zpat
A good suggestion although then I guess you couldn’t call it open pit lane?
As Peter said Brands being such a short circuit didn’t help this situation, I have attended three BMW car club track days, twice at Snetterton 300 and once at Cadwell Park where there were 911’s, M3’S, Track prepared BMW,S etc along with a few un modified BMWS, I was in my unmodified 1.6 Eunos and was far and away the slowest car on the circuit but with more space the passing wasn’t such an issue.
Thanks to the club and Peter for the organisation of this event, I certainly had a good day. I am hoping I can attend the Blyton weekend next year.
Mick
As I said, it would not need to be mandatory, just a suggestion to help keep more people happy more of the time.
I have attended a couple of MSV’s “taster” sessions at Brands Hatch - those were good because they didn’t mix fast and slow traffic.
Also another suggestion would be half-day options, because I don’t want to put my road car through a long session. In fact I left after the morning sessioin for this reason (and also because of the 90 minute lunch gap (including the 30 minutes after lunch for experts)).
Then it is not open pit lane.
Zpat was this your first track day? And did you take up the option of tuition?
mot did a good job of reducing numbers this year and from what I saw the driving standards were very good.
remember tuition is very underestimate and will help more than any other extra bolted on the car. Don’t be affraid of asking for help
we all need it from time to time…
[quote=NickD]
VIDEO from the day. The only one I have due to a bit of not understanding a new camera.
That makes a hell of a noise ,is it a standard engine or turbo ?
That is 99% wind noise.
It’s a 1.8 it’s a side exit exhaust so only about 3 feet from the camera. 102 was the static noise reading. A standard exhaust would be about 88.
It’s the car that has been at both Rallies this year and Blyton.
I was there 2 years ago and I did have some tuition from Nick then (although it’s probably “worn off”).
Given that there are thousands of members in the OC - very, very few choose to attend track days, so I think having some events for unmodified road cars only, would make it more appealing to the mainstream.
Just my feedback.
Hi Zpat,
So if I can summarise, you want the following from a trackday:
-No cars/drivers that are faster than you
-Only MX5s allowed
-1/2 day only
-Some kind of semi-open pit format where you ask drivers nicely not to use the track half the time (which would be widely ignored)
As has been suggested, if there really was demand for such an event someone would be doing it. But there isn’t, so they don’t.
I could be cheeky and suggest the best solution for you would be to take a gently pootle along your local country roads to a pub/ garden centre/ NT house on a Sunday morning, but then I couldn’t promise that you wouldn’t find yourself being hassled by a rampant Picasso
A more helpful suggestion is to relax. Stop worrying about other cars/drivers. No matter how you organise a trackday there will always be a bigger fish in the pond.
A trackday is not a race and there are clear rules about track etiquette and overtaking etc. If a faster car comes up behind you, no problem. You’ve spotted it in good time because you’re keeping an eye on your mirrors (right?) and at the next straight you simply lift off, signal and move over. Faster car goes past and everyone is happy. If other cars are not playing by the rules just have a quiet word with the TDO and they will sort it.
Do you brake into surtees or lift off and brake into Clark that bit always confused me a bit ,also what was the white car you overtook at the end ?
Surtees is flat and it should be in most normal power 5’s
You brake for the right hander once you have got beyond the curbs on the right and have the car straight. The point you brake is down to you.
The white car is a Ginetta Junior, you will have seen them banging the crap out of each other on BTCC events.
Brian was driving a passenger round in this video. Every time I went to get in someone else had run off with it. I did get some laps at the end of the day.
Hi Zpat,
I do understand where you are coming from however it is very much a question of economics. I could pay my years mortgage from what it costs to run and operate Brands on that day. In the summer, I could make that 5 years mortgage.
I have never had a problem of accepting all levels of ability on our days and if we are made aware of any rule infringement I and everyone that is working on that day will take the appropriate action.
If you take any MX-5 as a whole, any car for that mater, there is no such thing as a standard car. Even if it was as it left the factory then the driver is a variable. The MK4 that was there was pretty much show room standard apart from the wheels.
While there may seem a huge audience within the OC you will note that the vast majority of postings on the forum are about cleaning, polishing and maintenance with a healthy dose of fear about reving engines and what constitutes a standard brake pad.
I would love to be in a position to offer novice days, with low numbers and even ability to give workshops on handling, tyre types and everything else, however unless we can find 50 people willing to spend £200 to do it and all on the same day as well it is not economical.
What we can do is offer private, one to one tuition at a circuit such as Blyton Park where you would have an empty track and we can go out and do all sorts of practice, experiments and improvements over half a day. However the cost of such an activity is around £400 and so, while very worth while, financially unattractive to many.
I’m up for that !
Which bit?
The finding 49 others or the individual bit?
I would personally like to thank Nick for a superb day, especially for organising the great weather! I have attended the December MOT track days for the last 3 years and this one was by far the best. A mixture of limiting the number of cars to 60 and driving standards/ etiquette made it fantastic.
I’m generally one of the slowest cars on track (bog standard 21 yr old MX5) but having been on quite a few now I really am quite relaxed with the much quicker RX8s, Golf GTIs, AMG Mercedes, Ginetta, Rodders etc. It’s only a short circuit so it doesn’t take long to allow a faster car to overtake.
As a newbie I remember the fear upon arriving to see lots of trailers being unloaded with track prepared missiles but quickly came to appreciate we were all here for the same reason.
Can’t wait for 2016.
Cheers Nick
I would love to be in a position to offer novice days, with low numbers and even ability to give workshops on handling, tyre types and everything else, however unless we can find 50 people willing to spend £200 to do it and all on the same day as well it is not economical.
[/quote]
If this could be offered I would be very interested, I can see the problem as you would also have to throw what venue to use in the mix as well.
Mick
Then this is what the Novice sessions at Blyton are all about! plus you will receive off track tuition throughout the morning.
Spend the AM on and off track building up your confidence and knowledge and then go out in the afternoon on the Open Pit lane (separate session)
There are only 30 places and they cost £35 each…
You will only be with other people who are having their first time on track or have only been perhaps once before, in their own MX-5s so all are likely standard road going cars.
I have a car that’s rather faster than I am now and I would love to drive it smooth and fast like the pros but it seems so fràntic I’m sure I do just about everything wrong ,but its a laugh anyway
Hi will there be an opportunity for another of these events to take place this year? Thanks
Morning Westie,
I have had some discussions with MOT for this year and I am hoping to finalise costing’s at the Autosport Show on the 14th - 17th Jan
I will open a new post at the end of the month advertising all the Club supported and Members only events. Keep your eyes pealed.
Pete