Really want to track the car but...

[gubsta]

Things like this haunt me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKfeRqgb5V0

I would be tracking my only car, and while I would only have myself to blame is I stuffed it - obviously incidents involving third parties (where you are not at fault) do occur.

So how many people track £30k+ cars - and if so how do sleep at night - or is track day insurance the norm?

Desperate to get the car on track and seriously tempted by the Evo evening @ Bedford. Anybody done it and how are the driving standards?

[PetrolTed]

Driving on track in the wet is a very, very different kettle of fish to dry conditions. You'll find most tracks empty when the rain comes down.

Whilst 888s are ok in the rain, they're not a 'wet' track tyre so you are taking a big risk hooning about in torrential rain without the right equipment.

So, that's the rain problem addressed. What next?

[PetrolTed]

Just watched the rest of the video. Apart from chasing someone else in torrential rain on the wrong tyres with a misted up car, I can't see what the guy did wrong

[davepoth]

To be fair, the driver there should have spotted the accident about to happen. Judging by the speed they were overtaking the cars in front he was really pushing it, which is always a bit risky in those conditions.

The best advice is to just not crash...

[21TonyK]

Echo above. he was driving quite hard on the wrong tyres for the condition although to be fair he was in control until he got onto the grass where you have no hope at all. Moral of the story? Stay on the black bit and don't drive of the green bit. As one well know TDO says "Couldn't be simpler, we've colour coded it for you."

Why not do an airfield day. Far less to hit.

Edited by 21TonyK on Sunday 9th May 19:41

[joe_90]

Try an airfield day first, massive run off areas, not silly over taking, and just take it only at your own pace.

[VTECMatt]

I think you are a fool to think that something like that will never happen and you are right to be worried, how ever if you drive within your limits keep a reasonable gap between you and the person in front, follow the rules and get some proper tutition you should be fine.

I have been off circuit 3 times out of 100+ all three times were mistakes by me, fortunatly I didnt hit anything although came close, but the kitty litter rash and damage to the paint work reminded me that it can happen, the first time I could have easily wrote the car off.

I take the view if it was my daily drive, insure the car, yes it costs extra £'s but the peace of mind is worth while.

[t11ner]

gubsta said:

I would be tracking my only car, and while I would only have myself to blame is I stuffed it - obviously incidents involving third parties (where you are not at fault) do occur.

Worth saying that they are extremely rare

gubsta said:

So how many people track £30k+ cars - and if so how do sleep at night - or is track day insurance the norm?

There's plenty of more expensive cars out there, you just accept the risk, or get insurance or don't do it I guess!

gubsta said:

Desperate to get the car on track and seriously tempted by the Evo evening @ Bedford. Anybody done it and how are the driving standards?

Haven't done an Evo event but I'd suggest that a full day is likely to be less full of people trying to get the maximum mileage in and getting up to pace too quickly for their own good.

HTH

Steve H

ETA, the vast majority of offs are self-inflicted so I'd go with Matt's suggestion and get some instruction.

Edited by t11ner on Sunday 9th May 23:24

[terryb]

Simples....

Get yourself insured and go and have some fun

There are a number of insurance companies that can offer trackday cover either as part of your policy or for about £60 for each trackday. The days of having to pay silly money for one off policies are long gone...

[shorts!]

Many insurance companies insist that the track day organisers are members of either ATDO or FMEO (I think I may have the abbreviations a bit wrong), if that is the case you may need to check who EVO use to organise their days/evenings. Assuming you decide you do want to be insured.

[Chris71]

I think the Evo evening in May is now sold out?

I did the August one last year and the driving standards were pretty good. There was one slight exception, but there always is, and it was better than the days I've done at Brands Hatch I reckon.

Bedford also has very little to hit if you do get it wrong, as one guy proved by launching a classic 911 way over the grass on a high speed corner (maybe not "worth over £30k" but enough not to want to replace it).

[swtmerce]

Chris71 said:

I think the Evo evening in May is now sold out?

I have one place to sell for the Evo evening in May.

Edited by swtmerce on Monday 10th May 12:30

[mrmr96]

Just buy insurance and then enjoy yourself.

Insurance tends to cost 0.5-1.5% of the vehicle value.
Excess tends to be 10% of the vehicle value.

Thats about it really.

[GC8]

PetrolTed said:

Just watched the rest of the video. Apart from chasing someone else in torrential rain on the wrong tyres with a misted up car, I can't see what the guy did wrong

You cant tell first-time track day car builders (or sometimes people with enough experience to know better), that they should leave their dashboard and blower in, at the very least: and ideally the whole heater. The useless 'ceramic windscreen heaters' are about as much use as a sh*t on a stick.

A heater/blower will add 100x the benefit (perhaps 1000x) that the loss of weight gives.....

[Porkie]

Bedford evenings are great and about as safe as you will get in my experience. Awesome awesome fun

I've always tracked my cars most worth over £30k.

Will try and sneak my F430 on there soon for few laps next time I am there in a trackcar of mine... it will get kicked straight off for noise though!

Loooove Bedford!

Edited by Porkie on Friday 14th May 16:09