Trackdays

[Guest]

Anyone here go in for these? In Stag or other cars?

I have done a sort of trackday back in mid 80's at Thruxton (inc being driven round by Tiffany Needell) and a race school day at Brands about 10 years ago, but never an actual trackday in my own car.

This is changing on Monday...... as I am doing an afternoon in the M3 at Bedford

[KOY 23]

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Ian.
Sure you don't mean Thruxton, as it is on the M3(can't insert smily)
The only venues I know around Bedford are Cranfield, SantaPod and the Vauxhall test track. Where are you having it?
I have been bought a track day at Goodwood. I hope the old girl is up to it.
John

[mjheathcote]

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I've done a few trackdays in my Lotus Elise. Just come back from the Nurburgring in the Elise but never made it on track due to bikers trying to kill themselves and a car spilling oil all around the track so they had to close it:XFun doing 120MPH with the top off down the autobahn...legally:P

Bedford is very good did it a few years ago in a hired caterham...plenty of safe run off area's. Although if an open pit lane watch out for the mental scooby/evo drivers that like to go as fast as possible sideways around a blind bend. When I was there a little MX-5 did a 180 on one such bend to suddenly find a scooby coming straight for him sideways at high speed...he missed him...just...but could have been very nasty

Have fun

[m9fdb]

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i have done a few track days as well in the MGF i had (now sold and living in Spain)

I did brands a few times and Silverstone - they are good fun but i always felt like i held back as it was my car and i didnt want to trash it

[Guest]

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John - I have never been round Goodwood, but have an ambition to change that. That was a good present to get as it is quite an expensive circuit from the prices I have seen. It's the old aerodrome in Bedford so pretty flat and with good run-off.

mj - What a bummer not getting onto the Ring after making the journey. The trackday is a "novices" one ( I so hated booking it as I felt it demeaned my talent...hahaha) but as I don't want to trash the M as a) I can't afford too and b) it's my daily driver. There are a couple of other guys going from the M3 forum I moderate on so it should be a bit if fun with a competitive edge thrown in!

Darren - The holding back will, I am sure, be what I expereince too. I booked a 25 min session with an instructor too as I have been told it is well worth it and lets you enjoy the circuit more. Apparently they have fuel on site too.

[rogerk]

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Hi Ian

Pity its this Monday as my friend is one of the part time instrutors at the Palmer race circuit at Thurliegh He is on holiday otherwise I might of swung it to be there also

Yes I've had my day on the circuits having competed in modsports for a couple of seasons before going formula ford but funds do not allow such luxury these days

Roger

[Deano]

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Hi Ian,I have done a few trackdays at Brands Hatchin the past when I had an RS2000 mark one.This led me to takeing my ARDS test at Thruxton and then racing in the Castle Combe Saloon car Championship for a few years.Great fun but all very expensive.Have a good day at Bedford.Dean.

[Guest]

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Hello Deano...wow that looks good and you obviously have some ability

I had my afternoon at the track today. Never been to Bedford before but it really seems to suit an M3. The GT circuit we were on today was 3.8 miles long. Perfect weather and not too many cars so at times it seemed like I was on my own out there. Probably the most common car there was the Boxters / Boxter S, there were 4 M3's, an M5, an M Coupe, a couple of Nissan GTR's,various Focus's and Caterhams etc. I have to say how happy I was with the handling of my car which seemed to go exactly where I pointed it - even though I frequently pointed it in the direction I though best but the Law of Physics didn't

Anyway here's a pic of me out there and, for those that love cleaning their cars, just check out that panel shine!



You will see that the under-tray seems to have come loose. I was stopped coming into the pit lane as it had been spotted, but when stationary it sits up in its place so I guess its some loose fixing that only get affected at speeds in excess of 170mph

The bloke in the yellow Boxter seemed to know his way round the track, but in my last session while thundering down to pit straight the p***k pulled straight out of the pit-lane in front of me rather than sit and wait which was the safe thing to do. Still that's a Boxter driver for you......probably thought (hoped) he was in a GT3.

[img]

Excellent day and only slightly marred due to the intense vibration from my brakes as they got uber-hot. I have a BBk on the front and the standard M3 set-up on the rear. I would like to think that it was the back brakes that were the trouble and I do have to say that when coming into the pits there was an awful lot of heat coming from the rears.

[aerosilver]

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That looks likegreat fun Ian. My son Christopher who you met a couple of weeks ago did a track day last weekend - drove a DB9 Astonand a Lambo Gallardo - he was well impressed as any 22 year old lad would be! Theywere alsogiving ride alongs ina LHDDodge Viper -jeez did that thing go! Mad car of the day had to be an Aerial Atom - looked like suicide on 4 wheels to me! They retired it halfway through the afternoon as it had reached it's daily quota of hours - I shudder to think what might happen if they exceed it!

Bob.

[Guest]

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Christopher mentioned that was upcoming. We all know what an Atom does to an old blokes face don't we!

Forgot to say it was a "novice" day, so no hardcore nutters, but that after the briefing we went out on a 3 lap ducks & drakes inititiation all line astern and no real speed just to see whatthe track is about. One of my mates from the M3 forum said that, even then, the car in front of him spun itself off!