And duck you should.
All drivers have different levels of ability.Some good, some bad and some in between.

Also the fact that tyres ,brakes and bending your car might have something to do with it.ie CK1 is a good example of this.

A lot of the people out on the track had never been on a circuit before and were out there just for a bit of fun.

I class myself as a pretty good driver, having done quite a few driving courses.I thought this til I sat in a touring car with a former BTCC champion. I then realised my own car control, handling etc was sh!te.

Just saying that were all different thats all.

Chip.

P.S Id probably better duck as well.

 

I think you will find that most Scooby drivers like to "play" with the car on track days. As on a track this is really the only way to get them sideways by setting the car up on the brakes.

Scott

oh by the way, i don't think that a 64second lap in the wet at Brands is that bad. RB5 with SS and AP's

 

DRIVE ?. . .
Probably the wrong thing to say BUT . . .
I went to Castle Coombe yesterday and I was gob smacked how lacking in driving ability the majority of Impreza drivers were.
Apart from a handful of drivers on the track, all the rest were total sh!te.

I know that track days are primarily for drivers to test their cars/familiarise themselves with the circuit etc . . .
But it appeared to me that most Scooby drivers hadn`t got a clue about how to take corners, what line to take, or when to apply the power.
Oversteer/Understeer/Squeeling tyres etc, not the way to drive !!!


Maybe an organised Track day to teach Scooby owners how to handle their cars might be a good idea.

Is it a case of powerful cars in the wrong hands. . . . I wonder.

OK I`m gonna duck now

Cheers
SCOOP

 

Scoop.
So what?
Most people aren't born with a natural ability to learn the lines of a track they've never been on before , and I think you'll find hardly any people there yesterday (including myself) had driven on Combe before. We're not racing drivers. Most of us just like blatting our cars round the track. Whether the lines are right or not is really immaterial.
I presume you are a track day regular who knows every circuit like the back of his hand then?
Besides, most people don't want to end up doing what I did.

Stef.

 

Scoop,
Brave words sir........
Were you out on track then ? reading between the lines it souns as though you had a bad experience?
I've got to say that of all the scoobs I saw Iwas both proud and impressed at the standard and courtesy shown throughout......except of course for that P1 with I think.....Mellow....something in the rear windows !! Bl**dy handsome bloke though !

 

I get the impression that many scooby drivers were building up their speed and confidence gradually... this is the sensible approach... the drivers that seemed to jump on the track simply to blat around at warp 9 seemed to be the ones who ended up having the big moments.

I would agree that most drivers out yesterday were not taking the best lines and approaches to the corners... but that includes many, many, many lancer evos and the other cars out there yesterday, it isn't just scooby drivers. I am not saying that I could drive the perfect lines myself... but you can see a lot of what's going on from trackside.

Moray

PS Stef, I hope you and CK1 are ok.

 

at least the scoobs did not require an evo police car to lead them round slowly!!!

[This message has been edited by Fizz (edited 06 May 2001).]

 

Hi Steff
Nice to hear from you m8, hope yr not taking my points personally.

What I`m trying to say is that it looked to me as if some tuition in driving on a track wouldn`t go amiss for some people.

Track days are always a bit dodgy, cos invariably there are novice drivers out there. As you know at National/International race meetings Novice drivers are required by the MSA to carry a yellow cross on the back of their car to warn other competitors.
Many drivers on the track yesterday were without a doubt Novices, and driving as such.

As I`m sure you are aware no Race Licence is required for Track days, and normal Safety requirements, Flag Marshalls etc are minimal, if they exist at all.
IMHO some basic circuit driving skills should be a requirement for such events.

As to my own experience . . . You are partly right although I dont do many track days now, I have competed in Races/Sprints and Hillclimbs both in this country and abroad for 25 years+, in a vast variety of cars, ranging from Single-Seaters to Road Going Saloon cars.
We`ve all had the occasional shunt or off, thats part of the sport

I `m sure that all who take part have a good time, and accidents such as yours unfortunate as they are are part and parcel of the risks involved. But I for one would want to be aware of whether the car/driver that I am about to overtake or be overtaken by has ever been on a racetrack before.

Cheers
SCOOP

 

Scoop, okay some good points. But you seem to be saying that most Scoob drivers are poor. Why are they worse than drivers of other cars?

Richard.

 

SCOOP - Exiting pub car-parks in sleepy villages and attempting a 0-100mph time in a 30mph zone doesn't do us any favours!

I've also heard you like to drive on the road as you would like to on the track...Next time you try overtaking on the road like an idiot on the way to a RWYB, don't pick on a 200+ BHP Mi16 powered Peugeot 205 GTI - He relented and let you past coz he wanted YOUR accident to be at another time & place !

I guessed it was you, and when I asked then to describe the car in detail I was proved correct.

"Can you other scooby drivers drive?" (paraphrased)

POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK, MATE

[This message has been edited by Squizz (edited 06 May 2001).]

 

SQUIZZ,
think youve lost the plot M8, I`m talking about Track Days.

As for your point about leaving pub in Hallow, if you can exit that car park (no view of oncoming cars left or right) without excelerating hard I`d like to see you do it, just say when.

As to the Pug, I guess you dont put a claim or want 200bhp unless you wanna go fast, or have I got it wrong ???
On a quiet A road no oncoming traffic, overtook at about 65mph . . Pug drivers just p!ssed off I guess.

Unusual to be so self-righteous and drive a Scooby

 

SCOOP, has anyone ever told you to chillout and cheer up? I guess that everyone that went round really enjoyed themselves, the first timers probably even more so. I hope your negative comments dont put people off.

 

Mellow,
Saw u out there m8, looked like u were having fun, c u in Wales next weekend.

Fizz,
lol, but why wasn`t there a Scooby plolice car there as well ??

Hoppy,
Sorry bout that, didnt mean to seem as if it was just Scooby`s, s`pose I was just more interested in them.

Cheers
SCOOP

 

I guage myself as very good driver (don't a lot of us )and have had my share of fast front wheel drives over the last 6 years. I have been told that I am the only one in my set that people feel safe with when driving in a ' ' manner . However, I feel that the scoob is a different beast altogether!
Had it for 2 months and still not completely used to the traits that these beasties have. Very sure-footed upto a certain point and then all 4 wheels tend to go on you, at least in my limited experience (great fun though when done safely). Just because people are on a track day, like others said, it doesn't mean that you have to blat it about. You do what you are comfortable with!!! Usually, the more complicated a thing is, the longer it takes to learn. As for the comment of powerful cars in the wrong hands... Helmet?, That's you that is!

Nick

 

Scoop,

I may not be able to drive too well but at least I can spell "Combe".

kernel, fed up that people can't spell the name of my favourite track correctly.

 

Great day out!!!

Did my eyes decive me or was there a Black Capri going sidways???

 

SCOOP,
Was thinking about doing a track day, but the real problem is this. If I don't get it right first time, I don't want my driving criticised by someone like you (ref:

 

kerrnele,
Sorree mait neva waz enee gud at spellin
SCOOP
Gonna rite it owt a hudread tymes
Combe
Combe
Combe
Combe
Combe
Etc Etc

 

KF
Not critisism m8, I guess that it`s just that driving in anger on a track is a million miles away from normal road conditions.

What I was really suggesting, was that a track day (some of the smaller tracks and sprint circuits are really cheap to hire) and instruction in track technique would be a good idea. Luckily my job offers me opportunities to attend such courses as Drive to Survive etc, which show you a totally new approach to road use. Its suprising how with the right instructor you realise that theres more to driving a quick car than just having a heavy right foot.


Scooby`s are for many a new driving experiencene, and as such require a totally different driving technique.
I know, cos I`m still learning

Cheers
SCOOP

 

I for one had a great day at Combe as did all the people I spoke to who drove on the circuit.I know I got a few lines wrong and my braking was not always in the right place but as far as I know I let everybody through who were obviously going a lot quicker than I was.The point I am trying to make is there is a place on track days for every type of driver, the onus is on fun and enjoying yourself even if you do make a tit of yourself with the lines you choose!
Chill out my friend and let us drivers with less track ability than yourself have FUN even if we do look cr*p doing it.

 

SCOOP.
I'm not taking your comments personally at all. Saying some of the drivers were 'total sh1te' though is bit off.
A few points about yesterday though.
There were instructors available free of charge for each session. In most sessions they were standing around not being used though! I wish I'd used one now.
It was also quite confusing that at Combe you are supposed to overtake ON THE RIGHT, which is different to most other circuits.
For the in-expereinced guys especially this would undoubtedly be a tad confusing.
There were cones on the track for brake, turn-in, apex and exit, but very few people seemed to be using them for some reason. I don't know whether they were mentioned in the briefing?

At all SIDC track events we doo all we can to make new people feel welcome on the track.
At Bedford for example we will have THREE instructors on hand at all times, free of charge.
At TRAX we have at least one, hopefully two sessions exclusively for track newbies.
At all other events there is a familiarisation session in the morning again exclusively for track newbies.
The main priority at an SIDC event is that our members have fun. It doesn't matter if they don't get the lines right, but if they want to take the opportunity to improve their driving by using any of the above services then that's fine.

Stef.
PS I don't know what you've been getting up to in sleepy villages , but to many people driving like a loon on the road is 'total sh1te' too!

 

Scoop,
I don't think that track days and road driving are that different. I don't think you should take any more risks on the track than you do on the road.

It is about respect and courtesy. You have to tailor your expectations and driving to the lowest common denominator of the situation you find yourself in.

On the road, that will be the 80 year old myopic granny.

On a track day, it will be your novice driver.

A whole swathe of people bought an Impreza as is it is a cheap introduction to track driving. Novices are part of the teritory.

Apologies about the tone of the last post.
KF.

 

Scoop

I'm a little surprised at your post.

To view a fun / track day as some sort of masterclass in race driving and comment on it as such is a little innapropriate in some ways.

Yes, there are different stadards of driving, but it is just for fun. The onyl time it becomes a problem is when people go to track days and try to race. You mention something like "I would want to know how good the person I'm about to overtake is"... well that's not the point. You assume they are a complete novice and procede with caution. It is not a race... it just happens to be happening on a race circuit.

Well done to everyone who went out and had some fun and kept all safe. (I agree that the courtessy was really nice to see).

If anything.. the thing that surprised me was the level of driving ability exhibited in the rally stage competition. Apart from Pentti and maybe one or two others the standard of driving was very poor indeed IMHO. But lovely to see and hear those superb cars for the sheer fun of it.

Scoop...

Driver training is indeed a good idea, no matter who you are, but it is not necessary to be Michael Schumacher, just to punt your road car round a circuit for a bit of light entertainment. It's only necessary when you start to take it seriously.

All the best

Simon

 

Simon,
I hear what your saying, but from where I was standing racing was very much the order of the day for many entrants, and I`m not just talking about Scooby`s

Just wondered . . . .
Has SIDC/Scoobynet ever organised or thought of holding an event at Curborough Sprint Course Nr Lichfield Staffs.
Short oval, 1 car at a time, tight chicane loadsa fun.
SCOOP

 

Scoop,
I'am Sh*t and Know I'am But this type of event is made foand highly supported by the likes of me .
I hope I was curtious to the other drivers, the Astra and 555 were proffesional cars, drivers and damm quick too 1:22 . My poor bog Standard UK MY99 still managed a respectible 1:27 5 secs slower lap time (as measured by someone in the crowd) anyway <B>as long as I enjoyed myself and caused no accidents, tough. </B>If I hadn't got understeer and oversteer how would I have known the car and my limitations? Bumpsteer mod next
<B>Life would be boring if we were all the same.</B>
Sorry Scoop but
Tony <B>W4LLS</B>
stef,
You managed to get home alright, I did speak to your M8 and offer you a lift he said it was O/K to drive home.

[This message has been edited by T5NYW (edited 07 May 2001).]

 

Mr Footlong.
Slightly off subject, but I also have had my Scoob for just 9 weeks and I am still learning an awfull lot. Have been driving Golf GTi's for over 10 years and old habits die hard ( Lift off oversteer anyone ? ).
A track would be the best place for me to learn some new tricks and sharpen my skills, but from what I've read here, some of you guys make me nervous The 11 or so Grand, that I have just spent on my Scoob is a lot of money to me and if I were to visit any circuit it would be with great care and initial fear that i would undertake my first few laps with some very fast machines out there too.
I have had a little track experience ( Supercar Experience ( Snetterton ) and that taught me a lot about racing line and braking area's. As a general reply to this thread. I agree with Scoob in a way, yes, some of us could do with a little nurturing, but to "go off on one" about a lot of Scooby drivers not being able to drive is a bit harsh..... As many have said here, it's a case of having fun, not trying to prove something.
Mixit

 

How is anybody supposed to get 25+ years' experience on the track if they get slated for being novices by poeple like you?
Were you perfect the first time you drove a car on the track?
If people were passing up the opportunity to get some instruction, more fool them.

 

Just jumping on the bandwagon, it is a shame comments are put forward this way as it discourages newbies from utilizing their cars in the safe surroundings of a track.

Surely it is safer on track than the roads, ambulance and marshalling, no on-coming traffic. One main reason i do trackdays is to relieve that urge to push my car hard on the road.

I have done 9 trackdays in the last year, and met some great people and improved my driving technique, i am still a novice on track though and have a lot to learn.

Newbies please don't let this put you off, 95% of people on track are there to enjoy a hassle free thrashing of their motor.

PS:- Donnington is a good place to start.