15-20 at Mallory Park. Track Booking

National Rally and Event Archive The 15-20 Anniversary National Rally
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It’s been a long time coming, but 15 - 20 activities are starting to burst out everywhere. <o:p></o:p>

This post is about the on track, in car activities at the National Festival at st1:placest1:placenameMallory</st1:placename> st1:placetypePark</st1:placetype></st1:place> on the 12th September. <o:p></o:p>

Off track activities will be shown elsewhere. <o:p></o:p>

So what do we have? Firstly Mallory is a cracking little circuit and the circuit maps do not do it justice. Devils Elbow, Gerard’s and Shaw’s Hairpin are all interesting corners.

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In the morning we have a full open pit lane session. Cars on track will be limited and there will be plenty of space for those fortunate drivers that sign up. This is the ideal time to share with another driver and make the most of the track. <o:p></o:p>

In the afternoon we have 20 minute sessions. Again numbers are limited on track and this is a fantastic chance to see what your own car can do. Fed up with being called a Hair Dresser, hate the way diesel Mondeo’s slow you down in corners and then leave you in a cloud of black smoke? This is where to see just what your MX-5 is capable of when there is no Mondeo or yellow boxes with cameras in.

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This is the ideal time for regional groups. Always moaning that runs are too slow! Put up or shut up with our region challenge. There will be prizes for the biggest region in a session and also for the most flamboyant, proving it is safe to go on track. Anybody driving in authentic 1989 gear with automatically win a prize!  

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You can book instruction to if you want it. You can even rent and MX-5 Race car to have instruction in. Many people want to know just what they can do.<o:p></o:p>

If driving is not your thing, or if you want to scare yourself of someone else someone else, you can take an adrenaline fuelled Hot Lap with one of our tame Stigs all in aid of our very worthy chosen charity Help for Heroes.

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While all this is going on, in the Paddock, we will be running a Gymkhana (cone slalom to you and me) where you will be able to see if you are a hero or zero in one of our cars. Heroes win a prize, zeros don’t. 

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And then we have our spectacular Drift demonstration. Drifting is the art of going sideways even when it is straight, and we don’t mean a little bit of handbrake outside McDonalds, we mean properly sideways at a 100 miles per hour. And to show us all how that happens we will have our very own MX-5 drivers who Drift for fun and then, with rather more horse power we will have a display by Driftworks, the European Drift Champions who will show just what 650bhp in a car can do. And if you are lucky enough to get a passenger ride you can find out too.

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Booking starts here. <o:p></o:p>

 

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[:D]booked it OPL in the morning should be fun not done a open pit lane b4

 

Mike 

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 You will enjoy it [Y]

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 And Me…

Im gonna be up early if Im going to put Sparkle in the Cool car…all that cleaning of tyres and polishing exhausts !!!

Before 08.30

 

Alan

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 Ill bring my feather duster [H], just had my booking confirmed for the morning session , Im the only one booked so far.

Mike

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 I intend to book for the open pit lane session. In addition my better half fancies being scared to death in one of the hot laps , but I cannot see on the web site wher you book these. or is it only on the day.

Ta

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Do you wish to scare  her with your driving or or do you want her to be taken on a hot lap as you say by a competent driver either way check the mazda on track site (mot) that shuld tell you everything as regards the days events. you might have to book the hot laps onthe day , will check it out and let you know

 

Mike 

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 Failing that she can always come out with me , I frighten myself so should frighten her no problem!!!

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 Having just looked at the days events with MOT , they are doing hot laps for charity so your better half can go out with ? to be scared sh***ess for a contribution to a charity ??? nothing on there  as regards booking it now or on the day perhaps someone else might Know ???

 

 

Mike

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 I will take her out in the morning and she will have a go herself as an extra driver . but she also really fancies a flying lap in a hot motor ours is a std Roadster.

Thanks for the offer though , knowing her she would say yes to that as well.

 

 

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 Second post[:$] but booked the morning session[:D]

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Hi all. I’ve never done a track day before but would love to and these prices seem really good. However, I’ve got to admit that I’d be apprehensive - firstly because I’m a nooby and secondly because I haven’t got a clue where to start (i.e. mods, insurances, etc). Would you guys recommend an event such as this for a nooby and is there a guide anywhere explaining what (if anything) needs to be done to my car? And also, is this day only open to club members? Thanks!

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 Yes it would be a good introduction for a 1st timer…No body want to hassle you cos we are all there for fun and we dont want you to crash into anyone!

Advice is free and you can blag passenger rides with people when your not out on circuit (20-30 mins in one go is plenty)

Advice can be found in the Track preperation section.

But simply

 

Insurance - Most dont bother because risk is slight…1 day premiums can be high…and excess can be as much as £1500

 

Experience - Bring a smile and your ears you will learn a lot by listening…forget your pride because you will NOT be as fast as other drivers

and trying to keep up and drive faster than you ability can leave you in a mess.[::(]

 

Mods - None needed.you can hire a helmet

Just make sure your car is Ok check the coolant + oil levels

maybe change the brake fluid if its old as your brakes will take more use than normal

Check your brake pads and maybe have a spare set handy if yours are more than half worn

Tyre pressues should be slightly higher than normal to help the sidewalls handle the corners better.

 

Preperation - take everything loose out the cabin + the Boot.

you dont want that lost bottle of pop rolling from under you seat and lodging under the brake

 

Thats about it…and if you decide to try just one of the 20 min taster sessions

come along in the morning to the Paddock and blag a ride and chat to people who are there for the Open pitlane.

 

One Warning …if you find you like the experience

It will get expensive[;)]

Alan

 

 

 

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derbymx5 – You will not be the only nooby – myself and my wife have no previous experience and have both signed up to the morning session. We share the same apprehensions and questions as yourself.

Thanks to locke-alike for your comprehensive and informative answer.  

Perhaps I can just add some nooby comments.

We have each signed up to 20 mins tuition early in the day so at least we have some guidance for the first few minutes, I hope that this is a sensible starting point.

Our newly purchased 2004 MX5 has 4 random makes of tyres, so one essential preparation will be to equip it with a set of 4 new identical tyres, probably Toyo T1R or possibly Eagle F1.

www.morris.co.uk provide instantaneous insurance quotes for one day track insurance covering damage to your car. For the 2 of us it is £45 with a £750 excess. Optional extras: remove excess £21, Vehicle recovery £15, and personal injury £5 per £25000 of cover. Obviously your quote may be different.

If track days become more than a one off then I will take a look at specialist road insurance that covers track days.

So we are now committed and apprehensively look forward to the day.

Hopefully see you there.

Tim Jen

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 Get yourself booked in for the open pit lane morning session and come and have a chat before you go out, if you want come out with me or Alan (I`m sure he wont mind) just to get an idea of whats involved just ask. As Alan rightley says dont push it to its limits, go at a speed you are comfortable with and gradually build on it. Also the good thing with open pit lane is you can start and stop when you feel like it so when you start to get a bit tired (and you will) you can have a breather. Dont bother with insurance we will all give you plenty of room and the track manners are very good with us guys as you will see, look forward to seeing you there

Mike

 

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 Good advice as usual Alan , by the way Ive just put a set of Eibacks on so should keep up with you now through the twisty bits (dropped it 30mm) feels so much better, also are you doing Oulton with MGOT in November as its now open for booking, Ive provisionally booked just need to see how the money goes as Ive just been made redundant ( ars****s)

Mike

 

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 I was going to reply to an earlier post, but I see others have done it for me.

It is very normal to be apprehensive when you try anything new for the first time. Everyone starts somewhere and you don’t have to be fast, it is not a race. Not everyone is Lewis Hamilton, or for that mater David Beckham or Johny Wilkinson, the important thing is to have fun.

Next it is nowhere near as dangerous as most people think. All the cars are going the same way, all planning to do the same thing and on a width of track that you just don’t get on the road. Marshals signal if there is a problem ahead and again, it is not racing. 4 cars will not be competing for the best line through a corner.

Insurance is not mandatory, but as with all things in life risk can never be totally eliminated. There are a growing number of normal road policies that now include track days within the policy. The old AON insurance had this. Richard Egger policies include track day cover and they also do single day cover too. 

If you have never been on track before there is the option of a Welcome to Track session in the morning, is which split over 3 parts and covers all the basics such as lines, braking, gear selection etc and moves on to more advanced as confidence grows. 20 minute slots are also available.

The morning session is open pitlane. This means that cars can come and go on to the track as frequently as they wish providing there is space on the track at that time. The afternoon sessions are 20 minutes long and all cars will go out and return in that 20 minute period.

Smiles are mandatory.  

 

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 Oh, and I forgot to add, that Hot Laps can now be booked via the MoT website.

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 Hi Mikey

Might do the Oulton park one

but have the day booked off already to do

the M.O.T one on friday 27th Nov as its Open pit lane And as Oulton Park is close for the more time out the better.

http://www.mazdaontrack.co.uk/index.asp

and even maybe one of the 2 Brands hatch days latter in the month(dec)

 

Alan