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Anybody been on a track day driving experience?



123Beano

New member
Aug 1, 2012
29
Thinking of buying one for Dad for xmas but wary that there's major waiting times and extra charges.

Any recommendations or warnings?
 


Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Apr 30, 2013
13,765
Herts
Done several. The best one available to the general public is, imo, the Porsche Experience at Silverstone. http://www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/experience/

You pay, and then get the option of several dates, typically between being able to get on track within a month if you want to do it soon.

EDIT: I'm assuming you want to drive the provider's car? If you want to drive your own, the recommendation would change.
 


jakarta

Well-known member
May 25, 2007
15,616
Sullington
Someone I worked years back with did a track day on his Ducati up at Croft in Yorkshire.

Wrote off said Ducati on his 2nd Lap, broke his arm and was stuck up there until his Dad could hire a Van and bring the wreckage (human and mechanical) home.

Marvellous Scenes... :lolol:
 




Gumbo

New member
Feb 18, 2009
105
Avoid red letter days if they still going, did one at Thruxton in an Aston Martin, had about 3 laps then it was all over. Best off booking direct with a racetrack i would assume..
 






grubbyhands

Well-known member
Dec 8, 2011
2,283
Godalming
I've done a couple of track days with my own bike. It sure lets you realise what it's capable of when you can use it's power in a safe environment without the threat of diesel etc. Recommended.
 


worthingseagull

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
1,436
i did the 3 supercar blast a month ago at brands hatch and loved it

if you are thinking of this venue let me know and i'll give you chapter and verse on the day and how long etc
 






beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,265
i've done a 4 car one in the midlands, a formula ford and rally experience at brands hatch, all very good. i have however heard poor experiences of some of "drive a porsche/ferrari/lambo" gifts for a £100, saying you dont get very long in the car.
 






Jul 7, 2003
8,573
If you are buying one of those 'experiences in a box' that they sell in the stores, check the website of the provider first to see what is included, where and when. Some of them are very limited around when you can use the vouchers and where. My Mrs bought me one a few years ago and the nearest place was up in the Midlands so it would have cost twice as much to do it because of the travel costs and the need to stay overnight.
 


NooBHA

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2015
8,584
My sister bought me one for my 40th birthday quite a few years ago. It's not really my sort of thing but I went on it just because it was a gift from my sister.

And wait for this one. There is a safety guy who goes round with you in the passenger seat. Without a word of a lie he actually said to me ''Your not driving Miss Daisy'' Cheeky ****ing *******. I thought I was doing quite well
 


DarrenFreemansPerm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sep 28, 2010
17,328
Shoreham
I've done a couple of track days with my own bike. It sure lets you realise what it's capable of when you can use it's power in a safe environment without the threat of diesel etc. Recommended.

Same, bit scared of binning my Ninja so I've brought a CBR track bike :)
Thoroughly recommend track days :thumbsup:
 




Silverhatch

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
4,271
Preston Park
Depends how much you want to pay but the very best ones are at Palmer's Bruntingthorpe complex. It's a big airfield with huge run offs - so they let you give it the beans. Brands and other major circuits have to slow you down because if you have an off it may hurt you physically and will definitely hurt them financially.
 


W3 BHA

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
359
As others have said, track days on the bike are great. Had a very reasonably priced, well organised track day at Castle Combe. Cars have been a different experience. The Silverstone Ferrari day was a present but it wasn't very good - the waiting times were long and the track was so busy that they never really let you put your foot down. It was only three laps and over in a flash. The whole thing was very impersonal and a long way to travel for 10 minutes action. I've had a couple of goes at a small circuit - Great Tew in Oxford where you get to drive one or three supercharged and get driven round for three laps in an Aerial Atom. That has been the best all round experience so suggest you look very closely at the make up of any package you go for.
 




Bedsex

not my real name
Jan 29, 2009
1,855
Flitwick
The Palmersport day at Bedford Autodrome is excellent, quite expensive, but it's a whole day and you get a decent amount of time in each of the cars (20-30 mins). When I did it I got to drive a Jaguar Palmer LeMans style car, a formula 3000 (single seater), a BMW M4 GTP, 2 Caterhams, a Land Rover defender on the off road course and an Ariel Atom. It was an absolutely awesome day.

I can also vouch for the half day at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone, which is cheaper than the Palmersport day, but more limited in the range of cars you can drive. However, I don't think you'd find a bad car there either!
 


JJ McClure

Go Jags
Jul 7, 2003
10,812
Hassocks
I've done a rally day at Brands Hatch that was pretty good, got a fair amount of time in the car (escort cosworth).
Also a did a Ferrari experience last time we were in Vegas. They drive you round in a Porsche Cayenne to show you the track and I'm pretty sure he managed to do a quicker lap in a two tonne SUV than I managed in a super car.
My dad did a drive at Goodwood, nice setup there but not enough time in the car. The three laps included the out lap and in lap so only really got one full flying lap in.
 



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