TVR owners, Fave tracks ?
Discussion
What are your favourite tracks for trackdays and why?
Personally, I love Oulton Park. Its local and I've been round it a few times but mainly its because its a fantastic combination of bends, dips, straights and scenery, and it really can test your nerve.
The Griffith feels at home on the track but I'd like to explore some different venues.
What are your experiences of various circuits and in which TVR have you done them?
Personally, I love Oulton Park. Its local and I've been round it a few times but mainly its because its a fantastic combination of bends, dips, straights and scenery, and it really can test your nerve.
The Griffith feels at home on the track but I'd like to explore some different venues.
What are your experiences of various circuits and in which TVR have you done them?
UK circuits in the Chim 450
* Castle Combe - a favourite amongst spectators because you can see so much of the action & get fairly close to the track. Downside on trackdays is that due to noise regulations you can usually only get 12 cars on track at a time which means sessions. Always an enjoyable day here though & a favourite.
* Donington - another must do. Fast, undulating but for some reason always bloody cold. Craner curves definitely demand masses of respect if fully committed. Unfortunately (& a number of people have agreed on this point), too many "hot hatches with limited driving skills" seem to populate Donington track days though. Still a favourite.
* Goodwood - No racing here anymore other than the festival means no armco & a feel that you're "back in the old days". Interesting but not demanding.
* Mallory Park - More of a bikers circuit realy & dare I say a tad boring in a car
* Oulton Park - fabulous circuit, lovely setting, slightly politically incorrect, my personal favourite in the UK
* Pembrey - Shortest circuit I've ever done in the UK - bloody long way to go - nice lap once you're in the flow. Then you're reminded as to where you are & how far it is to get home.
* Silverstone GP - No thrill in anything less than 300bhp, flat & visually boring. Always windy & cold. But is is the home of British GP so should be done.
* Snetterton - Bit of a go kart track as feels small but lots of oppoertunity for excitement
* Thruxton - very fast & interesting in just a couple of places but otherwise no particular desire to rush back
* Bedford - Good learning circuit as no armco (no race licence at the circuit), plenty of run off etc. Visually boring as flat flat flat.
* Bruntingthorpe - not really a proper circuit (airfield) & not a place I'd rush to. Claim to fame is a massively long straight - big deal.
UK circuits which I personally don't have experience on, but which I feel are "must do's" (maybe this year ?) - Cadwell, Brands, Croft
EUROPEAN tracks, again in the Chim 450
* Croix en Ternois - Go kart track really (similar length to Pembrey but tighter) - if it's sunny at least it's a nice day out. Good teaching circuit.
* Dijon en Prenois - Up there with the favourites - very quick, undulating circuit in pretty surroundings. A must do for me every year.
* Magny Cours - Not everyone's cup of tea but I personally love it & the Chi always feels very planted - very fast, lots of technical corners, look forward to it every time.
* Nurburgring - simply the best - I've done just over 5,000 miles here & still don't feel as though I know it as I would like to. Everyone interested in track days should do it but a public day is a very different experience to closed days. For one thing, the latter is the only way to get in a flying lap, properly medic'd & marshaled etc. Public days are "mickey mouse" by comparison, but are acceptedly far more accessible.
* Spa - A very different circuit to the 'Ring but for sheer enjoyment up there with Nurburgring (there're only an hour or so apart so if going to one, do the other). The first time you do Eau Rouge without lifting is something else. Pouhon still more intimidating in many respecs though, given the very fast entry speed & the massesof gravel awaiting you.
>> Edited by 55jnj on Thursday 3rd February 23:34
* Castle Combe - a favourite amongst spectators because you can see so much of the action & get fairly close to the track. Downside on trackdays is that due to noise regulations you can usually only get 12 cars on track at a time which means sessions. Always an enjoyable day here though & a favourite.
* Donington - another must do. Fast, undulating but for some reason always bloody cold. Craner curves definitely demand masses of respect if fully committed. Unfortunately (& a number of people have agreed on this point), too many "hot hatches with limited driving skills" seem to populate Donington track days though. Still a favourite.
* Goodwood - No racing here anymore other than the festival means no armco & a feel that you're "back in the old days". Interesting but not demanding.
* Mallory Park - More of a bikers circuit realy & dare I say a tad boring in a car
* Oulton Park - fabulous circuit, lovely setting, slightly politically incorrect, my personal favourite in the UK
* Pembrey - Shortest circuit I've ever done in the UK - bloody long way to go - nice lap once you're in the flow. Then you're reminded as to where you are & how far it is to get home.
* Silverstone GP - No thrill in anything less than 300bhp, flat & visually boring. Always windy & cold. But is is the home of British GP so should be done.
* Snetterton - Bit of a go kart track as feels small but lots of oppoertunity for excitement
* Thruxton - very fast & interesting in just a couple of places but otherwise no particular desire to rush back
* Bedford - Good learning circuit as no armco (no race licence at the circuit), plenty of run off etc. Visually boring as flat flat flat.
* Bruntingthorpe - not really a proper circuit (airfield) & not a place I'd rush to. Claim to fame is a massively long straight - big deal.
UK circuits which I personally don't have experience on, but which I feel are "must do's" (maybe this year ?) - Cadwell, Brands, Croft
EUROPEAN tracks, again in the Chim 450
* Croix en Ternois - Go kart track really (similar length to Pembrey but tighter) - if it's sunny at least it's a nice day out. Good teaching circuit.
* Dijon en Prenois - Up there with the favourites - very quick, undulating circuit in pretty surroundings. A must do for me every year.
* Magny Cours - Not everyone's cup of tea but I personally love it & the Chi always feels very planted - very fast, lots of technical corners, look forward to it every time.
* Nurburgring - simply the best - I've done just over 5,000 miles here & still don't feel as though I know it as I would like to. Everyone interested in track days should do it but a public day is a very different experience to closed days. For one thing, the latter is the only way to get in a flying lap, properly medic'd & marshaled etc. Public days are "mickey mouse" by comparison, but are acceptedly far more accessible.
* Spa - A very different circuit to the 'Ring but for sheer enjoyment up there with Nurburgring (there're only an hour or so apart so if going to one, do the other). The first time you do Eau Rouge without lifting is something else. Pouhon still more intimidating in many respecs though, given the very fast entry speed & the massesof gravel awaiting you.
>> Edited by 55jnj on Thursday 3rd February 23:34
To add ... Cadwell is excellent, Brands is boring (Indy circuit, anyway).
But it does make a big difference what car you are in. Silverstone Grand Prix in the V8S is a few complexes connected by yawns. In a Tuscan it's a relentless rollercoaster with hardly a moment to catch your breath.
But it does make a big difference what car you are in. Silverstone Grand Prix in the V8S is a few complexes connected by yawns. In a Tuscan it's a relentless rollercoaster with hardly a moment to catch your breath.
[quote=SXS ]Damn, you've been around!
What are your lap times on these tracks?[/quote]
Well my official line has to be "I never time" because that would infringe the circuit owners' & track day organisers' insurance arrangements wouldn't it. If caught, you're on the way home straight away.
You can time at the 'Ring on a public day because you're driving on public roads but you're not doing a full lap anyway, so what's the point ?. Most timing is done Bridge to Gantry & I guess Gantry to Bridge down the straight would add another 30 secs or so.
I just push hard all the time. I try & get into a lap with what I know to be a faster car & if it's well driven, use that as a benchmark. No point comparing to a GT2 or similar though if it's being driven by an idiot.
Like most "sports" or "hobbies" you just know if you're doing well.
A highlight for me was "chasing" the GT Championship winning Mosler at Spa a couple of summers ago on a track day, the day after Martin Short had clinched the Championship in the car. The owner was driving the car rather than Martin himself & down the straights he just left me standing in the Chim. However I generally pulled him in again through any sequence of corners which felt very satisfying. I realised of course the guy was quite inexperienced & was to a certain extent nursing the car. There was still a massve bhp per tonne differential between us though.
I'd love to do the A1. Would you recommend it ?
>> Edited by 55jnj on Thursday 3rd February 23:52
What are your lap times on these tracks?[/quote]
Well my official line has to be "I never time" because that would infringe the circuit owners' & track day organisers' insurance arrangements wouldn't it. If caught, you're on the way home straight away.
You can time at the 'Ring on a public day because you're driving on public roads but you're not doing a full lap anyway, so what's the point ?. Most timing is done Bridge to Gantry & I guess Gantry to Bridge down the straight would add another 30 secs or so.
I just push hard all the time. I try & get into a lap with what I know to be a faster car & if it's well driven, use that as a benchmark. No point comparing to a GT2 or similar though if it's being driven by an idiot.
Like most "sports" or "hobbies" you just know if you're doing well.
A highlight for me was "chasing" the GT Championship winning Mosler at Spa a couple of summers ago on a track day, the day after Martin Short had clinched the Championship in the car. The owner was driving the car rather than Martin himself & down the straights he just left me standing in the Chim. However I generally pulled him in again through any sequence of corners which felt very satisfying. I realised of course the guy was quite inexperienced & was to a certain extent nursing the car. There was still a massve bhp per tonne differential between us though.
I'd love to do the A1. Would you recommend it ?
>> Edited by 55jnj on Thursday 3rd February 23:52
Yup the A1 is awesome...
hit the buckden curve, over the A14 chicane, and stretch your legs to a fiesty 5 car width straight to Yeovil rise, where you have to watch out for the juggernaught barriers as you escape at WOT and powerslide your way down to an equally impressive rising straight, but it cuts in sharp straight away as you pass the opposit A14 pit exit... but as the track closes in on itself, watch out for the marshalls, they're clued up and are always waiting to deduct points!
hit the buckden curve, over the A14 chicane, and stretch your legs to a fiesty 5 car width straight to Yeovil rise, where you have to watch out for the juggernaught barriers as you escape at WOT and powerslide your way down to an equally impressive rising straight, but it cuts in sharp straight away as you pass the opposit A14 pit exit... but as the track closes in on itself, watch out for the marshalls, they're clued up and are always waiting to deduct points!
Respect is due, that is some list of trackdays you have done! My favourite tracks are:
Oulton Park
Cadwell Park
Anglesey
Nurburgring
Intersting other tracks:
Aintree
Croft
Knockhill
Brands Full circuit
Boring:
Rockingham
Donington
Silverstone
Not driven:
Mallory Park
Castle Coombe
Thruxton
Pembery
Cheers Ian
>> Edited by Ian Lewis on Friday 4th February 12:36
Oulton Park
Cadwell Park
Anglesey
Nurburgring
Intersting other tracks:
Aintree
Croft
Knockhill
Brands Full circuit
Boring:
Rockingham
Donington
Silverstone
Not driven:
Mallory Park
Castle Coombe
Thruxton
Pembery
Cheers Ian
>> Edited by Ian Lewis on Friday 4th February 12:36
Goodwood, Castle Coombe & Brands GP do it for me!
I love Goodwood as you can almost feel the history of the place.
Snetterton is ok, quite safe and easy(ish) to master. Bedford GT is long and is often frequented by nutters, so you spend most of the time looking in your mirror for radicals.
Brands Indy.....yawn!!
Airfields ......Never as imho they do not have the safety cover of circuits.
My to do list is Silverstone, Donnington, Oulton & Thruxton
I love Goodwood as you can almost feel the history of the place.
Snetterton is ok, quite safe and easy(ish) to master. Bedford GT is long and is often frequented by nutters, so you spend most of the time looking in your mirror for radicals.
Brands Indy.....yawn!!
Airfields ......Never as imho they do not have the safety cover of circuits.
My to do list is Silverstone, Donnington, Oulton & Thruxton
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