Idiots at trackdays
Discussion
Sorry to sound like a moaning Minnie...I have not been to too many trackdays for a while but have done two at Snetterton recently.
After the briefing which gives some pretty simple do's and don'ts, why is it that some people go out of their way to ignore this. Today we had people overtaking on the sighting laps, people returning to the pits without their helmets on a red flag lap. Last time we had people drifting on the siting laps and during the session...never mind the 15 people told to go home and the 3 or 4 Fiestas smashed up.
Some of the infringements are pretty minor really, but I just do not understand why some are either so stupid or arrogant?
I still had great fun though but the continuous red flags at one point did put a dampener on things for a while. The day improved massively towards the end because all the idiots had either smashed theirs cars up or been sent home...pity it took the organisers so long to sort them out!
After the briefing which gives some pretty simple do's and don'ts, why is it that some people go out of their way to ignore this. Today we had people overtaking on the sighting laps, people returning to the pits without their helmets on a red flag lap. Last time we had people drifting on the siting laps and during the session...never mind the 15 people told to go home and the 3 or 4 Fiestas smashed up.
Some of the infringements are pretty minor really, but I just do not understand why some are either so stupid or arrogant?
I still had great fun though but the continuous red flags at one point did put a dampener on things for a while. The day improved massively towards the end because all the idiots had either smashed theirs cars up or been sent home...pity it took the organisers so long to sort them out!
It's partly because they think rules don't apply to them. They've probably been told to their reckless driving on a track and think they know it all.
On the other hand they might be seasoned veterans of the track day scene and are just arrogant pricks
On the other hand they might be seasoned veterans of the track day scene and are just arrogant pricks
Edited by velocefica on Saturday 12th March 19:31
Complain to the TDO and everyone remember race control have a massive bank of CCTV monitors.
However a few years ago paxing a chum in his Nissan GTR Black Edition we were overtaken by a female so called racing driver going through a tight corner, a big no no. So we went to race control and were told we were the 8th person to complain about it. However the circuit said they could do nothing about it because ........
However a few years ago paxing a chum in his Nissan GTR Black Edition we were overtaken by a female so called racing driver going through a tight corner, a big no no. So we went to race control and were told we were the 8th person to complain about it. However the circuit said they could do nothing about it because ........
Edited by Mrs Muttleysnoop on Saturday 12th March 19:41
From the track days I have attended, most idiots either seem to think it's a full on race, undertake on the wrong side or overtake without invitation. These tend to be cheap and overcrowded events, Brands hatch Indy evening sessions are a prime example.
It annoys me that these numpties get away with it. I tend to pay more and avoid these individuals but means I will attend less track day events. And I only drive a £2k Clio.
It annoys me that these numpties get away with it. I tend to pay more and avoid these individuals but means I will attend less track day events. And I only drive a £2k Clio.
I was at a trackday yesterday and was talking to a guy who was also at a trackday a few weeks ago that I had been working on. He mentioned that early in the day he had seen some poor behaviour on track, overtaking into corners etc. I asked if he had reported it but he said he hadn't because he didn't like to be "that guy" who was complaining.
I'm not blaming the fella, he's an experienced driver and just wanted a fun day out and everyone feels a bit that way but it's tough for organisers to fix problems when they don't know about them
.
I'm not blaming the fella, he's an experienced driver and just wanted a fun day out and everyone feels a bit that way but it's tough for organisers to fix problems when they don't know about them
.Steve H said:
I was at a trackday yesterday and was talking to a guy who was also at a trackday a few weeks ago that I had been working on. He mentioned that early in the day he had seen some poor behaviour on track, overtaking into corners etc. I asked if he had reported it but he said he hadn't because he didn't like to be "that guy" who was complaining.
I'm not blaming the fella, he's an experienced driver and just wanted a fun day out and everyone feels a bit that way but it's tough for organisers to fix problems when they don't know about them .
true.I'm not blaming the fella, he's an experienced driver and just wanted a fun day out and everyone feels a bit that way but it's tough for organisers to fix problems when they don't know about them
.however, what about cctv? i've seen the Snett control room, it has big colour hi res screens.
Steve H said:
It does, that's true but race control is there to deal with immediate safety issues, same goes for the marshals. Nobody is going to get a better view than the drivers on the track and nobody has more of a vested interest in making the event work well than the drivers on the track.
agree that drivers should report.i was black flagged at Snett - via cctv - for hitting the grass past Hamilton. No spin, just 2 wheels throwing up dirt. Marshal politely told me that the control room had initiated the flag and that i should take care after high speed Ham before sharp Oggies. all good. My only thought was - why don't we see more flags? easy to do from cctv and plenty of bad behaviour in the morning should be put in check before red flags close the circuit.
It's harder than you'd think to monitor standards via CCTV and they don't want the marshals using the radio channel too much in case it's needed for safety transmissions.
At MSV circuits they now have sensors in the most commonly used runoff areas that automatically trigger a camera shot of you exceeding track limits, keeping us off the grass is one of Dr Palmers missions in life.
At MSV circuits they now have sensors in the most commonly used runoff areas that automatically trigger a camera shot of you exceeding track limits, keeping us off the grass is one of Dr Palmers missions in life.
Steve H said:
At MSV circuits they now have sensors in the most commonly used runoff areas that automatically trigger a camera shot of you exceeding track limits, keeping us off the grass is one of Dr Palmers missions in life.
yes, he did mention that past Hamilton was a trigger point.we can start to speculate where the others are now
Afternoon all.
I was also at the Snetterton day on Saturday. I do acknowledge the huge costs in keeping these tracks going and justifying investment from the operators.
However, when the TDO asked a show of hands to identify how many cars were road legal, 6 out of 75 put our hands up.
I don't have an issue with race cars being on a track day when road legal cars are on track, however it's all about the adherence to track day rules, designed to keep a day safe and enjoyable by all.
Saturday was fairly ruined, at least in the morning session, by the Fiesta race cars trying to best each other's laps times. This meant that they ignored many track day rules, such as blue flags issued at them and aggressive tailgating. On a track day, I find it best to drive sensibly to the point that if there are a series of slower cars in front, give them some space to refile order and then when on a straight make the overtake if necessary.
Saturday was frankly ridiculous and it is my view that the TDO's must be far swifter to action threats when continual disregard for the rules are observed. Blatant timing on the pit lanes, causing multiple red and yellow flags all morning.
A track day for a road car driver is all about establishing rhythm and learning to understand your car better, this becomes more difficult with so many stoppages.
G
I was also at the Snetterton day on Saturday. I do acknowledge the huge costs in keeping these tracks going and justifying investment from the operators.
However, when the TDO asked a show of hands to identify how many cars were road legal, 6 out of 75 put our hands up.
I don't have an issue with race cars being on a track day when road legal cars are on track, however it's all about the adherence to track day rules, designed to keep a day safe and enjoyable by all.
Saturday was fairly ruined, at least in the morning session, by the Fiesta race cars trying to best each other's laps times. This meant that they ignored many track day rules, such as blue flags issued at them and aggressive tailgating. On a track day, I find it best to drive sensibly to the point that if there are a series of slower cars in front, give them some space to refile order and then when on a straight make the overtake if necessary.
Saturday was frankly ridiculous and it is my view that the TDO's must be far swifter to action threats when continual disregard for the rules are observed. Blatant timing on the pit lanes, causing multiple red and yellow flags all morning.
A track day for a road car driver is all about establishing rhythm and learning to understand your car better, this becomes more difficult with so many stoppages.
G
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