We've been at Donington today on a private test day, coming off the back of doing the same at Blyton & Silverstone (Stowe circuit) last week.

Much more preferable to track days and test days too. Though quite lucky in that we didn't have to pay for any of the circuit hire thanks to two generous circuits and a manufacturer who covered the cost of Donington today for us.

With that and our 32ft race truck, we seem to be getting pretty serious at this now!

 

Having said that, when we need to use a TDO there are only a handful that we ever consider using. These are usually the ones that charge a little more, but have less cars on circuit at any one time. We get far better value for money doing that.

Though, any track day can have complete numpties though. Usually the more expensive cars where the horsepower exceeds the talent behind the wheel, yet the owner refuses to accept that.

 

Sounds like life is good, Rich?!

 

Phil what you described is exactly how i found it at snetterton a month ago when i went their. It was full of race teams, motorhomes, teams who had brought their cars to test for the new season. It was my first trackday and i found the whole experience abit much, didnt really feel like i had chance to have fun as i was always looking in my mirrors for the next car to try and come past.

Went to a novice day with MSV which was more money but it was much better, less cars and drivers of similar standard. Personally i don't think race cars should be allowed out on track with the slower cars, in F1 they always bang on about closing speeds and how dangerous it is. The last trackday i went to their was a new driver in a old style mini with 46bhp. Can you imagine how dangerous that is on the back straight, the mini tops out at 80mph whilst some of the quicker cars hit 140+.

MSV do road car only days where you have to drive the car to the event but i wonder how much they enforce the rules. I can understand teams need to test their cars and they will want to take the cheaper option but they probably get pissed off with the slower drivers and i bet its difficult to test the car at the limit because of the amount of traffic. My brother takes his mini on the back of his truck incase it blows up, its stripped out, bucket seats and a half cage but its not a race car. I wonder how they decide whats a race car and whats still a road car.

I felt the MSV day i went to was abit more light hearted than the opentrack one i went to, driving standards were better because everyone was at the same level. When i spoke to other drivers in the pits everyone was of the same opinion that they were there for abit of fun and not to race. I get the impression from watching footage of other trackdays and going around the track that some people are getting abit carried away with it all. If i see a caterham behind me i move over straight away as i know i cant keep up in the bends, i've seen videos where people refuse to move over and the marshals appear to do nothing about it.

prime example of this is from about 2min 30 onwards, nearly ends up with the civic going into the back of the elise.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ckSZj6JSso[/media]

 

I don't see why a race car at the limit or coming past at 140mph is any different from some numpty who just bought an M5 for his 18th birthday?

I know which I'd rather have there. Idiots are idiots, no matter what they brought. You just notice more if it's a stickered up racer.

I've never had anyone with an issue with us for bringing a racecar to test, in fact usually, there's just a queue of grinning passengers.

 

Hmm, the speed differential between an M5 and an S2 is nowhere near that of say a radical though, especially driven by a racer who is also maybe pushing the limits to see what his car can do.

I can see the point

 

Buggy, I agree an idiot is an idiot. When a race team turns up for a track day it can cause issues though. They are there to test and go flat out, and monitor times (albeit discretely) it does depend entirely on who's behind the wheel but more often than not there's impatience to get past. Often I don't think this is intended pressure, its just what you get used to, where the circuit newbie is at the other end of the scale.

I also think there's an onus on the slower driver. I actually think I've seen equally bad behaviour in not letting people past from the slower person in front. Having a queue behind you for a full lap is not acceptable.

It's quite good when you come across another race car on circuit, as there's a mutual understanding of when you can pass as you both know the score. I've let people past on corners no problems a by consent.

MarkF, the same speed differential applies on test days. I think I've said before but when testing the S at Oulton I was sharing the track with Carrera Cup cars. These things are absolute monsters.

My point is that there aren't a huge amount of test days available, hence you look to track days, and the same speed differentials can apply.

But I have to say the issues of mixing road and race cars being a problem is pretty minimal IME.

 

Always the first example of poor track day driving etiquette that springs to my mind!

 

Yep that was a low point

 

Sooo, Xbow > Audi in trackspeak, these days?

Last time I got really pi ssed off at a trackday was with a granny in one of those Reno Arsecars. She grovelled round every bend, then went off like the clappers on every straight, which meant no-one could get past. I wouldn't mind so much, but the destructor was sitting there next to her!