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Driving on the roads can be fun, but trying to use the full performance of your vehicle is both illegal and plain daft, with the volume of traffic, speed limits and , of course, the dangers both to yourself and , perhaps, more importantly other road users and pedestrians.
So, what do you do if you want to extend yourself and your vehicle, unleash some or all of your pride & joy’s potential?A fun place to start is a track day, no need for a racing licence just take along your driving licence and a helmet. |
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1st TimersNo need to fret about your first time on track, most track day organisers are familiar with the needs of newcomers, often having a familiarisation session for people like you, and depending on the organiser this may include free or paid instruction. Take your time to familiarise yourself with the circuit, watching youtube videos of your chosen circuit and studying the maps will help. The drivers briefing is compulsory and will offer some useful pointers, as well as information about the circuit and any procedures to take into account …. take it all in cos nothing is going to beat the buzz of opening the throttle wide that first time. Track days should be a huge grin fest of adrenaline, so remember you are there to enjoy yourself! Don’t try too hard, being smooth around a new circuit takes patience and time, and it’s better to inch steadily closer to that ultimate lap, than go skittering into the kitty litter at turn two, and looking like a prize chump. Try to arrive at the event early and chat to others who are there, it’s good to get a feel for the vibe, and also gives you a chance to ask questions of the more experienced participants, some of whom will almost certainly have driven the circuit previously and may know the right way through some of the corners or have advice on avoiding a bump here or there. Don’t have a car? No problem!Quite a few track day organisers offer a hire car facility for when your own car isn’t available, or you don’t want to risk it! or if you just fancy trying something a little different. Costs will vary depending on the type of car available or desired, and whether you need it for a full day or half, some will even accomodate multiple drivers, so you and a mate can share the costs – a full day would typically cost around £650 – £800 including a hired car. Which car do I need?Anything!! well, within reason and preferably quick, the car doesn’t need to be modified with roll cages, fire extinguisher systems etc, but it needs to have a tow point (just in case!). you may just want to use your every-day sports or road car, some track day cars will have been ex-race cars or manufactured specifically for track day use, others will be every-day use sports cars and normal or ‘tweaked’ saloons and hatchbacks. Alternatively why not search the classifieds this can often yield something cheap and cheerful, stripping it of it’s ancilliaries such as rear seats, parcel shelves, spare wheel, jack and anything else not needed will make any car perform better, as the great designer Colin Chapman said ‘simplify and add lightness’ Track Day’s are a tremendous way to explore the inner racing driver, familiarise yourself with your vehicle and it’s limits and have enormous fun, whilst meeting interesting and like-minded people
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