WHERE TO MOVE TO ?
Discussion
Circumstances allow and I'm of a mind to relocate out of (this over-priced, interfering Nanny State) the UK.
Not quite random thoughts are Northern Ireland/Eire, France perhaps Normandy or well south or well west or Spain.
Associated with this, my definite preference is to 'keep on tracking', indeed to do more...............and in our Radical SR4 : This 'weapon of choice' is salient; not road registered, trailered to track (ideally, wouldn't want to do much more than 100 miles each way), best on up to 105 db noise limits, but capable of just about meeting 98 dB running a quiet (everything is relative!) exhaust.
So where to go? From a cursory surf, France looks favourite in terms of track day locations (although that isn't always that easy to tell as the French often don't feel the need to have a worldwide in English Version), but most seem to be in north eastern France, between Calais and Paris and the Belgian border. 'Problem' is, France is a huge country (compared to our Land of Ants) and over to there from Normandy-ish way. particularly the further west one goes towards Brittany is one heck of a trek.
From the point of view of both people and place, I really love Ireland, but there seem to be very few tracks / Trackday opportunities?
With an open top Radical, Spain would seem the best of the lot weather-wise, but I simply don't know enough (anything) about Track day opportunities; like France, it is a huge country, albeit the urban bits are generally much more coastal orientated.
Look forward to hearing from anyone who has recent, sound and firsthand knowledge of the locations I have in mind: Note recent, sound and firsthand knowledge please; not stuff like "I remember my brother did a Trackday somwhere near Paris about ten years ago and I think he enjoyed it, can't tell you much else". Perhaps some of our Irish, French and Spanish Pistonheads Friends can give some usful input on this, please?
Just to be sure, I'll also post this in a tweaked form on the Radical Forum; in the unlikely event that some of our good friends there (top bunch of guys are Radical Owners & Riders). forget to look here.
Thanks in anticipation
Not quite random thoughts are Northern Ireland/Eire, France perhaps Normandy or well south or well west or Spain.
Associated with this, my definite preference is to 'keep on tracking', indeed to do more...............and in our Radical SR4 : This 'weapon of choice' is salient; not road registered, trailered to track (ideally, wouldn't want to do much more than 100 miles each way), best on up to 105 db noise limits, but capable of just about meeting 98 dB running a quiet (everything is relative!) exhaust.
So where to go? From a cursory surf, France looks favourite in terms of track day locations (although that isn't always that easy to tell as the French often don't feel the need to have a worldwide in English Version), but most seem to be in north eastern France, between Calais and Paris and the Belgian border. 'Problem' is, France is a huge country (compared to our Land of Ants) and over to there from Normandy-ish way. particularly the further west one goes towards Brittany is one heck of a trek.
From the point of view of both people and place, I really love Ireland, but there seem to be very few tracks / Trackday opportunities?
With an open top Radical, Spain would seem the best of the lot weather-wise, but I simply don't know enough (anything) about Track day opportunities; like France, it is a huge country, albeit the urban bits are generally much more coastal orientated.
Look forward to hearing from anyone who has recent, sound and firsthand knowledge of the locations I have in mind: Note recent, sound and firsthand knowledge please; not stuff like "I remember my brother did a Trackday somwhere near Paris about ten years ago and I think he enjoyed it, can't tell you much else". Perhaps some of our Irish, French and Spanish Pistonheads Friends can give some usful input on this, please?
Just to be sure, I'll also post this in a tweaked form on the Radical Forum; in the unlikely event that some of our good friends there (top bunch of guys are Radical Owners & Riders). forget to look here.
Thanks in anticipation
Yup.
http://www.lotus-on-track.com/circuit_guide/europe...
I did Folembray in Northern France recently, great track and setting. I've also done some further South...Dijon, Charade and Ledenon in particular are fantastic. Ales interesting but a little lacking in high speed corners.
http://www.lotus-on-track.com/circuit_guide/europe...
I did Folembray in Northern France recently, great track and setting. I've also done some further South...Dijon, Charade and Ledenon in particular are fantastic. Ales interesting but a little lacking in high speed corners.
My parents moved to Normandy 10 years ago, I have taken all my cars there, and there is nothing better than a blast round the country lanes, no traffic, superb open roads, very little plod when you go deep into the country, plus there are loads of great days out driving and you can cover so much ground in little time.Not tracked it there but there are tracks about.
Plus LeMans is there, and a long day drive gets you to Monnaco.
Plus LeMans is there, and a long day drive gets you to Monnaco.
Edited by G T 3 on Tuesday 4th November 16:55
G T 3 said:
My parents moved to Normandy 10 years ago, I have taken all my cars there, and there is nothing better than a blast round the country lanes, no traffic, superb open roads, very little plod when you go deep into the country, plus there are loads of great days out driving and you can cover so much ground in little time.Not tracked it there but there are tracks about.
Plus LeMans is there, and a long day drive gets you to Monnaco.
Cheers GT3Plus LeMans is there, and a long day drive gets you to Monnaco.
Edited by G T 3 on Tuesday 4th November 16:55
Have driven and ridden in Normandy, Seine etc quite a bit and yes indeed, the roads, lack of plod and a much less interfering attitude generally are all true. Familiar with Le Mans and as far as I'm aware, one can't Trackday at Monaco?
The point is about where one can Trackday a non road registered Radical in the vicinity; even if it was road registered, as good as the roads are, there's no way one can ten tenths a Radical on the road; it'd just be a question of time before the Radical driver and however many else got involved departed this earth.
See you reckon there are Tracks in the vicinity: As they'll be well in the know (or know someone who does) after 10 years, might it be possible for you to find out via your parents?
Would be much appreciated.
I trailer my BEC to trackdays in France. I live in The Loire and we have 3 tracks nearby Le Mans Bugatti, Val de Vienne and Fay de Bretagne. Days usually cost about €120 - €140, but are not generally as well organised as UK events. The lunches are much better though.
The place to find events is http://www.trackdays.fr or http://www.pilotedudimanche.net/
The fact that you car is not road registered is not a problem, you just need to have Civil liability insurance cover for the day, €24 from Gras Savoye in Lyon.
I do agree that you would find Charade a most entertaining cicuit in a Radical, you also have Issoire, just south as well.
I also live in southern Spain during the winter and know of only one circuit near Granada that offers a few trackdays - unless you can afford Ascari, of course.
Good luck with your search
The place to find events is http://www.trackdays.fr or http://www.pilotedudimanche.net/
The fact that you car is not road registered is not a problem, you just need to have Civil liability insurance cover for the day, €24 from Gras Savoye in Lyon.
I do agree that you would find Charade a most entertaining cicuit in a Radical, you also have Issoire, just south as well.
I also live in southern Spain during the winter and know of only one circuit near Granada that offers a few trackdays - unless you can afford Ascari, of course.
Good luck with your search
rdjohn said:
I trailer my BEC to trackdays in France. I live in The Loire and we have 3 tracks nearby Le Mans Bugatti, Val de Vienne and Fay de Bretagne. Days usually cost about €120 - €140, but are not generally as well organised as UK events. The lunches are much better though.
The place to find events is http://www.trackdays.fr or http://www.pilotedudimanche.net/
The fact that you car is not road registered is not a problem, you just need to have Civil liability insurance cover for the day, €24 from Gras Savoye in Lyon.
I do agree that you would find Charade a most entertaining cicuit in a Radical, you also have Issoire, just south as well.
I also live in southern Spain during the winter and know of only one circuit near Granada that offers a few trackdays - unless you can afford Ascari, of course.
Good luck with your search
John, thanks a million; just the sort of totally in the know and actually on the ground input I was hoping for. Brilliant.The place to find events is http://www.trackdays.fr or http://www.pilotedudimanche.net/
The fact that you car is not road registered is not a problem, you just need to have Civil liability insurance cover for the day, €24 from Gras Savoye in Lyon.
I do agree that you would find Charade a most entertaining cicuit in a Radical, you also have Issoire, just south as well.
I also live in southern Spain during the winter and know of only one circuit near Granada that offers a few trackdays - unless you can afford Ascari, of course.
Good luck with your search
As I remain totally serious about this (and your input has really given me increased optimism), will have a good peruse through over the weekend; time has allowed only a cursory inspection thus far; that suggests that I am going to struggle a bit with my schoolboy level French! In other words, I might like to pick your brains further on this if that might be possible? One thing I will be trying to establish is which tracks have covered pits; always useful with an 'open to air' (therefore rain) Radical. That said, I guess I could always buy and get by with an portable enclosed canopy type thing.
As I said, brilliant and very much appreciated.
Hi,I'm living in Dublin and can tell you that there are only 2 tracks on the island that have trackdays.Mondello in the south near Naas,and Kirkistown in the north near Portavogie, on the Ards Peninsula.
Mondello is 2.4 miles long and is a FIA licenced International race track.I find its full of turns and never really gets going!!Its also very bloody expensive to do trackdays there,€350 for a full day,which will give you 6 or 7 15 minute sessions.Here's the website ......http://www.mondello.ie/
Kirkistown is 1.5 miles long and is really 2 long straights,easy to learn but also easy to get bored with quickly.Having said that,I do about 2 trackdays a year therefor the past 11 years.I use it as a shakedown circuit a few weeks before I head to the UK to do a trackday.However,its very cheap,about £100.I use a company called Trackskills,who run the days very well,with plenty of tracktime and no messing allowed out on track,as you would expect.
Here's the 2 websites needed for Kirkistown
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/kirkistowntrackdays/ktd... this site is to allow you to see the track layout,ignore the trackdates,as these are for bikes.
www.trackskills.com is the website for info on car trackdays there.But it seems to be down at the moment!!
So I'd rule Ireland out,as its too limited.I get the ferry to the UK twice a year to do RS Owners trackdays at Croft and Donnington,and its costs a lot in ferry's,hotels,food and fuel for the towcar!!!
Hope this helps you,regards,Micky
Mondello is 2.4 miles long and is a FIA licenced International race track.I find its full of turns and never really gets going!!Its also very bloody expensive to do trackdays there,€350 for a full day,which will give you 6 or 7 15 minute sessions.Here's the website ......http://www.mondello.ie/
Kirkistown is 1.5 miles long and is really 2 long straights,easy to learn but also easy to get bored with quickly.Having said that,I do about 2 trackdays a year therefor the past 11 years.I use it as a shakedown circuit a few weeks before I head to the UK to do a trackday.However,its very cheap,about £100.I use a company called Trackskills,who run the days very well,with plenty of tracktime and no messing allowed out on track,as you would expect.
Here's the 2 websites needed for Kirkistown
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/kirkistowntrackdays/ktd... this site is to allow you to see the track layout,ignore the trackdates,as these are for bikes.
www.trackskills.com is the website for info on car trackdays there.But it seems to be down at the moment!!
So I'd rule Ireland out,as its too limited.I get the ferry to the UK twice a year to do RS Owners trackdays at Croft and Donnington,and its costs a lot in ferry's,hotels,food and fuel for the towcar!!!
Hope this helps you,regards,Micky
Will check out tracks, but if you do move to France you would be mad not to have road legal car for those lane blasts, my bro lives there to and just sold his left hook 968 for 6K, you can get a bargain LHD car out there....or even less here!!!!!
My mate Mad mac had a place there to and used to take his Superlight R out there for a blast, now take his Noble.....even my dad had a Citroen AX, factory fit twin forties!!!!!! Which was great for a blast.
My mate Mad mac had a place there to and used to take his Superlight R out there for a blast, now take his Noble.....even my dad had a Citroen AX, factory fit twin forties!!!!!! Which was great for a blast.
rdjohn said:
I also live in southern Spain during the winter and know of only one circuit near Granada that offers a few trackdays - unless you can afford Ascari, of course.
My vote would be Spain but then I live here permanently and run a trackday company with a fellow petrolhead living here ( www.trackdaysspain.com) 
There's quite a few tracks to use but not enough people here with the trackday bug to make it viable for us to run days at the majority of places. We are now running days at least every two months at Almeria and Guadix but could just as easily use Jerez if we could cover the costs.The roads here are great, the weather is great, the food and drink is cheap and there's some great deals around the corner for property! A few of our regulars are now trailering the cars to the circuits and we actually leave the Radical SR3 at Guadix. We have a good relationship with Radical Spain and they always have a mechanic available to be there at any event.
Andy
Edited by ShinyAndy on Tuesday 11th November 14:16
ShinyAndy said:
rdjohn said:
I also live in southern Spain during the winter and know of only one circuit near Granada that offers a few trackdays - unless you can afford Ascari, of course.
My vote would be Spain but then I live here permanently and run a trackday company with a fellow petrolhead living here ( www.trackdaysspain.com) There's quite a few tracks to use but not enough people here with the trackday bug to make it viable for us to run days at the majority of places. We are now running days at least every two months at Almeria and Guadix but could just as easily use Jerez if we could cover the costs.The roads here are great, the weather is great, the food and drink is cheap and there's some great deals around the corner for property! A few of our regulars are now trailering the cars to the circuits and we actually leave the Radical SR3 at Guadix. We have a good relationship with Radical Spain and they always have a mechanic available to be there at any event.
Andy
Edited by ShinyAndy on Tuesday 11th November 14:16
This sounds very interesting indeed, in fact I might already be foaming at the mouth!
Certainly, Spain's warmer and less inclement climate seems inherently more compatible with a Radical and presumably the fact that you have and use an SR3 means me looking to track a non road-registered SR4 would present no problems.
Really, I could do with connecting with you direct and in more detail; stuff like 'how many are you doing where and how much next year', depending on that (and other things, like proximity - miles etc - to airports so Co-Pilot Willbee could get over there) where best to look for a property (we hear horror stories over here all the time about what the Spanish Government in concert with Property Developers get up to) etc.
How about pinging me your email so we can hook up in more detail PDQ ASAP on this? Who knows, perhaps we could get to be one of your best customers!
Pity the Euro's no longer worth about 55p against the £ like back in early 04
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