Dream a little. Imagine a world where there are no speed limits and cameras, no traffic congestion, and no bloody caravans. The sort of place Carlsberg might do, if it did driving. Wonderful, isn’t it? But the best bit is it needn’t be fantasy, because even though the UK has possibly one of the least driver-friendly road networks in Europe, it also probably has the healthiest track day scene, with the widest choice of venues and types of events, in the world. We are blessed, so enjoy.
Actually, we’re guessing some of you have already heard a bit about track days. On those soft-filtered, hard-talking TV car shows they’re always going on about them – it gives them an excuse to test cars no one would really buy. Sadly, it also tends to give many people an entirely distorted view of what a track day actually is. And here’s the good news: a track day is not just a playground for supercars, rich kids and bug-eyed specials, a track day is a place you can take your car, however tuned, and drive it to the very limit of what it’s capable of. A test of you, your car, at full chat. Safely.
And that’s the thing, however fast you might drive on the road, you will never really get the most out of your car, you’ll never be entirely sure if the modifications you’ve done to it are anything more than a melange of nice induction noise and shiny rims. And you’ll never be 100% safe, or free from prosecution. The track is the only place to see what your car can really do.
Car Track Day Preparation
Track day car prep is about one thing – common sense. You need to do the obvious: check the oil and water; make sure the wheelnuts are tight; and make sure there’s enough tread on your tyres and life in the pads.
You should also check your tyre pressures. You’ll probably hear a lot of talk about fiddling with tyre pressures at track days, but a lot of this tends to be misguided. As Calum Lockie told us: ‘A manufacturer will spend millions on developing a relationship between the car and its tyres, and you can bet they will have worked out what pressure is just right… Also, when people put up their tyre pressures for the track they are forgetting that they will go up anyway through the higher temperatures when they’re worked hard on track. So they could have tyre pressures that are way too high, which will lead to a worse performance.’
Obvious but, make sure you’ve got plenty of petrol. You wouldn’t believe how thirsty a car can get on track, where it sees more open throttle than in a month of road miles. You’re never going to make mates if a session has to be stopped because you’ve run out of gas (Dave W, NBR, Ed).
Many operators insist you have a towing eye fitted and you might be asked to tape up your headlights. And noise is an issue at many circuits – so bear that in mind if your car’s a bit Led Zep.
Really, it’s common sense stuff. Like make sure there are no loose bits and pieces floating around in the car and ensure there’s nothing rolling around on the floor – we know of one track day driver who arrived at a hairpin only to find a can of WD40 had rolled beneath the brake pedal…
And don’t forget to make sure the jack’s tied down well, or it’s boot dent time.
With car all ship shape, what about kit. Most track days require that you wear a crash helmet and it goes without saying that you should get the best you can, which might mean forking out a few quid, but then there’s an old saying in the track day world: ‘if you have a 10 dollar head, buy a 10 dollar helmet.’ It’s your choice. As far as the rest of your kit goes, you don’t need racing overalls – though some choose to wear them – but T-shirts and shorts are definitely not allowed. Keep bare skin to a minimum. As far as shoes are concerned, racing boots will give you better feel on the pedals, but thin-soled/rubber-soled shoes will do.
One other issue is insurance. Some roads policies include track cover (check small print and excess), or you can pay for specialist cover, or not.
Oh, and make sure your facial muscles are fit. Because you’re about to do a lot of grinning…
On the right track
First you need to find the day that is right for you. Our advice, for the beginner at least, is to choose a venue where there is room to make mistakes. With that in mind an airfield track day is ideal. Aeroplanes need a lot of room – that’s why the sky’s so big – so airfield tracks have plenty of space for you to learn all about the limits of your car. Run-off areas are safe, and no armco.
Assuming you’ve learnt the basics on an airfield day or two, what’s next? Well there are plenty of track day operators out there, offering an astonishing array of experiences. But perhaps the best starting point would be to check out the website of the Association of Track Day Operators (www.atdo.co.uk) which lists a number of companies. Calum Lockie, champion race driver and boss of Gold Track – one of the UK’s leading track day operators – is also the chairman of the ATDO. He says: ‘The thing about the ATDO is that it’s a trade association and because of that there are conditions of membership. If an operator doesn’t comply with the conditions they get slung out, so it’s certainly a good starting point for finding your feet.’
Most operators will allow any sort of car, as long as it’s roadworthy, to attend their days. We’ve even seen a London cab out at Donington. And indeed, one of the really cool things about track days is that there’s nothing to stop you sharing the track with some top class machinery, pitting your steed against all sorts.
For this feature, we went along to a Gold Track day at Silverstone in a bog-standard ‘unstarted project’ Mazda MX-5 and shared the track with a brace of Porsche Carrera GTs and a few GT3s. It means you spend a lot of time looking in the mirrors, but it’s certainly an experience to behold sharing circuit space with excellence.
That said, usually track day goers tend to find their own level to a certain extent and there’s every chance you’ll share track time with cars similar to your own. It’s basic economics really, people with Ferraris might think nothing of forking out £500 for a day at Spa, while you might be looking at something a little cheaper – airfield track days start for as little as £90 a day, for instance, and you can usually find circuit days for around the £150 mark, particularly in the winter and at the lesser known tracks.
There are differences in the way track days are run too. For instance, some will offer ‘open pit lane’ while others will be in sessions. Open pit lane means cars are allowed out at any time when the circuit is in use, provided there are not more than the maximum amount of cars allowed on track out at the time. Usually this involves a bit of queuing in the pit lane while you wait to be flagged on track, but it will seldom be for more than a couple of minutes. The great thing about open pit lane events is that drivers tend to do short bursts rather than staying out for half hour at a time, which is good for the car; and the brakes in particular.
On the other hand, some people prefer sessioned days. Depending on the organiser, these will usually be split into groups, sometimes for novices and experts and sometimes based on the speed variations of the cars. Sessioned track days can be particularly good for the newcomer, because if you’re in a novice session you’re less likely to spend your time with your eyes glued to the mirrors watching out for the hot shoes. Incidentally, some organisers also run days just for novices, which could be just the thing if you’re a little bit worried about getting in the way while you’re still learning. It can be a bit daunting at first, until you ‘gen up.’
On the day
The most important thing to remember about track days is the one thing many seem to forget: a track day is not a race. It’s an absolutely vital point, for the only reason track days can get the insurance that allow them to happen is because they are strictly non-competitive. So once on track, racing is a definite no-no. For the same reason there can be no lap timing either, so bear that in mind before you go investing in that £1,000 chronograph that’s been designed with ‘track days in mind’.
All this will be hammered home in the drivers’ briefing that takes place after you’ve signed on (showing your driving licence) and received your wristband – which you need to show every time you leave the pit lane. These briefings are wholly necessary and even if they do cover some things that might seem obvious – they have to to placate the insurers – most of what is said will be useful. Some operators will include a funny anecdote or two, which helps calm the nerves after all the safety talk, and all should make sure everyone’s aware of any tricky parts of the circuit.
Most operators will also take this opportunity to introduce you to the instructors that are on hand for the day. Now, coaching is not obligatory, but we reckon you’d do well to have an expert sit beside you for a lap or two. It’s less expensive than you might think – sometimes it’s even free – and it will result in safer and faster lapping. Indeed, a half hour session in the hands of a capable instructor has been equated to over £1,000 spent in tuning parts in terms of on-track speed. No joke. Try it.
Other things you’ll be told in the briefing include what side to overtake on – which is usually on the left – and that you are not allowed to pass in a corner or in the braking area for a corner. The universal flag safety signals will also be explained.
Once you’ve made sure your car is ready for the track it’s time to have some fun. But be careful here, it’s all too easy to go crazy in the euphoria of being free from those traffic jams and Gatsos, and it’s also all too easy to overdo it and end up in the gravel trap – or worse (too true, Ed). The best advice is the obvious advice: ‘You need to go gentle to begin with,’ says Lockie, ‘and always remember that there’s absolutely no pressure to go any quicker than you feel comfortable going, even if that is quite slow. The only caveat is you must watch your mirrors.’
The main thing is to build up your speed gradually. Work on where the circuit goes first, then the proper line – this is where half an hour’s coaching will really pay dividends, and follow the braking, turn-in, apex, exit cones – all the while gradually upping your speed.
Give yourself plenty of room too, and don’t crowd other cars, especially in the corners. It’s all too easy for the guy in front’s moment to become your moment. All it takes is a sharp lift off the throttle mid turn or too hasty on the stoppers to put you out of shape, on the grass, and in the kitty litter, or worse, armco.
If you find someone is holding you up though, and it can be frustrating if it’s a faster car down the straights, then simply back off, give your car a breather and find some space of your own.
Similarly, give your car a rest in the pits as often as possible and always use your in-lap as a cool-down run. This is mainly for the benefit of the brakes, which will be working far harder than they ever do on the road. An upgrade here is the best track mod.
Once you pull back into the pits then switch off – unless it’s a turbo car, in which case you’ll want to let it run for a little while – and relax. But don’t put the handbrake on, as that could easily lead to bits of hot pad fusing to the rear discs, or worse. Throughout the day you should also keep an eye on your tyre wear, particularly the front left, which gets the most punishment on the majority of British circuits.
If it’s wet take extra care. Wet racing circuits are a lot greasier than a wet road, and wet grass tends to negate the effectiveness of even Formula 1 standard run-off areas. (Take head Ed).
Oh, and one other thing. If you think all this talk about safety means track days are inherently dangerous, then think again. Track days actually have a remarkable safety record – partly because the industry takes safety so seriously. And while any fast driving is bound to involve an element of risk (surely the attraction) major incidents, even minor crashes, are rare. So, what are you waiting for? Stop dreaming. Book a track day.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ? CHECK OUT MIKE BRESLIN'S NEW BOOK 'Track Day Manual' £17.99 available here - 15% discount to all subscribers
Dream a little. Imagine a world where there are no speed limits and cameras, no traffic congestion, and no bloody caravans. The sort of place Carlsberg might do, if it did driving. Wonderful, isn’t it? But the best bit is it needn’t be fantasy, because even though the UK has possibly one of the least driver-friendly road networks in Europe, it also probably has the healthiest track day scene, with the widest choice of venues and types of events, in the world. We are blessed, so enjoy.
Actually, we’re guessing some of you have already heard a bit about track days. On those soft-filtered, hard-talking TV car shows they’re always going on about them – it gives them an excuse to test cars no one would really buy. Sadly, it also tends to give many people an entirely distorted view of what a track day actually is. And here’s the good news: a track day is not just a playground for supercars, rich kids and bug-eyed specials, a track day is a place you can take your car, however tuned, and drive it to the very limit of what it’s capable of. A test of you, your car, at full chat. Safely.
And that’s the thing, however fast you might drive on the road, you will never really get the most out of your car, you’ll never be entirely sure if the modifications you’ve done to it are anything more than a melange of nice induction noise and shiny rims. And you’ll never be 100% safe, or free from prosecution. The track is the only place to see what your car can really do.
Car Track Day Preparation
Track day car prep is about one thing – common sense. You need to do the obvious: check the oil and water; make sure the wheelnuts are tight; and make sure there’s enough tread on your tyres and life in the pads.
You should also check your tyre pressures. You’ll probably hear a lot of talk about fiddling with tyre pressures at track days, but a lot of this tends to be misguided. As Calum Lockie told us: ‘A manufacturer will spend millions on developing a relationship between the car and its tyres, and you can bet they will have worked out what pressure is just right… Also, when people put up their tyre pressures for the track they are forgetting that they will go up anyway through the higher temperatures when they’re worked hard on track. So they could have tyre pressures that are way too high, which will lead to a worse performance.’
Obvious but, make sure you’ve got plenty of petrol. You wouldn’t believe how thirsty a car can get on track, where it sees more open throttle than in a month of road miles. You’re never going to make mates if a session has to be stopped because you’ve run out of gas (Dave W, NBR, Ed).
Many operators insist you have a towing eye fitted and you might be asked to tape up your headlights. And noise is an issue at many circuits – so bear that in mind if your car’s a bit Led Zep.
Really, it’s common sense stuff. Like make sure there are no loose bits and pieces floating around in the car and ensure there’s nothing rolling around on the floor – we know of one track day driver who arrived at a hairpin only to find a can of WD40 had rolled beneath the brake pedal…
And don’t forget to make sure the jack’s tied down well, or it’s boot dent time.
With car all ship shape, what about kit. Most track days require that you wear a crash helmet and it goes without saying that you should get the best you can, which might mean forking out a few quid, but then there’s an old saying in the track day world: ‘if you have a 10 dollar head, buy a 10 dollar helmet.’ It’s your choice. As far as the rest of your kit goes, you don’t need racing overalls – though some choose to wear them – but T-shirts and shorts are definitely not allowed. Keep bare skin to a minimum. As far as shoes are concerned, racing boots will give you better feel on the pedals, but thin-soled/rubber-soled shoes will do.
One other issue is insurance. Some roads policies include track cover (check small print and excess), or you can pay for specialist cover, or not.
Oh, and make sure your facial muscles are fit. Because you’re about to do a lot of grinning…
On the right track
First you need to find the day that is right for you. Our advice, for the beginner at least, is to choose a venue where there is room to make mistakes. With that in mind an airfield track day is ideal. Aeroplanes need a lot of room – that’s why the sky’s so big – so airfield tracks have plenty of space for you to learn all about the limits of your car. Run-off areas are safe, and no armco.
Assuming you’ve learnt the basics on an airfield day or two, what’s next? Well there are plenty of track day operators out there, offering an astonishing array of experiences. But perhaps the best starting point would be to check out the website of the Association of Track Day Operators (www.atdo.co.uk) which lists a number of companies. Calum Lockie, champion race driver and boss of Gold Track – one of the UK’s leading track day operators – is also the chairman of the ATDO. He says: ‘The thing about the ATDO is that it’s a trade association and because of that there are conditions of membership. If an operator doesn’t comply with the conditions they get slung out, so it’s certainly a good starting point for finding your feet.’
Most operators will allow any sort of car, as long as it’s roadworthy, to attend their days. We’ve even seen a London cab out at Donington. And indeed, one of the really cool things about track days is that there’s nothing to stop you sharing the track with some top class machinery, pitting your steed against all sorts.
For this feature, we went along to a Gold Track day at Silverstone in a bog-standard ‘unstarted project’ Mazda MX-5 and shared the track with a brace of Porsche Carrera GTs and a few GT3s. It means you spend a lot of time looking in the mirrors, but it’s certainly an experience to behold sharing circuit space with excellence.
That said, usually track day goers tend to find their own level to a certain extent and there’s every chance you’ll share track time with cars similar to your own. It’s basic economics really, people with Ferraris might think nothing of forking out £500 for a day at Spa, while you might be looking at something a little cheaper – airfield track days start for as little as £90 a day, for instance, and you can usually find circuit days for around the £150 mark, particularly in the winter and at the lesser known tracks.
There are differences in the way track days are run too. For instance, some will offer ‘open pit lane’ while others will be in sessions. Open pit lane means cars are allowed out at any time when the circuit is in use, provided there are not more than the maximum amount of cars allowed on track out at the time. Usually this involves a bit of queuing in the pit lane while you wait to be flagged on track, but it will seldom be for more than a couple of minutes. The great thing about open pit lane events is that drivers tend to do short bursts rather than staying out for half hour at a time, which is good for the car; and the brakes in particular.
On the other hand, some people prefer sessioned days. Depending on the organiser, these will usually be split into groups, sometimes for novices and experts and sometimes based on the speed variations of the cars. Sessioned track days can be particularly good for the newcomer, because if you’re in a novice session you’re less likely to spend your time with your eyes glued to the mirrors watching out for the hot shoes. Incidentally, some organisers also run days just for novices, which could be just the thing if you’re a little bit worried about getting in the way while you’re still learning. It can be a bit daunting at first, until you ‘gen up.’
On the day
The most important thing to remember about track days is the one thing many seem to forget: a track day is not a race. It’s an absolutely vital point, for the only reason track days can get the insurance that allow them to happen is because they are strictly non-competitive. So once on track, racing is a definite no-no. For the same reason there can be no lap timing either, so bear that in mind before you go investing in that £1,000 chronograph that’s been designed with ‘track days in mind’.
All this will be hammered home in the drivers’ briefing that takes place after you’ve signed on (showing your driving licence) and received your wristband – which you need to show every time you leave the pit lane. These briefings are wholly necessary and even if they do cover some things that might seem obvious – they have to to placate the insurers – most of what is said will be useful. Some operators will include a funny anecdote or two, which helps calm the nerves after all the safety talk, and all should make sure everyone’s aware of any tricky parts of the circuit.
Most operators will also take this opportunity to introduce you to the instructors that are on hand for the day. Now, coaching is not obligatory, but we reckon you’d do well to have an expert sit beside you for a lap or two. It’s less expensive than you might think – sometimes it’s even free – and it will result in safer and faster lapping. Indeed, a half hour session in the hands of a capable instructor has been equated to over £1,000 spent in tuning parts in terms of on-track speed. No joke. Try it.
Other things you’ll be told in the briefing include what side to overtake on – which is usually on the left – and that you are not allowed to pass in a corner or in the braking area for a corner. The universal flag safety signals will also be explained.
Once you’ve made sure your car is ready for the track it’s time to have some fun. But be careful here, it’s all too easy to go crazy in the euphoria of being free from those traffic jams and Gatsos, and it’s also all too easy to overdo it and end up in the gravel trap – or worse (too true, Ed). The best advice is the obvious advice: ‘You need to go gentle to begin with,’ says Lockie, ‘and always remember that there’s absolutely no pressure to go any quicker than you feel comfortable going, even if that is quite slow. The only caveat is you must watch your mirrors.’
The main thing is to build up your speed gradually. Work on where the circuit goes first, then the proper line – this is where half an hour’s coaching will really pay dividends, and follow the braking, turn-in, apex, exit cones – all the while gradually upping your speed.
Give yourself plenty of room too, and don’t crowd other cars, especially in the corners. It’s all too easy for the guy in front’s moment to become your moment. All it takes is a sharp lift off the throttle mid turn or too hasty on the stoppers to put you out of shape, on the grass, and in the kitty litter, or worse, armco.
If you find someone is holding you up though, and it can be frustrating if it’s a faster car down the straights, then simply back off, give your car a breather and find some space of your own.
Similarly, give your car a rest in the pits as often as possible and always use your in-lap as a cool-down run. This is mainly for the benefit of the brakes, which will be working far harder than they ever do on the road. An upgrade here is the best track mod.
Once you pull back into the pits then switch off – unless it’s a turbo car, in which case you’ll want to let it run for a little while – and relax. But don’t put the handbrake on, as that could easily lead to bits of hot pad fusing to the rear discs, or worse. Throughout the day you should also keep an eye on your tyre wear, particularly the front left, which gets the most punishment on the majority of British circuits.
If it’s wet take extra care. Wet racing circuits are a lot greasier than a wet road, and wet grass tends to negate the effectiveness of even Formula 1 standard run-off areas. (Take head Ed).
Oh, and one other thing. If you think all this talk about safety means track days are inherently dangerous, then think again. Track days actually have a remarkable safety record – partly because the industry takes safety so seriously. And while any fast driving is bound to involve an element of risk (surely the attraction) major incidents, even minor crashes, are rare. So, what are you waiting for? Stop dreaming. Book a track day.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ? CHECK OUT MIKE BRESLIN'S NEW BOOK 'Track Day Manual' £17.99 available here - 15% discount to all subscribers
