Where do I start with track days?

[TheCarFather]

Would love to start doing track days when I can but I really have no idea where to start. First off it will be impossible to do it in my own car, a 1.4 punto with a black box fitted. And I have read about experience days that people get for Christmas where you drive say a lambo a Ferrari and an R8 but these sound more about saying you've been in the car rather than actually learning how to drive properly ( I could be wrong?!)

In a year or two the plan would be to get a car that I can actually do trackdays in that won't be too bad on insurance, like a renaultsport twingo or a vw golf mk2 gti, peugeot 205 gti etc etc. But this isn't possible at the moment due to insurance and the fact I've only just bought my current car.

Where do I start?

Thanks Guys

[davepoth]

Any car without a black box will be fine; it's not about going fast but finding the limits of the car and your abilities. As a result it's best to find the limits in something slow because the crashes hurt (and cost) less.

[TheCarFather]

davepoth said:

Any car without a black box will be fine; it's not about going fast but finding the limits of the car and your abilities. As a result it's best to find the limits in something slow because the crashes hurt (and cost) less.

Haha! I get what you mean but I think I would like one of the cars I mentioned after my current one anyway, so it may make sense to get one if i was gonna do a few track days too

[ferrariF50lover]

Re: the black box. Apologies if this demonstrates a catastrophic lack of understanding of real life, but is it not an option simply to call the insurers and tell then you're doing a track day (with all the date and time details)?

Can you not tell them you don't want specific cover for the track and that you understand that any damage will not be covered by the policy you presently hold?

As I say, I've not had a black boxed car, so I don't know if this is teaching granny to suck eggs, a decent answer, or a really, really stupid suggestion. Apologies if it is the first or last.

Simon.

[ewenm]

Something like a Caterham Experience day?

[TheCarFather]

ferrariF50lover said:

Re: the black box. Apologies if this demonstrates a catastrophic lack of understanding of real life, but is it not an option simply to call the insurers and tell then you're doing a track day (with all the date and time details)?

Can you not tell them you don't want specific cover for the track and that you understand that any damage will not be covered by the policy you presently hold?

As I say, I've not had a black boxed car, so I don't know if this is teaching granny to suck eggs, a decent answer, or a really, really stupid suggestion. Apologies if it is the first or last.

Simon.

Hello, I'm afraid that when I took out the insurance as well as it being a with a black box, in the small print it read something like "Will not be used for any races, speed tests, track days, time trials" or something along this lines

[rwdvectra]

Don't all insurance small prints say something along them lines. It's saying you won't be covered in them circumstances not that you can't take part in any of them.

[sparkyhx]

you are pretty much never covered by insurance. The black box issue is related to 'recording' what you are up to. I have no idea whether they are clever enough to disregard hard acceleration, speeding and harsh braking when on track.