Does anyone have any preferences for tracks to take your MX-5 on where tuition might be available?
Looking to commit to doing a couple of days where I could learn how to get more out of the car before I commit to adding power instead.
Tia
1 Like
most trackday organizers offer tuition. would definitely recommend opentrack and Nick (MOT)
The preference would be to choose open tracks that have plenty of runout areas. Blyton is a good flat one, Donnington, Snetterton, Anglesey are great tracks.
As for the power bitā¦ in an mx5 you will not be the faster thing on track, but it will most definitely be a blast.
1 Like
Depends where you are based, many tracks offer driving courses with their own cars which are a great way to learn how to drive around a track without putting your own vehicle at risk, back in the late 80ās before trackdays were as big a thing as they are today I did courses at Brands Hatch Oulton Park and Cadwell Park before I spent a season racing a 2CV.
The advantage of going that route was the instructor would take you out to show you the ropes and then sit with you while you put what you had learned into practice and your vehicle is never at risk.
If you are sure you want to take tuition in your own car from the get go Iād recommend joining a local motor club that organises trackdays, there you will usually find a fellow club member with experience who will show you the basic skills to get started in a relatively safe environment. For example I belong to the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club who run an annual trackday at Castle Combe once a year. At these there are some very experienced fellow club members who are happy to show you the ropes all while the numbers of other vehicles on the track are limited so you have plenty of time and space to learn at your own pace.
The disadvantage of starting like this is unless you are very trusting and let your instructor drive your car you will not know what you are aiming at.
I would not recommend anyone start learning at any trackday running an open pit plane policy, at the few I have spectated, the driving standards with 30 or 40 cars on track appear marginal and the space for a novice to learn appear minimal and as an environment in which to start learning skills franky terrifying.
Hope you find what you are looking for, have fun and keep it on the black stuff 
1 Like
I done an open track day at snetterton in my last car and found it annoying with all the rule breaking and red flags from the hot heads.
I dont expect to be the fastest but i thought there would be better etiquette.
I have been told to do tracks that dont feature in championships Etc as it tends to reduce those using the track days for practice. Somewhere like bedford but i was wondering if there is anywhere more suited to the mx5.
I have now bought a ticket for the sprint at curborough as well.
1 Like
Blyton looks appealing and its not to far. I will look out for a novice type event there.
Thanks
1 Like
If I were looking at somewhere to enjoy an MX5 over that way Iād go with Cadwell Park. It is like a mini Nurburgring, I sprinted at Curbrough, it is unbelievably tight in the twisty bits fun but not much variation in elevation, not done Bedford or Blyton yet. Have fun out there 
Caldwell park is definitely not for a novice
I donāt know of any circuits that offer driving courses outside of experiences. The instructors role in that instance is to keep themselves, you and the asset safe. It is not about getting 11/10ās out of the car at all.
We, MOT Trackdays, can rent you a race car and sit next to you and coach you, even look at private testing at Blyton, however it needs to be appreciated that these are not insignificant costs and so it is not a Ā£200 thing.
As for driving etiquette on track days, I wouldnāt want to comment on other TDOās but it is frequently down to how they are managed and I couldnāt agree with the notion of open pit lane events are bad. A lot of the time you have to take the plunge. Tuition is never a bad idea though.
1 Like
IIRC when I did the Cadwell Course it was on the short track up the hill along the top down the hill and the the short cut back to the uphill section, tremendous fun in a Formula First, though it taught me I was never even close to making an open wheel competitor, while I was enjoying myself the car seemed a bit too flimsy to want to take anything but the most conservative no drama approach
Just had a look at the MSV site and the closest to my XR3 experiences back in the late 80ās would be M4 Masters events for the money probably not too shaby for a taster the cars are good deal more powerful than back in my day but at least they are rear wheel drive :- Driving Experiences | BMW M4 Master From Ā£125 | MSV
1 Like
That is a driving experience though, it is not coaching.
All that will do is make the OP feel inadequate about their cars performance.
If the OP wants to learn more about their own car, it needs to be a track day.
1 Like
Yes Nick is right for me, I already feel quite inadequate nowadays.
I just need to find the right place thatās convenient and Iām comfortable with to push at. Wonāt learn much if I donāt push. Thatās sort of what Iām looking for.
Thanks
Not having any karting experience as a nipper and as an introduction without risking my car it worked for me, spun harmlessly several times before I got a handle on it and built my confidence up.
My wife and I had a morningās tuition with NickD after āhaving a momentā exiting a roundabout a month or so into ownership of our Mk1.
Nick was awesome - made me realise how little I really knew about fast driving and especially rear-wheel driven cars, after a lifetime of front-wheel driven comfy company cars.
Luckily was at Blyton Park Driving Centre, huge run offs, lots of great corners to understand how MX-5ās handleā¦ it was a BLAST and worth every single penny! You wouldnāt regret it, if itās still possible to do.
Cheers, Tim
Iāve not done any trackdays for a while but the Caterham days used to be great, run in 3 groups and a queue of experienced racing drivers in the pit lane to pick up (for free) any time you needed some help / instruction.
Iāve also done Don Palmers ācreative car controlā course which is excellent (although expensive).
Carlimits are highly recommended for their driver training courses , with Lotus Elise owners (but I havenāt been on one) , but do have there DVD which is good.
Iāve also done several Caterham & Westfield Drifting days, these are excellent fun but teach you one of the most important parts of car control which is when the car will loose grip and how to catch the slide and not be frightened by it.
If it was me, Iād do a car control course first (maybe on an airfield) , then a trackday with tuition as this will learn you the lines, breaking points etc, the car control course will help you cope with driving the car on / past its limits. (which you really need to know before going on track).
Just my view!.
1 Like
Yes, thatās what I need, a skills day to build confidence. I will have a look for that. Might be a caterham or something but an excellent idea.