheers
Steve

[C1RVY]

I'm there too.

Bright green Exige with black stripe

We'll say hi if we get chance.

[SPS]

Hi Simon - saw your Exige last night but never seemed to get the chance to come over and say hello.
I don't know about you but I thought that it was a great evening with loads of track time and only a few red flags!
I will definitely use Book a Track again.
My son and I split the driving in the Red BMW E36 with black wheels.
The car did really well considering it's age - no problems at all.
We wanted to get some better tyres than the stock ones but just did not get the time - well that's my excuse for my crap lines around the track!!
You car looks really good and is fast through the corners. You came up behind me a couple of times and yes I did move over - ha.
Cheers
Steve

[C1RVY]

Hi Steve, it was a great evening out wasn't it. Hopefully my car was being carefully driven, we had a few drivers last night!

We were lucky with the weather, it was perfect. Sadly that's probably the last Donny evening until next year.

[Gibbo205]

Hi there

Was a good evening, I was in the yellow 911 Carrera.

Did a best lap of just over 1:23 so pleased with that, though some people just seem to insist on not moving over and holding me up, annoying but on the whole it was good and was loving the 911 on track.

Maybe its time for some stickier rubber next.

[SPS]

Hi Andrew - yes I saw your car - looked great in the yellow.
I had a nice Carrera 2S and only changed it a few weeks ago - sadly my new (well to me anyway)car is too loud for Donny. When you consider the racket that the planes made I'm rather surprised!
Hope to see/meet you guys at a future track event.
Cheers
Steve

[Gibbo205]

Hey Steve

Yeah I got black flagged - 98.4db

So I stopped using 2nd gear out of the chicane on the pit straight, seemed to cure it.

This is what I mean by being held up though, check this video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvyoFZHbe30&fea...


OK I could of got closer and bullied the guy more, but I don't want my car pebble dashed or taking the risk of either of us making a mistake and collecting each other.

From the video its clear I am a lot quicker, yet he refuses to move even when I clearly move my car into positions to show I'm there and give him a few flashes of my headlights.

[SPS]

Gibbo205 said:

Hey Steve

Yeah I got black flagged - 98.4db

So I stopped using 2nd gear out of the chicane on the pit straight, seemed to cure it.

This is what I mean by being held up though, check this video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvyoFZHbe30&fea...


OK I could of got closer and bullied the guy more, but I don't want my car pebble dashed or taking the risk of either of us making a mistake and collecting each other.

From the video its clear I am a lot quicker, yet he refuses to move even when I clearly move my car into positions to show I'm there and give him a few flashes of my headlights.

I'm just glad that it was not me holding you up - I do remember letting you past at least once - I was in the Red E36 with black wheels!
Next time to save getting frustrated go into the pits and do a drive through - that will then give you some space to enjoy the car and track without "numpties" getting in the way.
Your car sounded great by the way.
Cheers
Steve

[Trev450]

I hope you made a point of having a little word with him otherwise he is likely to hold up someone else one day with less patience than you displayed.

[playalistic]

Gibbo205 said:

Hey Steve

Yeah I got black flagged - 98.4db

So I stopped using 2nd gear out of the chicane on the pit straight, seemed to cure it.

This is what I mean by being held up though, check this video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvyoFZHbe30&fea...


OK I could of got closer and bullied the guy more, but I don't want my car pebble dashed or taking the risk of either of us making a mistake and collecting each other.

From the video its clear I am a lot quicker, yet he refuses to move even when I clearly move my car into positions to show I'm there and give him a few flashes of my headlights.

Did you speak to the TDO? Any time I've ever encountered this kind of behaviour a quick word with the TDO = problem solved.

Seems rather OTT to actually edit and upload a video complaint don't you think?

[jonnyleroux]

I have to say I didn't think it was a great evening - probably our worst evening session of the year i'd say in fact. There was a *big* mix of experience with some of the steadier drivers not too hot on mirrors and some of the quicker drivers not patient enough. Strange how that combination of factors can make it feel much busier than it actually was (or needed to be).

What struck me as odd was the number of first-timers to Donington (around a dozen), only a couple of which had booked tuition. No wonder they're meandering around on the wrong lines all night. Serious question, what prevents a novice from booking tuition? Is it the cost? The stigma of acknowledging you're not awesome, or what?

Jonny
BaT

[playalistic]

I'd say it was the perceived (and idiotic) idea of admitting failure on some level rather than the cost which isn't exactly huge given what you stand to gain!

[jonnyleroux]

playalistic said:

I'd say it was the perceived (and idiotic) idea of admitting failure on some level rather than the cost which isn't exactly huge given what you stand to gain!

I often wonder what percentage of accidents on track days are down to the driver finding their own limts, rather than the limits of the car. My gut feeling is 97%+

Jonny
BaT

[boxsey]

jonnyleroux said:

What struck me as odd was the number of first-timers to Donington (around a dozen), only a couple of which had booked tuition. No wonder they're meandering around on the wrong lines all night. Serious question, what prevents a novice from booking tuition? Is it the cost? The stigma of acknowledging you're not awesome, or what?

Jonny
BaT

My guess is that if it is their first track day (regardless of venue), they're getting used to the cost of doing trackdays and want to keep extra expenditure to a minimum. For those that are first time at Donington but have done plenty of other trackdays, I guess they've never had tuition and don't think they need it. If you've got spare instruction slots available on the night, maybe ask all first timers to hang back at the end of the briefing and offer them the spare slots at a reduced rate? Those that take up the offer, might see the light of having instruction and book more instruction next time.

[SPS]

jonnyleroux said:

I have to say I didn't think it was a great evening - probably our worst evening session of the year i'd say in fact. There was a *big* mix of experience with some of the steadier drivers not too hot on mirrors and some of the quicker drivers not patient enough. Strange how that combination of factors can make it feel much busier than it actually was (or needed to be).

What struck me as odd was the number of first-timers to Donington (around a dozen), only a couple of which had booked tuition. No wonder they're meandering around on the wrong lines all night. Serious question, what prevents a novice from booking tuition? Is it the cost? The stigma of acknowledging you're not awesome, or what?

Jonny
BaT

Hi guys - well Wednesday evening was my first ever track day @ Donny and I and my son shared an old E36 BMW for the evening and we both thought that it was great.
Our car was a red coupe with black wheels and I did my best to be progressive whilst not holding up the quick guys. When the two of us went out the passenger also acted as a car spotter and in general we don't think that we held up many of the fast cars.
I do agree that as we got "quicker" we did end up behind a number of drivers who where somewhat slower tending to "hog" the racing line and not prepared to move over! When this happened we just came into the pits and changed drivers - it seemed to work most of the time.
I thought that BaT ran a good session and will definitely use them again.
So while you think that it could have been better some of us punters loved it.
Cura ut valeas

Edited by SPS on Friday 24th August 14:14

[Gibbo205]

SPS said:

Hi guys - well Wednesday evening was my first ever track day @ Donny and I and my son shared an old E36 BMW for the evening and we both thought that it was great.
Our car was a red coupe with black wheels and I did my best to be progressive whilst not holding up the quick guys. When the two of us went out the passenger also acted as a car spotter and in general we don't think that we held up many of the fast cars.
I do agree that as we got "quicker" we did end up behind a number of drivers who where somewhat slower tending to "hog" the racing line and not prepared to move over! When this happened we just came into the pits and changed drivers - it seemed to work most of the time.
I thought that BaT ran a good session and will definitely use them again.
So while you think that it could have been better some of us punters loved it.
Cura ut valeas

Edited by SPS on Friday 24th August 14:14

You were no issue at all mate.

The correct method is if a car catches you up, then simply when safe to do so simply move of the racing line, back off the throttle and indicate to them to show its safe to pass, you followed this.

But some people either did not get this, the person in the S2000, what the hell was going on, they were creating epic queues, they stayed on the lines through corners at like 30-40mph and on the straights they did like 60mph and never indidicated to show it was safe to pass. I am guessing VTEC did not kick in YO.

The guy in the Megane, had a big ego problem, I had it out with him, yet he thought he was faster, LOL, video clearly shows otherwise, he just held me up and was simply quite dangerous with some of his overtakes.

Apart from that it was still a great evening, as bookatrack events are the better of the bunch.

[RedSpike66]

So far, each new track I go on, I get tuition after two or three 15-min sessions. It simply makes sense.

[C1RVY]

The Honda S2000 needed a volley. I tried to find him to have a word, but couldn't locate him. He clearly didn't understand what he heard at the briefing.

Shame really, usually manners are better at Donny.

[SPS]

C1RVY said:

The Honda S2000 needed a volley. I tried to find him to have a word, but couldn't locate him. He clearly didn't understand what he heard at the briefing.

Shame really, usually manners are better at Donny.

Hi Guys,
My son and I did have a chat with him before the event and he told us that he had the car for a very short time and had the track day as a birthday present.
He seemed to be a really nice guy but did admit that he had no idea about how to go about it.
We told him to pay attention at the briefing and if unsure to keep to the right if faster cars came along.
Really I now think that he should have been black flagged so that the organisers could have had a word with him.

[The Tea Boy]

When i did my first trackday at blyton i did the morning with no tuition as i wanted to learn my own lines and then have instruction in the afternoon to see where i was going wrong.
Although tuition isnt expencive it does cost and i think sometimes that will put people off. But i learnt from that day that it may be best to have tuition straight away or after 2 15min sesions so as to get quicker, quicker!
Im at doington on the 3rd sept and will be getting tuition as although ive been a passenger for hundreds of laps ive never driven it!

Matt