Beginner Trackdays
Range of events now available for those who have never done a trackday before
Anyone who hasn’t tried a trackday before may want to try these out.
Club MSV just gave us a call as they’ve just confirmed a whole selection of trackdays exclusively for anyone that’s not been on track before.
There are additional briefings on vehicle preparation, track etiquette, track driving techniques and the correct racing line to get you started.
The dates are:
Saturday 23rd February Oulton Park £99
Tuesday 25th March Brands Hatch £179
Wednesday 26th March Snetterton £109
Monday 14th April Brands Hatch £199
Wednesday 23rd April Oulton Park £199
They’ve also confirmed a selection of weekend / bank holiday events for drivers that can’t get away from work during the week. There is something for everyone from the ‘novice friendly’ GT circuit at Bedford Autodrome, to the challenging ‘mini-Nurburgring’ that is Cadwell Park, and a date at Snetterton:
Saturday 1st March Snetterton £159
Saturday 1st March Bedford Autodrome £179
Friday 21st March Cadwell Park £159
Saturday 5th April Bedford Autodrome £199
There are also two opportunities for drivers to take to the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit – possibly the most exciting and exclusive circuit in the country:
Wednesday 23rd April Brands Hatch GP (sessioned event) £325
Monday 2nd June Brands Hatch GP (open pit lane) £399
Find out more here
Ive no basis for experience but it was very well organised, clear what you had to do and the general standard of driving was excellent.
Part of the reason why I took the plunge was the price- £99 for the whole day is as cheap as ive ever seen a trackday, let alone one at Oulton, which, incidentally, is absolutely superb.
Cant wait to do my next one...!
I'd say:
The car:
Clear all the st out your car; glovebox/backseat/etc. Not so much for power/weight ratio, but it's hard to concentrate on the road with a 2 litre bottle of fanta rolling about in the boot.
Check all your fluid levels. Coolant, Brake Fluid, Oil.
-In fact, it's probably a good idea to give your car a bit of a service beforehand with decent oil.
Check the brakepads. If there's not plenty left consider getting new ones. Remember to bed them in for a while before you hit the track.
Pick up a jerry can's worth of petrol and a full tank before you get to the track. All circuits have fuel pumps, but they may not be switched on for a track day.
Remember, You'll be running the car harder than it's accustomed to, so it may be a good idea to service it sooner than you'd expect afterwards.
You:
Get a helmet. A cheap but fairly decent motorcycle helmet can be had for as little as £50 new (or borrow one off a mate). Some organisers have limited numbers of helmets available, but remember, if you don't have a helmet YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON TRACK.
Long sleeves and legs are a very good idea (Mandatory in an open-topper I think). It not a fashion show, so be comfortable.
Some decent shoes for driving, I have proper race boots. You can get them for £65. But for the purposes of a track day, some thin trainers/converse type shoes should be fine.
Track behaviour:
There will be people there faster than you, and there will be people slower than you. Go at your own pace, and have fun. Remember to do a few laps to warm the car up and get used to the layout of the track/find the line. Then you can speed up in increments. To Quote Skip Barber: "If you have to be going backwards to realise you've pushed it too far, you're none too bright." That said, we've ALL had a moment.
It's polite to overtake other people when invited to do so (an indicator or a wave) and to allow faster people to overtake as soon as it is safe to do so.
Flags -These will be explained to you on the day. The most likely you'll see are:
Yellow - Something has happened on the track. Slow down keep an eye open and don't overtake.
Red - Something has happened on the track major enough to end the session. Slow down keep an eye open and don't overtake. Return to the pits at the earliest opportunity.
Blue - You are holding someone up, allow them to overtake.
Red and yellow stripe - Oil/something slippy on track.
Most Important: Go at your own pace and HAVE FUN!!!
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