New to track days, any advice.
Discussion
Hi guys
Im new to this forum thing so please go easy on me. I am considering buying a track day car to have a bit of a play with. I have a few options but will probably end up going for lotus elise. I want to get into trackdays but don't really know where to start? I have visited a few trackdays at Brands Hatch and Donnington for a look. Are there any track days you can go to where there isn't loads of cars on track at the same time?so i can get clear laps in...i don't want to spend all of my time either over taking or moving out of the way as i can do this on the m25. If i buy a car to start doing trackdays i won't mind paying more than for the normal day just so long as the track is quieter.
Any advice on where to look please??
Also what about driver training? has anyone got any good advice on who is good or what is available?as its been a LONG time since i was karting
Thanks
William
Im new to this forum thing so please go easy on me. I am considering buying a track day car to have a bit of a play with. I have a few options but will probably end up going for lotus elise. I want to get into trackdays but don't really know where to start? I have visited a few trackdays at Brands Hatch and Donnington for a look. Are there any track days you can go to where there isn't loads of cars on track at the same time?so i can get clear laps in...i don't want to spend all of my time either over taking or moving out of the way as i can do this on the m25. If i buy a car to start doing trackdays i won't mind paying more than for the normal day just so long as the track is quieter.
Any advice on where to look please??
Also what about driver training? has anyone got any good advice on who is good or what is available?as its been a LONG time since i was karting
Thanks
William
Welcome...
If you are driving to the track, an Elise will be fine (I have one!). If trailering, consider a Caterham-esque car, which may be a better track proposition, but not much fun on a 200 mile trip back from the track in the heaving rain.
I think that clear laps make track days less interesting, but you don't want them packed out. Lotus on Track are widely regarded as one of the best (good on track manners, not packed out, cheap), especially for Elises & Caterhams (www.lotus-on-track.com)
www.carlimits.com for driver training, and hire an instructor for at least a session on the track day.
Mike...
If you are driving to the track, an Elise will be fine (I have one!). If trailering, consider a Caterham-esque car, which may be a better track proposition, but not much fun on a 200 mile trip back from the track in the heaving rain.
I think that clear laps make track days less interesting, but you don't want them packed out. Lotus on Track are widely regarded as one of the best (good on track manners, not packed out, cheap), especially for Elises & Caterhams (www.lotus-on-track.com)
www.carlimits.com for driver training, and hire an instructor for at least a session on the track day.
Mike...
Have a look at www.bookatrack.com . They guarantee no queues to get on track on open pit lane days. Bookatrack is highly regarded for quality track days.
Barry
Barry
I would say it's worth trying a regular open pitlane day.
In my (admittedly fairly limited) experience they never get completely congested and in something like an Elise you should be lapping at a reasonably normal pace, so you'd probably be neither sything through the field, nor acting as a road block). When you do come across traffic, as long as you're in the habbit of checking your mirrors, I'd say that overtaking is much more frustrating than being overtaken, but that depends on the driving standards, not the density of traffic particularly. You can get stuck behind the same expensive, poorly driven 'fast' car for laps on end on an otherwise deserted track if they fail to let you by.
In my (admittedly fairly limited) experience they never get completely congested and in something like an Elise you should be lapping at a reasonably normal pace, so you'd probably be neither sything through the field, nor acting as a road block). When you do come across traffic, as long as you're in the habbit of checking your mirrors, I'd say that overtaking is much more frustrating than being overtaken, but that depends on the driving standards, not the density of traffic particularly. You can get stuck behind the same expensive, poorly driven 'fast' car for laps on end on an otherwise deserted track if they fail to let you by.
Thanks guys
In my trawling through the net i found one on the motorsport vision website that looks really good.
www.motorsportvision.co.uk/trackdays/event-details...
has anyone been on one of these carlin run days before?
In my trawling through the net i found one on the motorsport vision website that looks really good.
www.motorsportvision.co.uk/trackdays/event-details...
has anyone been on one of these carlin run days before?
TrackdayBill said:
has anyone been on one of these carlin run days before?
I think I'm right in saying no one has. Ever.I believe they were only announced yesterday.
I'd still maintain a regular open pitlane day with a sensible track limit will give you more than enough to think about first time out though.
TrackdayBill said:
OK
I used to do a lot of Karting back in the day ( just after the wheel was invented!)
Are you allowed to use timing equipment at regular trackdays. I know that one i went to look at at Brands Hatch the other month wouldn't allow it?? Whats the rules that?
Thanks
William
Timing is strictly banned, otherwise it becomes a test day, for which I think you need a race licence.I used to do a lot of Karting back in the day ( just after the wheel was invented!)
Are you allowed to use timing equipment at regular trackdays. I know that one i went to look at at Brands Hatch the other month wouldn't allow it?? Whats the rules that?
Thanks
William
Mike...
Elderly said:
Strange ..... this carlin (track?)day appears to offer timing equipment for each car taking part 
My post was a bit ambiguous: Technically, you can 'time' yourself as long as there is no visible readout in the car. (So you can install a full blown datalogger and be ok, but if it has a display this must be covered up.)Presumably the carlin day has timing which is logged but not visible, so you get your times at the end of the day but don't get to find out if you are a tenth down on your last lap, for example.
Failing that, MSV may be willing to pay the increased public liability insurance associated with a timed day, which i believe is the reason for not allowing it on a track day.
Even people standing on the pitwall with a stopwatch is not normally allowed, and specifically prohibited in a number of TDO briefings.
Mike...
TrackdayBill said:
so are there other track days that you can time or be timed at? i dont understand?
I suspect a driver training day is run differently to a track day or something. Maybe if you're actively under instruction you can be timed as a training aid? Maybe they're just bending the rules? I don't know. As stated above, technically you can't use timing gear on a track day.
i can understand if there was 40 cars out at one time that it would be dangerous but with 20 surely there will be lots of space. i used to race karts alot way back, so it should be ok i would have thought. This carlin lot are gonna have their racing drivers there to help get tips from too apparently so hopefuly it should be pretty safe. Whats the Bedford track like?
I might look at doing a normal day first though...just to get my eye back in again.
I might look at doing a normal day first though...just to get my eye back in again.
Normal overtaking rules are: overtaking on one specified side only (on the left except at Castle Combe),
no overtaking in the braking zones or around bends, and sometimes overtaking by consent only.
If you are new to trackdays, learning the circuit (and your car) looking for braking points, turning points, apex, exits etc.
the last thing you need at that time/place on the circuit is a quicker car passing you into and around you (maybe inside you!) on a bend.
You need to be concentrating on what's ahead of you at your stage and at those times, and knowing you only have to check your mirrors on a regular basis for quicker drivers on the straights only, where you can pull over under full control and let them through.
no overtaking in the braking zones or around bends, and sometimes overtaking by consent only.
If you are new to trackdays, learning the circuit (and your car) looking for braking points, turning points, apex, exits etc.
the last thing you need at that time/place on the circuit is a quicker car passing you into and around you (maybe inside you!) on a bend.
You need to be concentrating on what's ahead of you at your stage and at those times, and knowing you only have to check your mirrors on a regular basis for quicker drivers on the straights only, where you can pull over under full control and let them through.
TrackdayBill said:
why would this be a problem though? it's one of the reasons that it interests me
I think the inference is you can go past on either side, through corners etc. Normally it's on the left only, only on a straight, usually by invitation from the slower car (although they are sort of obliged to do so).If that sounds restrictive, it's not. It seems to work very well and it means that novices don't get the life scared out of them by vastly quicker cars going by one on each side through a corner or anything like that. Can't say I've done any of the more exclusive events, but as a recent newcomer to track days I have to say the normal days seem to work fine.
In fact, it has to be said the only bad driving I've seen has been from people with fast, expensive cars and no idea what to do with them. You could hypothesise that these people are more likely to turn up at one of the exclusive events with added snob appeal than a basic track day.
eta: Beaten to it! You get the idea though...
Edited by Chris71 on Thursday 7th May 15:06
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