car limits day - alternatives in the South?
Discussion
Not really is the answer. I did the course last year, it's the only place really where you can drive up to and over the car's limits and safely lose it, my only critism was that the big Tarmac area is covered in stones, the sound of them hitting the underside and arches made me wince.
I looked everywhere, Don Palmer uses Bruntingthorpe but the course costs a fortune, the courses at Mira and the other test track are equally expensive.
After car limits I did a track day at Hullavington where they block off a part of a runway and you can happily drift and skid with no other cars to hit, I then did a half day course at drift limits at Bovingdon airfield, only £150 to drift someone else's car (MX-5) and drive to the limit.
Depends what you want to achieve really, thruxton have just opened a skid circle that you can take your own car on, I've just done a trackday at Abingdon airfield and Bedford, both have some big tight corners that you could happily spin from and not hit anything (until the marshals have a word) but in terms of being taught to drive to the limits on a big patch of Tarmac I've yet to find an alternative to car limits. (Although I believe you can pay by the hour to use bruntingthorpe).
I looked everywhere, Don Palmer uses Bruntingthorpe but the course costs a fortune, the courses at Mira and the other test track are equally expensive.
After car limits I did a track day at Hullavington where they block off a part of a runway and you can happily drift and skid with no other cars to hit, I then did a half day course at drift limits at Bovingdon airfield, only £150 to drift someone else's car (MX-5) and drive to the limit.
Depends what you want to achieve really, thruxton have just opened a skid circle that you can take your own car on, I've just done a trackday at Abingdon airfield and Bedford, both have some big tight corners that you could happily spin from and not hit anything (until the marshals have a word) but in terms of being taught to drive to the limits on a big patch of Tarmac I've yet to find an alternative to car limits. (Although I believe you can pay by the hour to use bruntingthorpe).
Do you have to book a regular track day at Abingdon with motorsports events and then book Gary on top or can he use the airfield privately at other times?
I've heard that plans motorsports at Dunsfold do some courses but not looked in detail.
Apart from the loose stones the car limits course was very good value.
I've heard that plans motorsports at Dunsfold do some courses but not looked in detail.
Apart from the loose stones the car limits course was very good value.
M5SDG said:
Do you have to book a regular track day at Abingdon with motorsports events and then book Gary on top or can he use the airfield privately at other times?
Gary appeared to have an arrangement to use another part of the airfield for half of the day; we did a half track day in the afternoon.http://aneed4speed.co.uk/
spyderman8 said:
M5SDG said:
Do you have to book a regular track day at Abingdon with motorsports events and then book Gary on top or can he use the airfield privately at other times?
Gary appeared to have an arrangement to use another part of the airfield for half of the day; we did a half track day in the afternoon.http://aneed4speed.co.uk/
Cheers
Slodge
Hi guys
many thanks for the responses, I will look into all of them
I have already done a trackday with MSE in Abingdon including tuition. It was great to learn how to drive fast on the track, and I will no doubt do it again soon, but I am really after an event where I can purposely drive the car beyond its limits and "lose it" safely.
many thanks for the responses, I will look into all of them
I have already done a trackday with MSE in Abingdon including tuition. It was great to learn how to drive fast on the track, and I will no doubt do it again soon, but I am really after an event where I can purposely drive the car beyond its limits and "lose it" safely.
oooOLLIooo said:
...but I am really after an event where I can purposely drive the car beyond its limits and "lose it" safely.
You need a low friction surface like they have at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone or Rockingham - either naturally slippy or made slippy with water. Car Limits is anything but - crappy old tarmac with stones everywhere, guaranteed to wreck tyres and possibly chip your paintwork while you're at it.spyderman8 said:
You need a low friction surface like they have at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone or Rockingham - either naturally slippy or made slippy with water. Car Limits is anything but - crappy old tarmac with stones everywhere, guaranteed to wreck tyres and possibly chip your paintwork while you're at it.
That's a good point, but I don't want to learn on an artificially slippy surface, I would rather learn in "real life" conditions.I'm ready to take the pain on the tyres!
Edited by oooOLLIooo on Monday 31st March 19:24
PetrolTed said:
I did the CarLimits course a few years back. No training before or since has made such a material difference to my driving as that did. Can't recommend it enough.
Fully Agree, a day spent with Andy Walsh at Car Limits is a day very well spent. (Though agree the surface at North Weild is fairly rough and pretty hard on tyres, especially in a fairly heavy car such as an Impreza).Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff