Track day and racing coaching.

[bikerstu]

I have been looking at a bit of car racing coaching. Having done bits race wise the bike last year i want to have a look at either tin tops or project 8 in the RS.

I normally do track days with MSV and when i booked my Brands day noticed this - www.msvtrackdays.com/car-home/track-and-race-acade...

Any one done this or anything like it?

[scotty_dog]

You would be better off hiring the services of a private race coach.

You will know who you have booked, what they have raced and what areas if any they specialise in. It would be difficult with the msv product to know the calibre of the coach you get provided with.

They will be able to tailor the coaching more accurately to what you need, depending on the coach you use, will provide the use of a vbox during your day so you can analyse your performance and areas that could be improved, and take the data home for you to keep.

Also if you want to continue with more than one coaching day will be able to provide some consistency of coaching, whereas the msv product could be with any coach, from day to day.

Obviously this is all my own opinion, based on many years of both school and private coaching.

Regards

Scotty

[Andy Bell]

guess it also depends on car you want to learn in. lets just say (I know its true for me) you have a Caterham - ideally you would want someone that knows the car really well as breaking/accelerating patterns would be totally different.

[bikerstu]

Interesting will have to have a think about it all.

thought it looked like a good idea? What is the advanced ARDS?

[Guillotine]

scotty_dog said:

lots of proper info

Scotty

Many of the more senior race coach's have raced just about everyting, so will be able to help on all fronts. Mike Wilds, Mike Caine and both are highly accomplished in all areas. FWD, RWD, Big, Small, Aero non Aero etc etc.

Go by recommendations of guys who are good at what you are interested in.
The guy who has won 10 championships and is on TV MAY be a sthot racer...but can he coach?

Coaching is a skill as much as racing is, so go with a guy that has been recommended. He may not have won 10 championships but he may well be a very good coach. Angelo Dundee never won a thing, and he coached Muhammed Ali who did OK!
I'd recommend Mike and Mike for just about anything for example.

Andy

[P1MCL]

Has anyone been to the track in Andalucia, Marbella, Spain and can give mr their review?

[scotty_dog]

Almost all coaching will be beneficial, but you want to maximise the benefit for your money. You will improve from the msv coaching, but in my opinion there are better ways.

Advanced Ards is where they provide an amount of coaching before taking the ards test, the actual test is the same a far as I'm aware.

Scotty

[bikerstu]

Thanks for the info, might have a look at the MSV thing as i do a lot of my track days with them then see if i can do an exclusive day with some one as well?

Never having raced cars before it might be the best way to learn?

[SimonV8ster]

Guillotine said:

I'd recommend Mike and Mike for just about anything for example.

Andy

Who/where are they ?

[AdamR172]

Mike Wilds and Mike Caine?

http://www.mikewilds.com/

And I'm guessing this is the 'correct' site for the other? http://www.michaelcainemotorsport.com/


I've heard good things about Mr Wilds, and also been looking into a day of instruction recently. Keen to hear other's opinions!

[spyderman8]

I've used a number of coaches and it doesn't matter how well qualified they are or how many races they've done - unless you can get on with them, you could just be wasting your money. Fortunately both Malcolm Edeseson and Gary Marsh, both S-grade ARDS instructors, are great blokes that you can have a laugh with and I've learned loads from them in the last couple of years. The coach I used briefly at Brands when I started doing track days, on the other hand, very nearly put me off for ever.

I've yet to drive with Mike Wilds, but again he's a thoroughly nice chap with bags of experience in all manor of machines.

Another thing I'd say is that you have to be really comfortable in the car you're having the coaching in - if not, again the money spent on the coaching can be a waste. I took my ARDS test in a Peugeot and it was *dire*! Not suited to track driving at all.

Edited by spyderman8 on Thursday 7th March 20:02

[terryb]

Mile Wilds gets my vote, great instructor amd once drove in F1

[Guillotine]

AdamR172 said:

Mike Wilds and Mike Caine?

http://www.mikewilds.com/

And I'm guessing this is the 'correct' site for the other? http://www.michaelcainemotorsport.com/


I've heard good things about Mr Wilds, and also been looking into a day of instruction recently. Keen to hear other's opinions!

Correct mate. (Le Mans / F1 / GTs / Historics / Can Am / BTCC between them they've done them all several times!
Again, Coaching for someone wanting to improve their track pleasure/abilities is different to someone who wants to be serious about their racing.

Mike (Wilds) is superb at the former. Wonderful experience over the day and you WILL be faster and safer. But will happilly work on the nittygritty if required and is employed by some serious names to do so.
Mike (Caine) will make you ALOT faster and will give you more of a racers view. He is also a current topflight driver / instructor and so is always looking for 10ths. But can also do the more general Trackday/comfy thing.

How you approach amd look at the circuit as a racer is entirely different than on a trackday.
Getting THAT serious is moving more towards proper testing and therefore may be better to do it on a test day and be prepared to spent time looking at data/video...(providing you have your licence ofcourse)

Either one of the above will tailor the day to your requirement. The important thing is to get some training. You have no idea how little you (and I) know until you go out with a professional.
Just like all disciplines...they are in a different leaque, and bearing in mind the amount of money you will be spending...it's small change.

A

[DanGibsonRacing]

Does anyone have experience of what coaches of this calibre charge?

Edited by DanGibsonRacing on Sunday 10th March 22:23

[Jerry Can]

£500 + per day.

If you want the guy that F1 and rally stars use you'll be looking at £1200.

[spyderman8]

Jerry Can said:

£500 + per day.

Glad I don't pay that much.

You can sometimes share a coach across the day - might sound daft but its still beneficial.

[hmsc9990]

Jerry Can said:

£500 + per day.

If you want the guy that F1 and rally stars use you'll be looking at £1200.

Not all of these people charge THAT much.

[bikerstu]

At £500 plus a track day it makes the coaching day from msv look cheap

[spyderman8]

What are you waiting for, then? If you can afford it, why not go ahead and try it - then let us know what you think. As I say, if you really get on with the guy, you might get a lot out of it.

[AdamR172]

Guillotine said:

• snip*

A

Thanks a lot for the info there. All makes perfect sense! I thought I was a decent driver up until recently when I spent some time reading a few books and bought a datalogger. The difference in my driving in just three trackdays following this 'studying' is pretty significant, but I am keen to continue this and it just proves to me there is always more to come!

Quite a lot of cash, but, as you said it's not THAT much compared with the cost of motorsport...