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  • Racing / Track day recommendations please
  • lunge
    Full Member

    I would like to buy my GF a day driving cars quickly round a track for her birthday. The challenge I’m having is that she is not a car person in the traditional sense (she does not drool over Ferrari’s and Lambo’s) but she does want to drive fast for a few hours.

    I’ve found lost of super car days where you drive a Ferrari for 3 laps but what I really want is something where you drive for more laps in a worse car, so not an “experience day”. In honesty, she would be happy ragging an old mini around so long as she got more than 3 laps behind the wheel.

    Any ideas folks?

    leggyblonde
    Free Member

    Does it have to be on a tarmac track? My girlfriend and I did a rally experience and we got loads more driving than friends doing track experiences and we were each really allowed to rag them. It was knackering too, much more involving than driving a road car at 70%

    lunge
    Full Member

    leggyblonde, doesn’t have to be track no, rally would be fine as well.

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    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    My thoughts from various experiences.

    If you want to drive on a track, pick any easy one to start with ie not many bends. There is so much for you to think about that you end up knackered, and IMO its better to get your lines right on a few corners that cock up.

    I did a track day where you went out in a Focus ST (not really a sports car) with an instructor and 2 other occupants, instructor first then you each had 3 laps. Was good for basically looking where the corners are but not much more.

    I then went out in a single seater for 4 laps which was fantastic, could really get going. Then did 4 laps in a Catherham with an instructor. This was fantastic he encouraged you to go quicker, when to turn in, and when to brake etc.

    In reality I wish it had been 4 laps in the Catherham with instructor, followed by 4 laps in single seater, followed by 4 laps in Caterham.

    I’ve also done a rally half day thing. It was on a proper forest stage in an Impreza. You got quite a lot of laps, but there was zero run off so if you cocked up you were in the trees or rolling down big hills. At the end of the day the instructor took me out and showed me a quick lap. I wish that had been done first as it really showed you how aggresive you need to be with the brakes and turn in etc.

    IMO if you do a rally thing, make sure you go some where with run off as that kind of stopped me from really going for it.

    3rd option is to do a track day in your own car 🙂 will work out the cheapest per lap even after new brakes and tyres. Again though try and go to one where an instructor takes you out first, it will make the day much more fun.

    GeForceJunky
    Full Member

    These people have just started but I have heard extremely good things about them if you want to have some fun sliding a little Mazda around.

    Home

    and a thread about them on MX5Nutz:

    http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=91997

    freddyg
    Free Member

    What about karting? We recently had a go, it was relatively cheap and lasted an hour – which was plenty (managed to get 60 laps in about 45 minutes of driving). Great fun and completely knackering.

    Ladders
    Free Member

    If she really wants to ‘drive’ a car, how about hiring one of the Caterhams from here and choosing a track http://bookatrack.com

    I’m not a big fan of these ‘experience’ days as you only get to drive the car like a granny!

    Mintman
    Free Member

    How about skid pan? Not much going fast, loads of sideways fun, lots of time behind the wheel and I learned a bit too.

    I did mine at Castle Combe for what it’s worth.

    neilb67
    Free Member

    I’d second BookaTrack for a fun day in their Caterhams. I know Jonny Leroux very well who owns and runs BookaTrack. If you do go that route tell him Neil Barnett from Slidesports sent you his way, might get you something but maybe not…

    tricky-dicky
    Free Member

    Highly recommend Bookatrack, service and support is first class.

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Own car and a novice / open trackday on Brands Hatch Indy circuit.

    Pay for instruction and get an early session to get the best out of the day.

    samuri
    Free Member

    Caterham is the most fun you’ll have.
    Forumla ford days are usually very good. Big, powerful go kart.
    Supercars not so much fun, they’re alright and on both occassion I’ve been allowed to drive pretty fast but they do assess your driving first in a mini.

    I’ve done two drift sessions, both were extremely short and I didn’t rate the instructors at either. Be careful if this is what you go for. I got way more drifting done at the Palmer sport event below.

    Best day by a mile though was the Palmer sport day. Go as fast as you like, in fact the instructors are typically encouraging you to go much faster. Drive karts, caterhams, landrovers, 911’s, clio sport’s, M3’s, forumla Jaguar, forumla ford. Brilliant day out but very expensive. You’ll learn a huge amount about driving fast and you will get to go as fast as your skills allow you to. Messing about is discouraged though, they want you to go as fast as you can, I was having way too much fun on one of the Caterham sessions getting it sideways round every corner to challenge the leaders times. As I say though, hugely expensive.

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Arn’t those Palmer days in the £1,000’s ??

    The Bookatrack doesnt look bad, without doing too much reading, does the Catherham hire costs, is that an all inclusive cost including the actual track hire, or do you hire the car, then pay for the track on top? Does the hire cost also include wear & tear ie you dont have to pay for a set of brakes or tyres if you get through them?

    Still think it might be cheaper to buy a car, and take it to a track though…

    Del
    Full Member

    i’d highly recommend a caterham slalom day. the speeds aren’t huge at all, but you’ll have enormous fun, and get to slide and doughnut around to your heart’s content. they set it up as an easy-going competition and you can really try your hardest to go quickly, or you can just enjoy ragging someone else’s car, that’s been set up to be as tail-happy as possible.
    i did a half-day and was knackered, so a full day will really wear you out!
    if memory serves i think i worked out i could do a slalom day once every two months, and it would still be cheaper than maintaining the car i used to run, and that was without the additional servicing and costs required to do trackdays in it too.

    nealy
    Free Member

    A few years ago I did a single seater race driver experience through Trackdays.co.uk at Donington for £160 which was phenomenal. A few laps in a Mini Cooper with an instructor followed by two 40 minute sessions in a Formula Ford. Flying through Craner Curves and The Old Hairpin round the outside or Ferraris and Porches was absolutely hilarious 😀

    http://www.trackdays.co.uk/driving_experience/single_seater/

    toby1
    Full Member

    Hah, my Mum’s partner had a Palmer day for his 70th from one of his son’s who also paid for him and his brother to join in, and to be flown to the circuit in JP’s plane from Bournemouth. Money – just an object to him. But the pictures from it looked amazing and I have heard many good stories about it. As for that link to bookacar, it looks like it might end up costing me and some friends some money …. you gits!

    Muke
    Free Member

    Does it have to be fast cars ? My wife took part in a charity ladies driving challenge day a couple of years ago she drove HGV artic, Crane, Police car, Fire engine, Hovercraft, JCB etc etc.

    hughlovittt
    Free Member

    +1 on the Caterhams – done many of these and the cornering flat out is awesome!

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