My first Oulton Park Track Day
Discussion
What an absolutely fantastic day. Didnt think i was going to enjoy it so much and even after the firt couple of hours i still had doubts but as the day went on i loved it more and more.
It wasnt quite what i expected in terms of it being a "novice" day as there were a few drivers on the track that were obviously not novices however they did seem to realsie that us track virgins needed our space and were vbery patient and courteous when required.
I wont go into song and verse about the day but basically it began about 7.30 with a briefing session. This was very brief and within no time at all we were on the track following the siting car. At this nstage i was s
tting myself as i thought the siting car was going too fast !!
Following the siting laps we were split into three geoups and we all had a 20 minute session. Because there wasnt that many cars on the track they decided to make it open pit which at first i didnt like the idea of as i felt comfortable with just a few cars on the trackduring the session but this wasnt a problem as people didnt hog the track which was good. It never felt lioke too many cars on the track at once at all.
It was very apparent that i was the most nervous and probably the slowest on track so i booked an instructor for a 25 minute session. He was very patient and obviously very experienced and gave me advice on steeering, braking, accelerating, lines etc.
When i was back in the car on my own i felt myself getting more and more confident and although we werent timed it was obvious to me that i was geting quicker.
We met loads of nice people in particular a couple in a Renault and we passengered each other around the track in our cars. I say we passengered loosely because i refused to be a passenger in anyone elses car due to nerves !!
There were quite a few Lotus owners there as well and we had a few good chats etc. Adain i say "we" as me and my mate both went in our Lotus`.
Later in the day the instructor who took me out came up to me and offered to take me around the track in his car, although i was nervous again i went with him. I can honestly say i have never felt safer in a car (thanks Howard)and really enjoyed it. It was a real eye opener to see the limits that a car can be driven to in a safe and controlled manner.
All in all it was an excellent day and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely do a few more track days as i felt it was very beneficial.
I have put a few pics on below and they are very rare as there are actually cars behind me. The yellow one is a Porsche and he was probably the quickest car there today although a Subaru ran him close.
edited to add my exhaust was measured at 97 and only one person there was over the limit of 105.
It wasnt quite what i expected in terms of it being a "novice" day as there were a few drivers on the track that were obviously not novices however they did seem to realsie that us track virgins needed our space and were vbery patient and courteous when required.
I wont go into song and verse about the day but basically it began about 7.30 with a briefing session. This was very brief and within no time at all we were on the track following the siting car. At this nstage i was s
tting myself as i thought the siting car was going too fast !!Following the siting laps we were split into three geoups and we all had a 20 minute session. Because there wasnt that many cars on the track they decided to make it open pit which at first i didnt like the idea of as i felt comfortable with just a few cars on the trackduring the session but this wasnt a problem as people didnt hog the track which was good. It never felt lioke too many cars on the track at once at all.
It was very apparent that i was the most nervous and probably the slowest on track so i booked an instructor for a 25 minute session. He was very patient and obviously very experienced and gave me advice on steeering, braking, accelerating, lines etc.
When i was back in the car on my own i felt myself getting more and more confident and although we werent timed it was obvious to me that i was geting quicker.
We met loads of nice people in particular a couple in a Renault and we passengered each other around the track in our cars. I say we passengered loosely because i refused to be a passenger in anyone elses car due to nerves !!
There were quite a few Lotus owners there as well and we had a few good chats etc. Adain i say "we" as me and my mate both went in our Lotus`.
Later in the day the instructor who took me out came up to me and offered to take me around the track in his car, although i was nervous again i went with him. I can honestly say i have never felt safer in a car (thanks Howard)and really enjoyed it. It was a real eye opener to see the limits that a car can be driven to in a safe and controlled manner.
All in all it was an excellent day and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely do a few more track days as i felt it was very beneficial.
I have put a few pics on below and they are very rare as there are actually cars behind me. The yellow one is a Porsche and he was probably the quickest car there today although a Subaru ran him close.
edited to add my exhaust was measured at 97 and only one person there was over the limit of 105.
Edited by hueandcry71 on Wednesday 23 April 22:17
Sounds like an enjoyable day. I'm still awaiting my first track experience in my Elise.
Glad to know i'm not the only one who feels nervous as a passenger. I like to drive fairly briskly, but absolutely brick myself when being driven at speed as a passenger.
I reckon its down to me being a control freak. I similarly hate travelling on aeroplanes!
Glad to know i'm not the only one who feels nervous as a passenger. I like to drive fairly briskly, but absolutely brick myself when being driven at speed as a passenger.
I reckon its down to me being a control freak. I similarly hate travelling on aeroplanes!
kevin ritson said:
Well done, these track days can get addictive
What did you think of Oulton Park?
i liked it, everything we needed was there. The staff were helpful, the weather was great and most of the other people were friendly.They also do a good breakfast !!What did you think of Oulton Park?
Not sure if it was worth £200 + £10 helmet + £25 instructor + £30 photographs though. I think £200 for everything including breakfast would be a fairer price.
A morning or afternoon session would be enough for me next time especially if it is open pit.
Have you tracked there?? There was one (well most really) bloody corner that i just could not get right. I kept going through it in 2nd gear and when my mate passengered with me he made the quote of the day "for fXXXs sake no kids are going to run into the road". He made a similar comment when i was in 6th gear later round the circuit. It was all part of my learning curve.
The instructor did tell me that i could/should be doing the whole circuit in 4th.Anyway, the corner that i just referred to (sorry dont know the name) was on an incline and i was supposed to start turning into it from the top of the incline and hug the chevrons at the bottom on the way around. My mind wouldnt let my hands and feet do it no matter how many times i tried or no matter how hard i concentrated. It just didnt feel normal doing it that way and i just couldnt master it. It became quite comical in the end.
There is also a couple of tight little chicanes that i loved going through, i thought i went through them quite well until i got in the instructors car.
hueandcry71 said:
kevin ritson said:
Well done, these track days can get addictive
What did you think of Oulton Park?
i liked it, everything we needed was there. The staff were helpful, the weather was great and most of the other people were friendly.They also do a good breakfast !!What did you think of Oulton Park?
Not sure which corner you mean, have a look here and see if you can work out which one:
http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/images/circuits/...
Haven't driven Oulton yet (apart from on the Playstation
) but have been there for last year's Elise race and seen a few BTCC races on the TV, from that and recommendations it's definitely one of the UK's best.LOL my first "track day" was what you might call a baptism-by-fire.....a weekend blasting around the Nurburgring in my old S1 with no instruction, a busy track and no idea which way the corners went as they flew up under my wheels!
BUT - I had the time of my life, lived to tell the tale (and not a mark on the car either) and can't wait to do it again in the S2.
Only slight downer to the experience was that my best mate (who passengered my drive around) threw up in my footwell half way around because of how ill the earlier BMW Ringtaxi had made him....DOH!
What it truly opened my eyes to is this: Tracks are where a Lotus comes alive - no amount of road driving can prepare you for what they can do on-track.
Amazing experience
BUT - I had the time of my life, lived to tell the tale (and not a mark on the car either) and can't wait to do it again in the S2.
Only slight downer to the experience was that my best mate (who passengered my drive around) threw up in my footwell half way around because of how ill the earlier BMW Ringtaxi had made him....DOH!
What it truly opened my eyes to is this: Tracks are where a Lotus comes alive - no amount of road driving can prepare you for what they can do on-track.
Amazing experience
hueandcry71 said:
Anyway, the corner that i just referred to (sorry dont know the name) was on an incline and i was supposed to start turning into it from the top of the incline and hug the chevrons at the bottom on the way around. My mind wouldnt let my hands and feet do it no matter how many times i tried or no matter how hard i concentrated. It just didnt feel normal doing it that way and i just couldnt master it. It became quite comical in the end.
Was it a lefthander? Cascades is the only downhill one I can think of...Cuzza said:
hueandcry71 said:
Anyway, the corner that i just referred to (sorry dont know the name) was on an incline and i was supposed to start turning into it from the top of the incline and hug the chevrons at the bottom on the way around. My mind wouldnt let my hands and feet do it no matter how many times i tried or no matter how hard i concentrated. It just didnt feel normal doing it that way and i just couldnt master it. It became quite comical in the end.
Was it a lefthander? Cascades is the only downhill one I can think of...stevo96 said:
It was the hair pin captain slow! You still aching?!
I was waiting for you to rear your ugly head. As i said yesterday im more concerned by my carbon footprint than how fast im going.Just tried calling you to tell you to put BBC2 on, Aspen White Exige S was on. Quite possibly the most beautiful Lotus i have ever seen. Its a good job CN have sold theirs otherwise i would have been on the phone tomorrow pestering Jeff again !!
PS
Isnt that the Porsche that was lapping everyone behind me ?
PPS
Just been looking at the pics again and if i zoom in on some of them you can see the instructors hand on my steering wheel.
[footnote]Edited by hueandcry71 on Thursday 24th April 21:05[/footnote
Edited by hueandcry71 on Thursday 24th April 21:26
I did the Castle Coombe Sports Saloon course yesterday (needed the certificate so that my CCI free trackday insurance can kick in) and other than a wet lap of the Ring in my A3 coal burner, it was my first time on a track with a car (usually use the bike).
Fisrt off in the Subara, (the new 290+ bhp) one, I couldn't seem to string it together very well at all. The car felt like a very fast version of my A3, but compared to my Exige S, like a big lardy jelly on a plate and I was struggling to get the car slowed from around 115mph and through the first corner sequence without too much understeer.
However, switching to the Elise (2002 - K Series - 156 bhp) was a revelation. I expected it to be lacking in pace compared to my car, but none of it and the thing could really scream around the circuit - overtaking the single seaters, flat out in 4th approaching Tower corner was a real hoot!
The instructers were great and seemed genuinely interested in improving your driving, especially Tim Nash in the Elise who lifted my confidence no end.
I can't wait to get my own car on track now!
Fisrt off in the Subara, (the new 290+ bhp) one, I couldn't seem to string it together very well at all. The car felt like a very fast version of my A3, but compared to my Exige S, like a big lardy jelly on a plate and I was struggling to get the car slowed from around 115mph and through the first corner sequence without too much understeer.
However, switching to the Elise (2002 - K Series - 156 bhp) was a revelation. I expected it to be lacking in pace compared to my car, but none of it and the thing could really scream around the circuit - overtaking the single seaters, flat out in 4th approaching Tower corner was a real hoot!
The instructers were great and seemed genuinely interested in improving your driving, especially Tim Nash in the Elise who lifted my confidence no end.
I can't wait to get my own car on track now!
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