Diesel

I went to one recently and I think I went in the only car there that had a baby seat in the back and arrived and went home under its own steam!

What is with all these guys with trailers, choices of tyres, tools, crew and Winnebagos on a TRACK DAY? Surely you should be racing proper if you are so committed in cash and time (not hanging off my mates bumper on a warm up lap and then crashing expensive cars!!!)

Made me think we were being a bit naive in running a 'road' car without a roll cage and other race safety kit... Ohh and one that is licensed, taxed, tested and does a daily nursery run (albeity a noisy one ) with its 360bhp on its days off!!! Are we mad?

D

Phil

Come along to an SIDC/MLR /GTOC event

Next date 22nd Feb Brands Hatch Triple Club Day

We are putting together dates through out the UK for 2008 as we speak

Diesel

I AM! But feel we should bring along something that doesnt even know what baby seats and 'trailers' are

Phil

I'm running my mobile office

davyboy

Huge amounts of egos on track days. Always good fun reading threads afterwards....you usually get a few good arguments.

People seem to get fun mixed up with I must prove I have the fastest car and I am the best driver.

..I'd also bet a lot of these cars with cages and race seats are not there for safety, and it'll be to make them feel they are in a race car, same goes for nomex gloves.

Of course they will justify the cage and seats as safety items, but I'd bet an awful lot are very poor installs, not to mention some of the crap fitting of cheap 2 inch, 3 point belts. Obviously they wears gloves as they might get sweaty hands.

The Snug Rhino

Had this with bikes.....i started on track days in 97/98 and by 2000 was using tyre warmers, wets, slicks, etc....times that by 35 track days a year and i could have run a race team Added it all up and knocked it on the head.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

I used to run PTMW! on a turn up, blag a space n drive basis, complete with baby seats and towbar. However, soon became apparent that certain things are expensive such as tyres and brakes, so got into the habit of taking spares along - why trash £100 per corner rubber when you can get a set of spare alloys and road illegal rubber for naf all?

Maybe I got a bit older because I got a cage that I could drop in/out on safety grounds - I remember seeing the flattened A-pillar of a classic @ Brands (driver OK thank goodness) and a simillar accident @ Donno where the passenger broke his neck.

Then I sold PTMW! and there was a barren period

So I saved my pennies, made a deal with the devil, gave up lager & bought the RA. I don't need the RA, it is there solely as a pleasure vehicle. It cost realtively not a lot & owes me nothing really. Whacked in some APs so that I can spend more than 3 laps out, uprated some suspension items and (woah) I've just dropped a rear cage in in. I'm looking for harnesses (at least 3" please!) and maybe a bucket seat.

Why? Because that is my pleasure car. I get my jollys from the random (2/3 times a year) track days that I can afford to attend. I want to enjoy the experience - safely. I don't have the fastest car on the straight & (shock horror) I turn up on a trailer Why? Because its easy. Load scoob on trailer, load Volvo with spare (cheap) tyres and some tools & drive to event. It's actually cheaper than driving the RA!

Am I missing the point? Dunno. I can't afford a race or sprint season much as I would like to be able to have the time/money to do so.

FWIW I don't wear booties, nomex or gloves

andythejock01wrx

Aha, without those wee booties you're not the real deal are you Puff ?!






AtJ, former motorsport marshal.

Nate

iTrader: (2)

I suppose trailering does make sense in a way, if you were to break something on the track car, you'll be getting home without waiting 2 hours for the AA/RAC.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I used to think gloves were for show until I did Oulton Park on a hot summers day.

And I can't see the point of taking the child seats either unless you're picking the kids up on the way home, or you have a polar opposite point to prove to the trailer guys

Steve vRS

I used to take spare wheels, spare brake pads, jack and a handful of tools.

If I get another car that is track-able, I probably won't do enough days to justify the spare wheels so I will be a true arrive and drive type guy. I may remove the child seats and the pram out of the boot though!

Steve

dynamix

iTrader: (3)

I dont see why you would not take the child seat out ?

- I wear nomex - fire is one thing but being able to hold onto a steering wheel with sweaty hand is another.

- I cant afford a full race season and dont want the risk of contact with other cars on track but will be running in Time Attack next year after competing in one round this year and doing some sprints.

- I drive too and from the venue wherever it is

- I fit as many spares in my car as I can take including 4 spare wheels and tyres (track wheels are cheaper than replacing prematurely worn road tyres)

- Spares are limited to what 'might' be needed on the day to ensure that the full day is done. Track days are not cheap, so why risk not being able to finish a day because of a split vacuum hose or dropped/lost radiator cap?

- Tools are whatever can be fitted in aswell, again it is a little selfish relying on someone else's tools if something fixable happens to your car.

- My car is my daily driver too for me and my wife.

Taking them seriously does not mean anything more than getting value for money from the day. It makes sense and is the only place I can safely explore the car's potential and improve my driving skills.

Sure there are some real 'all the gear' type people that have far more money than talent but depending on the circuit, the afternoon sessions will normally be clear of them.

Enjoy your track days in whatever you run. Soon it will be the only place you can properly drive your car.

EvilBevel

Was it a Recaro child seat ?

Dream Weaver

I drove my 205 down to Oulton last Wednesday and had a bloody good time in it out on track, complete with full leather interior, PAS and even my stereo fitted and working.

However, driving back the car felt like it had been abused, all the engine oil was gone, brand new Yoko tyres were scrubbed, brakes were buggered, gearbox leaking and engine felt a bit lame, and this is all in a lightweight 205 which has decent bits fro the track - suspension, engine, brakes etc.

Tonight I will use it to pick my son up and I used it to go to a meeting this morning for work.

BUT...I was worried at Oulton about overcooking it and turning over as my head touches the roof with a helmet on so without a cage it is worrying. I was also sliding all over in the std leather seats and havint to brace myself on bends. So if I want to do more trackdays I would prefer a proper cage, bucket and harnesses again, but I removed all that as it makes it harsh on the road.

So thats when I start thinking about trailering and taking it off the road - I wouls save in tax, insurance, MOT etc and could buy a normal car for none track driving that could tow the 205 there and back - wouldn't cost that much extra to do IMO.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Last one I attended Atom's ten-a-penny, usually towed by a RR Sport....

A guy in a Carrera 4S moaning about understeer....

Bog standard looking evo.. good man !

And DaveSTI350 passing nearly all of them !

Dunx

Fun to watch, I find it sad I can't afford to do trackdays more often !

The Snug Rhino

lol - i'd far rather have more money than talent than talent with no money......a tramp that can juggle is still sleeping in a box.

billythekid

I guess I used to come into the "all show and no go" category then!
I used to rock up with not just full race kit and spare parts but a spare car too..

All packed onto my race transporter with plenty of spares etc.

Dont do track days now though, a few reasons - not enough time etc, but also because the track day driving standards have fallen too low now.

The final nail in the coffin for me was driving along the main straight at a circuit I wont name, with a car driving the WRONG way on the track towards me at speed. After that I did maybe 4 or 5 more events and called it a day. At one point I was doing maybe 1 or 2 events a month.

I only have 1 car now, its tucked up in the garage and it just comes out on sunny days.

If I get time in the next few years I will get back into racing.

girl-in-a-scoob

hiya dunx

Diesel

LOL - no! Recaro was what I wanted but the missus said you couldnt get the matching gloves!

D

PS The seat stayed in the pits, along with the Disklock, air freshner and foot pump Well, didnt want it getting scratched by someone gung-ho who has a secondary form of transport to get home

Leslie

I spent my time racing on the tracks and loved every minute of it in spite of all the graft that went into building my own car,engine and gearbox etc. since I could not afford to pay anyone to do it for me. A lot more satisfying to get a decent result or two though.

I would love to be able to do track days but would not like to use my road car since it would get a bit of a hammering because you would want to get the best times possible naturally. If I could afford a separate car to do that with I would do.

I am very lucky in that my sister has bought me a track day at Castle Combe next year for a birthday present. It will be using their cars, Focus,F Ford S seaters. Scooby, and Elise. It was very generous of her and I am really looking forward to it. Can't see it leading to a habit though!

Les

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Don't be so sure...

Diesel

There's the irony Les - was initially a day to have a chance to try your car on track. But people loved it so much...

JamesVTS

ill be doing a few track days next year can someone post up details of up coming ones

RRH

try circuit-days.co.uk, I've used them a few times now and they're really good. Otherwise try easytrack, goldtrack, bookatrack. Circuit-driver magazine is a great source of info but I never did work out how to renew my subscription online.

Try to find an organiser that's a member of ATDO, and that uses ARDS registered instructors rather than 'he's a bit quick and he drinks in our pub' types.

Back on subject, my biggest concern with using a day to day car is that if something does go wrong, and you have an incident, you still need the car for work the next day.

We rolled up to Oulton last Friday with the 'track' car MX5 being driven for once.. I usually have it on the trailer just in case it breaks, which it never seems to, but took the Evo this time. And the 32' motorhome, for warmth, bacon butties

Diesel

I can now confirm that as being a TOTALLY bog std Evo LOL

D (ex-smoker type)

Diesel

try SIDC

Gutmann pug

Nothing wrong with turning up with a trailer. Makes more sense then trying to limp 200 miles home after an event.

Sell your £25K car.

Buy a nice £10K daily driver.

Buy a £2K tow car

Buy and prep something interesting for £6K

Have £7K to spend on enjoying it. Job done

Gutmann pug

We are doing Bedford in Feb with Circuit days. We currently have around 22 cars going. If you want a fun and friendly atmosphere come along.

Join the forum linked to Northloop.co.uk and you get a discount too.

Diesel

Hmm - are Bedford sound issues still notoriously tricky...?

D

PS - wish I had a £25k car to sell!!!!!

Gutmann pug

Not if you're under the level they aren't