Track day numbers

[xxdaix]

Hi there,
I am researching, for a TV program about the history of track days and how in the last 10yrs they have become a popular leisure activity.

I need to find out how many people took part in Track days in the UK last year, can anyone help? Is there a governing body that might know?
From want I can gather, because you don't need a special license or to join a club then finding out numbers is difficult.

any idea's would be helpful.

thanks
Dai

[DiscoColin]

I would think that the ATDO would be the first place to ask, but I very much doubt that they could give you the numbers you are after. However, they should be able to tell you what Track Day Organisers are members and since when - which would give you a starting point to pursue your research. But that said, I wouldn't be surprised if many of the TDOs (particularly non-affiliated ones) didn't keep accurate records going back over the years.

The circuits might be able to offer guidance on the numbers of track days and the maximum limits, but I wouldn't expect them to be able to tell you how many people actually attended.

Obviously it gets even more complicated when you consider that slots are usually booked by the car, but each can have multiple drivers... Looks to me like you are chasing an educated guess rather than truly verifiable information...?

[boxsey]

Please don't do a tele program on it. Trackdays are popular enough and just fine as they are. More exposure means more people will want to have a go. Look what happened to the popularity of the Nurburgring after Top Gear got hold of it. Yes....I agree I am being very selfish!

[shim]

i logged about 700 car trackdays for 2009 on www.openpitlane.co.uk calendar

that does inlcude a few european tracks organised by Uk TDos and some european trackdays organised by Euro TDOs

If you say 550 in the uk x 100 cars = 55000 per year

[Gumstabber]

I hope there's not a hundred cars at the next day I go to. There won't be room in the paddock or on the track!!

[xxdaix]

Hi Shim
thanks. That's a massive number plus some people share there cars as well. Interesting didn't realise it was that many.

[tertius]

xxdaix said:

Hi Shim
thanks. That's a massive number plus some people share there cars as well. Interesting didn't realise it was that many.

I think that number is too big:

Firstly the average number of cars per day cannot be 100, hardly any days have that many, I would say even 50 would be on the high side as the average.

Second many people do more than one day per year - say 3 on average?

So if you assume 50 cars per day and 3 track days per car per year you get:

550 x 50 / 3 = 9,166 cars per year.

Assume 1.5 drivers per car, on average, you get 13,750 people.

Obviously thats all guesstimates so plug your own estimates in to get your own result.

[hyperblue]

Try asking a TDO, hopefully they'd have some sort of estimates on the market size for business plan purposes.

[cmlhoey]

Tertius I think has it about right. A quick calculation I just did comes out at 12,500 - 15,000 based on the data we have.

Chris

Circuit Days Ltd