Brands Hatch Driving Experience Advice
Discussion
Hi there,
I posted this in General Gassing, but got no replies, so perhaps here may be a better place, even though it's not actually about a 'track day' per se.
A workmate has just turned 60, and we've had a collection for him and raised about £220. Now, I'm in charge of spending the money and want to get him a gift of a driving experience. Brands is his closest track so I've been looking at whats available there, but there's just too much choice, not to mention you never can tell how good any particular experience is.
So, I'm on here for recommendations. Does anyone have any experiences of the experiences? Who's good and who to avoid?
One option that springs to mind is the Caterham Drifting Experience, as that looks a lot of fun, but I'm open to other ideas.
I posted this in General Gassing, but got no replies, so perhaps here may be a better place, even though it's not actually about a 'track day' per se.
A workmate has just turned 60, and we've had a collection for him and raised about £220. Now, I'm in charge of spending the money and want to get him a gift of a driving experience. Brands is his closest track so I've been looking at whats available there, but there's just too much choice, not to mention you never can tell how good any particular experience is.
So, I'm on here for recommendations. Does anyone have any experiences of the experiences? Who's good and who to avoid?
One option that springs to mind is the Caterham Drifting Experience, as that looks a lot of fun, but I'm open to other ideas.
Generally, know your man.
I love driving, so would always prefer several sessions in, say, a Lotus, instead of just 5 laps in a Lamborghini, but he might want to cross the Lambo off his bucket list. In general, these experience days are over far too quickly given the amount you have paid for them.
To be fair to the organisers, I do track days, and by the time I have paid for the fuel to get there, fuel on track at 8mpg, and the booking fee to pay for the organisers and marshalls, I am well over £200 out of pocket for a morning blatting around in my own car for maybe 6 x 20 minute sessions. And that's without counting the tyre wear (track tyres £750 a set) and other wear and tear on the car too. Track days are an expensive hobby. The track fee is only the beginning of the expense for me.
Local is better than hundreds of miles away, as the further track will mean getting up rather early.
What the previous poster said makes sense to me - MSV's cars and instructors are all good. Just try and work out what will float your friend's boat, and try to book it at a time of year when the sun will shine. I only book track days at this time of year in the 24 hours before the event, when i can see the weather forecast. The guys doing Snetterton last Saturday needed a life raft.....
I love driving, so would always prefer several sessions in, say, a Lotus, instead of just 5 laps in a Lamborghini, but he might want to cross the Lambo off his bucket list. In general, these experience days are over far too quickly given the amount you have paid for them.
To be fair to the organisers, I do track days, and by the time I have paid for the fuel to get there, fuel on track at 8mpg, and the booking fee to pay for the organisers and marshalls, I am well over £200 out of pocket for a morning blatting around in my own car for maybe 6 x 20 minute sessions. And that's without counting the tyre wear (track tyres £750 a set) and other wear and tear on the car too. Track days are an expensive hobby. The track fee is only the beginning of the expense for me.
Local is better than hundreds of miles away, as the further track will mean getting up rather early.
What the previous poster said makes sense to me - MSV's cars and instructors are all good. Just try and work out what will float your friend's boat, and try to book it at a time of year when the sun will shine. I only book track days at this time of year in the 24 hours before the event, when i can see the weather forecast. The guys doing Snetterton last Saturday needed a life raft.....
My other half got me a Lotus Exige experience in Thruxton for around that price last year and it was bloody good fun.
The instructor drives two laps, then I had 14 laps in the Exige before the instructor got the final two laps.
Having never driven an RWD car on track at that point, I had no idea where the limits where and when the instructor finally took over for the last two laps I was amazed. He absolutely flew and it was a great way to end the day.
The place was very well run too, you could even pay to have Tiff Needel drift you around the track in an M3
The instructor drives two laps, then I had 14 laps in the Exige before the instructor got the final two laps.
Having never driven an RWD car on track at that point, I had no idea where the limits where and when the instructor finally took over for the last two laps I was amazed. He absolutely flew and it was a great way to end the day.
The place was very well run too, you could even pay to have Tiff Needel drift you around the track in an M3
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