Hi all, I got my NC2 a couple of months ago and I’m looking to do a track day, but I’ve never done one before and feel a bit intimidated.
Ideally I’d love to go with someone who has experience and that can show me the ropes, but unfortunately I don’t know anyone that does track days.
I’ve heard that some companies offer track days for novices, has anyone been on on of those? What are they like?
One of my main concerns is that if anything breaks on the car I wouldn’t have the tools or knowledge to fix it. Do tracks offer some kind of assistance in that case?
I’m based in SE London, so it would probably be in Brands Hatch or somewhere nearby.
Track days can be great fun but it is not unusual to feel intimidated up until you give it a go and can judge wether it is something really suited to you.
I have no idea what is available at Brands Hatch but Bristol Pegasus Motor Club, of which I have been a member and until recently a committee member, are running an event ideal for novices on August 16th at Castle Combe. If that is too far to trek on the morning of your first track day there are plenty of airbnbs nearby where you can stay the night before.
I shall be coming down from Glasgow the night before and will probably stay somewhere like the Cross Hands Hotel just down the road from the track.
I shall be at the track day and there will be some regulars with vastly more experience that will be more than happy to show you the ropes in a safe and friendly environment.
As for damage the possibity can of course never be completely discounted but most avoid it by driving within their own limits and within the limits of their vehicles and there is plenty of help available to show you how to do this.
I’ve done alot of track days on my bike but none in the car, you will definitely get bitten by the bug if you start, I’ve recently started going to santa pod for rwyb drag racing on my bike and that bug has definitely bitten me
Brands Hatch do Novice Days. I did a couple of those to build up my confidence before doing an open pit day. Novice days are split in to 20min sessions every hour or so with limited cars on the track. Book an instructor as well, they’re about £25 for a few laps and well worth it. They give you great insight to where you can brake and turn in etc.
Make sure you change all your fluids before going on track. I’ve seen a guy cook his MX-5 engine at Snetterton because he never checked his oil before going on track.
The other thing is tyre pressure. Invest in a digital pump if you don’t have one as you’ll want to set your pressures to 29PSI once the tyres are hot.
And most importantly, don’t give it 100% on the track. You’ll have way more fun at 80%. Push too hard and you will come off the track. I learnt the hard way and crashed my car at Snetterton. 18 months on and it’s only just ready to go back on the track…
Yes, spun on a fast corner and hit the armco barrier backwards and sideways. Had it been head-on I wound have written the car off so got away with it! I’ll do a post a some point on the rebuild.
You can see here how much lower the driver seat is. IIRC there are 2 options to choose from when buying the kit. I went with the biggest drop possible. Now my head just brushes the roof when wearing a helmet.
Yeah brands hatch is your only option really. That or thruxton the other side of London, or Bedford a bit further north.
Have fun, warm into it, make sure you have plenty of brake pad and tyre before you start.
Oil and brake fluid change before the day is recommended.
Yes you can have the top down.
Most providers let you rent a helmet for £10-15 quid for the day if you want.
In a soft top you need a full face helmet and arms and legs covered.
Organisers Javelin, opentrack, MSV plus more but those are the big three in the UK.
As mentioned check your tyre pressures regularly, i do after every time i come into the pits, keep session to 10-15 minutes at a time to make sure oil temps don’t get too high.
No trackday providers don’t provide a fix it service, but there is always garages around the tracks, you can get insurance if you want specifically for track days but only crash damage. If it does happen the plan should be ask the track company if you can leave your car there a few days and get a recovery company to pick you up.
Just my opinion but i wouldnt recommend Brands Hatch for your first trackay. You will have more fun and gain confidence quicker on an airfield circuit like Bedford autodrome where they is nothing to hit and you will get a better feel of the car. Once you have the track day bug you can then progress to a more challenging circuit like Brands. A good intermediate step would be Mallory Park in Leicester ok so a bit of a trek for you but a good step up as a proper circuit for that full “racing driver” experience but an easy circuit to learn and a lot of fun. And usually cheap.
Drive Limits (previously Car Limits) training days at North Weald airfield might be an option. A few years back I did one of their 4-car days in my S2000. Really enjoyable day, learned a lot.
I started on a half-day Novice trackday at Brands in my MX-5 Mk1. It was really good and not intimidating at all, because all other drivers were beginners too. After that I progressed to a full day back at Brands, then onto Bedford (highly recommended) which is a much longer track, and Silverstone (which I regretted - very expensive, and my car was too slow compared to all the Porsches & race cars around me).
I would suggest you look at [https://mottrackdays.com/](https://Mazda on Track) if you’d like to be on track with fellow Mazda drivers.
After my first trackday I got hooked and found myself upgrading to Meister adjustable suspension, roll bar, bucket seat, upgraded brake pads etc. I don’t regret it.
Just remember to take it easy to start with, and if your car is completely standard I’d suggest no more than 5 or 6 laps at a time to keep the brakes from overheating.
Here’s my in-car video from my first December trackday at Brands.
Looks really slow, but might give you an idea of whether it’s for you or not.
The Indy circuit is very short, so it doesn’t take long to get accustomed to it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDoZyOiy-IA](https://Brands Indy trackday)
