Your first trackday/motorsport experience.....
Discussion
The trackday history thread has reminded me of my first outing on track. I thought I would share.... Anyway going back a bit,I passed my test in the mid Nineties, bought my first car which was a mini 1000 and decided that joining the mini fun day at Castle Combe would be a great idea, so I booked it and was quite looking forward to it...
My awesome beige mini decided to start playing up a few days before the event, bloody typical! Fortunately my Mum being a soft touch decided to lend me her 1100 Clubman for the event. So my first track outing was conducted in 40bhp, drum braked mini clubman.
The beast in question...
Sadly I dont have any pictures of the event in question.
Compared to the drivers briefings, strict overtaking rules and mandatory wearing of helmets etc of the modern track day scene this was all a bit casual. Back then helmets were optional and rules were scant. Mind you its not easy crashing such a slow car.
At the moment I don't really have a suitable car (or car in suitable condition!) for track work. I do rather miss hammering around race tracks and also the social side that goes with it.
So what was your first trackday/motorsport car/event?
My awesome beige mini decided to start playing up a few days before the event, bloody typical! Fortunately my Mum being a soft touch decided to lend me her 1100 Clubman for the event. So my first track outing was conducted in 40bhp, drum braked mini clubman.
The beast in question...
Sadly I dont have any pictures of the event in question.
Compared to the drivers briefings, strict overtaking rules and mandatory wearing of helmets etc of the modern track day scene this was all a bit casual. Back then helmets were optional and rules were scant. Mind you its not easy crashing such a slow car.
At the moment I don't really have a suitable car (or car in suitable condition!) for track work. I do rather miss hammering around race tracks and also the social side that goes with it.
So what was your first trackday/motorsport car/event?
Formula ford experience at angelsey for my 18th.
I'd been reading about the days, and was expecting a rev limiter or throttle limiter.
Had a few instructor laps in a puma, then got strapped in and was basically allowed to do whatever, considering I had driven few other cars and my daily driver did 11 to 60. It was a bit of a shock
Certainly caught the bug, and started an expensive but enjoyable habit.
I'd been reading about the days, and was expecting a rev limiter or throttle limiter.
Had a few instructor laps in a puma, then got strapped in and was basically allowed to do whatever, considering I had driven few other cars and my daily driver did 11 to 60. It was a bit of a shock
Certainly caught the bug, and started an expensive but enjoyable habit.
In late 1962 I took delivery of my new Morgan +4. After a thousand or two miles I tore it apart & balanced the moving bits, shaved the head, & ported & polished the thing, all the things we did back then preparing for a bit of club motor sport.
The Morgan distributors were entering a couple of cars for a boxing day meeting at a country race track, [Albury], & suggested they would enter me, to make a 3 car team.
It was the first time I had done more than a minor hill climb, & I was very pleased to be third fastest, & make the front row of the grid.
I was not so happy after flag fall, when all those drivers were hell bent on scratching my new Morgan. I went from third to about 8 in 2 laps, avoiding such scratches. After the race one of our club members came up with a large hammer, offering to improve my race driving by bashing in all mudguards before the next race, so it must have been pretty obvious.
I did much better in the second race, finishing third, no longer surprised at how close cars were driven.
I must have enjoyed it, as I then spent every penny I earned for the next 6 years on motor racing.
The Morgan distributors were entering a couple of cars for a boxing day meeting at a country race track, [Albury], & suggested they would enter me, to make a 3 car team.
It was the first time I had done more than a minor hill climb, & I was very pleased to be third fastest, & make the front row of the grid.
I was not so happy after flag fall, when all those drivers were hell bent on scratching my new Morgan. I went from third to about 8 in 2 laps, avoiding such scratches. After the race one of our club members came up with a large hammer, offering to improve my race driving by bashing in all mudguards before the next race, so it must have been pretty obvious.
I did much better in the second race, finishing third, no longer surprised at how close cars were driven.
I must have enjoyed it, as I then spent every penny I earned for the next 6 years on motor racing.
My OH bought me a CDX Slalom day at Dunsfold which tempted me to sign up to the Caterham Academy, missed that years intake & decided against it by the following year. She then bought me a Ferrari experience at Silverstone which finally persuaded me to do something.
My first motorsport event was in my written off Fiat Coupe 20VT, co driving with a mate in the W-S-M SandoCross, great fun until the car broke
Then decided to take up hillclimbing & am in my third season, loving it to bits
My first motorsport event was in my written off Fiat Coupe 20VT, co driving with a mate in the W-S-M SandoCross, great fun until the car broke
Then decided to take up hillclimbing & am in my third season, loving it to bits
My first track day about 15 years ago in my dads F355 at a couple of FRench circuits in Northern France. It was wet and I was out of my depth. I drove a Cinq Sporting at the time and it wasn't the fact the Ferrari alone was intimidating, it was more the fact that the cicuit was narrow, it was wet, there were seasoned pros out at the same time and having a bright red ferrari made you a traget for a lot of the nomex boys. Learned loads in the space of a couple of hours including a couple of small offs and been addicted to the rush ever since.
interloper said:
The trackday history thread has reminded me of my first outing on track. I thought I would share.... Anyway going back a bit,I passed my test in the mid Nineties, bought my first car which was a mini 1000 and decided that joining the mini fun day at Castle Combe would be a great idea, so I booked it and was quite looking forward to it...
My awesome beige mini decided to start playing up a few days before the event, bloody typical! Fortunately my Mum being a soft touch decided to lend me her 1100 Clubman for the event. So my first track outing was conducted in 40bhp, drum braked mini clubman.
The beast in question...
Sadly I dont have any pictures of the event in question.
Compared to the drivers briefings, strict overtaking rules and mandatory wearing of helmets etc of the modern track day scene this was all a bit casual. Back then helmets were optional and rules were scant. Mind you its not easy crashing such a slow car.
At the moment I don't really have a suitable car (or car in suitable condition!) for track work. I do rather miss hammering around race tracks and also the social side that goes with it.
So what was your first trackday/motorsport car/event?
Great post! I used to have some 110 pics of my day at Combe........ Have to dig them out and scan them in. Must have been '86. I can remember the car skipping about over the bumps and chasing a newish 2.8 Capri My awesome beige mini decided to start playing up a few days before the event, bloody typical! Fortunately my Mum being a soft touch decided to lend me her 1100 Clubman for the event. So my first track outing was conducted in 40bhp, drum braked mini clubman.
The beast in question...
Sadly I dont have any pictures of the event in question.
Compared to the drivers briefings, strict overtaking rules and mandatory wearing of helmets etc of the modern track day scene this was all a bit casual. Back then helmets were optional and rules were scant. Mind you its not easy crashing such a slow car.
At the moment I don't really have a suitable car (or car in suitable condition!) for track work. I do rather miss hammering around race tracks and also the social side that goes with it.
So what was your first trackday/motorsport car/event?
s m said:
Great post! I used to have some 110 pics of my day at Combe........ Have to dig them out and scan them in. Must have been '86. I can remember the car skipping about over the bumps and chasing a newish 2.8 Capri
S M (Shropshire Mike per-chance?!) Get the pictures up if you can find them.interloper said:
Hasbeen said:
After the race one of our club members came up with a large hammer, offering to improve my race driving by bashing in all mudguards before the next race
Now that's a form of motivation, I guess!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff