 | Home > Off Topic > Anyone into track days? Advice? |
 
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| tookaphotoof Member Since: 18 Mar 2013 Location: dordrecht Posts: 1279   
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I've been playing with a BMW, VX220 and Caterham on trackways. Because of the low weight, especially the Caterham doesn't cost much at all. Very efficient on fuel, brakes and tires.
Downside for some, it doesn't have a roof. Personally, I never had a problem with it. Drove from the Netherlands to France, attended two trackdays and drove home on the same set of tires. |
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14th Jan 2015 10:36am |
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| AndrewS Member Since: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Hereford Posts: 3708  
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If you want to try your hand at Rally Driving this is a great place http://www.philprice.co.uk/
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14th Jan 2015 10:58am |
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| AWOL Member Since: 31 Oct 2013 Location: UK Posts: 222 |
Never really understood the love for MX5s except for single class racing - sure the handling is reasonable but they are slow (and I don't find it much fun being overtaken).
For me it's all about weight (especially at circuits like Oulton): go with a Westfield/Caterham/Atom and you'll have a riot and be faster than significantly more expensive kit. You'd be surprised how many supposedly quick cars are quite low in bhp/ton terms (for example: RS4/M3 = 250/275, Murcielago/F430 = 350/375) compared to light stuff (a basic 1.6 Caterfield can easily around the bottom of that range and I know at least three fairly innocent looking Caterfields locally that are at/above the top end of that range, and there's one that's fairly regularly at Oulton that's over 650 bhp/ton!) Having also played about with the likes of Clio Cups, XKRs, 911s and the such like the light stuff is just much more engaging (and massively cheaper to run when it comes to consumables - heavy stuff munches through pads/tyres much faster but can be more fun on faster circuits). Full on downforce stuff (Radicals and the like) can be a hoot but you end up being too quick and permanently held up by others. Of course none of the above applies if it's tipping it down. Last winter day I did saw a Zafira (with a driver best described as "committed") as the quickest thing on track! 
Alternatively go a bit off piste and look at a classic mini? There are also some 2CVs doing the rounds that look like fun (if you like cornering on your door handles! )
In a Westie/Caterham you'd be looking at around £150-200/day for consumables, can easily double that (and then some!) for heavier kit. By way of illustration, 13" R888s are ~100 a corner and can get four days out of them in a Caterfield. Heavier car might eat a set of tyres in a single day AND have a higher cost per corner to start with. It is possible to hire Caterhams from Bookatrack which is a good way of dipping a toe in the water (watch the insurance excess though). Oulton's a good track as it's a great drive AND has a 105dB limit. If you're tempted to find out more then the first day of the season is in a couple of weeks - interesting range of vehicles going (no exotica listed when I last looked) and most owners happy to chat about what they've got etc. BTW, there's an excellent Westie (local to you) coming on the market very soon that would be a good introduction to track days. Not sure how much he wants for it but happy to check if you're interested. |
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17th Jan 2015 5:07pm |
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| sweepc Member Since: 19 Jun 2011 Location: uk Posts: 568 
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[quote="davidwhittaker"]Good advice all, thanks! I definitely agree about the not too much power point, there's something very satisfying about getting the very most out of a car.
And why not try my defender? It's 4 wheel drive, 4cylinder, turbocharged! It's basically an Impreza!  [/quote]
David it wouldn't be the first time I've seen a Defender on the track at Oulton Park. Think it was a 2.4 tdci 90 from memory |
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18th Jan 2015 2:21pm |
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| Landy-Novice Member Since: 22 Jun 2013 Location: wiltshire Posts: 118
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im surprised no one has said e36 bmw 328 or M3.
with a 328, strip it out. 850i brakes. m50 manifold and bbtb. coil over kit and a set of slicks and your away for little dollar! a mate of mine has a e36 M3 that shames ALOT of powerful cars. but now its just been fitted with a s54.  |
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20th Jan 2015 8:30pm |
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| tookaphotoof Member Since: 18 Mar 2013 Location: dordrecht Posts: 1279
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Exactly. Whenever I went out with the BMW I always calculated for "at least" one set of brake pads (not talking about 50 pound cheap stuff), one set of tires as you wouldn't have enough left for a second day out, huge fuel fuel bill and always new engine oil afterwards. If on a tighter budget the initial higher cost of buying a second hand Caterham or Westfield will help you save a lot of money in the long run. Start with something like this and you can endlessly alter the car when you get more experienced. It's like Lego for adults. 
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...00/2964769 |
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20th Jan 2015 8:44pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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Some good advice in the previous posts - I'd just make a few points:
1. Get a light car - MX5, VX220, Elise, Caterham, etc - they will return far more bang for the buck than any other make. It's always more satisfying to be faster in the corners than blasting along the straights. The big barges with turbos do tend to do a couple of quick laps then pit for fading brakes & will always hold you up in the corners. 2. Try before you buy - Bookatrack has been mentioned. An excellent company and I could not recomend their caterham hire cars more. Done many a great day with them in the past. Lotus on track are also excellent in terms of cost, track manners and general helpfulness. 3. Costs - it's not cheap if you actually run your own car and do keep a close check on the consumables. Track miles are obviously a lot harder on your vehicle than road miles. I'd guesstimate by at least a factor of 10 if not more. 4. Pick the company you use carefully - not all are equal. Track days are not races you want to feel safe and secure whilst there, so find out what their policy on overtaking is and how well they police it. 5. Pick a "safe" circuit for your first outing - perhaps leave oulton and cadwell until you have done a few days elsewhere. Safer places would be Bedford, Rockingham, Silverstone (but expensive) or the best by far Anglesey. |
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21st Jan 2015 10:58am |
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| meeerrrk Member Since: 12 Feb 2017 Location: Surrey Posts: 548 
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sorry to revive an old thread, but did you ever get a track car?
i'm seem to have fairly rare taste - defender for the road and track car to go fast! |
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21st Feb 2017 7:19am |
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