Trackday History

[Quote]

When were the first track days? Who organised them? How much did they cost?

What were your first track day experiences? I started doing track days in 2000 and iirc would pay £40 for a northern airfield and up to £120 for a 'proper' circuit on a noisy day.
But when did track days start? Were there groups of like minded petrol heads going to circuits in the 90's, the 80's...
If you've got any storys or, better, photos then please share.

[Mrs Muttleysnoop]

I started track days nearly 20 years ago with Club 89. They were expensive but I cannot remember exactly how much they were then.

The days were sessioned for novice, inters and advanced.

[supertouring]

There were lots of Ads for Club 89 in the 90s as they used the flagship BTCC drivers as instructors.

Take a look in some old Autosport and the like, there may even be an article about them.

[Riley Blue]

Must have been in the mid 80s we had a club track day at Curborough, around £75 I think.

[NuisanceFactor]

Club Elite used to hire Goodwood on the first weekend in October or November, the first one I went to was in 1986, and I recall a Dutton Owners Club day also at Goodwood, which may have been 1984/5

I have memories of 96Club and Club89 being the first non-marque-specific track day companies, one of which I think the lovely Melindi was involved with, so she would know better than I.

The Lotus Seven Club ran their first proper trackday at Goodwood in 1989 and around that time Wheeltorque were running tours around the UK that took in various tracks, then they branched out into overseas trips which included Bathurst(!) once.

[m444ttb]

The days currently know as 'Action days' have been going at Castle Combe for c.25 years too. Wonder what they were like back then!?

[Colin L]

89 Cadwell Park first one about £100 for the day if I remember.

I ran some off the first in N.Ireland at Kirkistown for the TVRCC cost £30
Those were the days LOL
Now its a £120 how times have changed

Colin L

[The Moose]

Colin L said:

89 Cadwell Park first one about £100 for the day if I remember.

I ran some off the first in N.Ireland at Kirkistown for the TVRCC cost £30
Those were the days LOL
Now its a £120 how times have changed

Colin L

When was the Kirkstown one (roughly!)

[Colin L]

95 first one or was it 94
Age a terrible thing lol

Colin l

[Captain Muppet]

m444ttb said:

The days currently know as 'Action days' have been going at Castle Combe for c.25 years too. Wonder what they were like back then!?

Back in the mid 90's I saw a chap at Coomb using a Rover 800. There was also a chap in a red Ferrari 328 (with matching jacket) who had his sump plug fall out and dumped the oil right in front of me.

It was relaxed and fun back then, no idea what it's like now as I haven't been back.

I stopped doing track days when I bought my first house (I actually phoned to make the offer from inside the smoking ruin of my CRX at Snetterton, where the brakes had overheated again). Then when I had the money to start again I went drifting instead, because at a track day that second or two when you thought you'd lost it were the best part of the day, and on a drift practice day pretty much every second of every lap is like that.

[interloper]

I'm not sure if Castle Combe were the first but they certainly did it properly back in the Eighties. One of the early track events was the Supercar test day, this was held at the Combe and organised between World Sports Cars magazine (god only knows what happened to that!) and the Detomaso owners club.

According to the add I have tucked way some were £50 quid got you on track, I managed to drag my parents along to one of these in either 88 or 89 (cant imagine going to a trackday now just to spectate!)

Anyway here are some iffy pictures....



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v726/SteveH944/5...

[s m]

interloper said:

I'm not sure if Castle Combe were the first but they certainly did it properly back in the Eighties. One of the early track events was the Supercar test day, this was held at the Combe and organised between World Sports Cars magazine (god only knows what happened to that!) and the Detomaso owners club.

According to the add I have tucked way some were £50 quid got you on track, I managed to drag my parents along to one of these in either 88 or 89 (cant imagine going to a trackday now just to spectate!)

Anyway here are some iffy pictures....



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v726/SteveH944/5...

I remember those too Steve!

RSOC used to do events at Combe in the mid 80s before the chicanes ( and when it was very bumpy ) as I remember driving my RS2000 round there - can't remember what they called them but I'm sure it wasn't trackdays