TRack Days

[Roasthunter]

There is loads of chat about Track Cars on here but how many have actually done a Track Day and gunned their car to within an inch of its life.....?

[craig180]

Only done one so far, but that's down to the fact my car isn't finished. Would never gun it to within an inch of it's life though, instead I'd drive within my capabilities

[dannyboycov1991]

im considering one but im only 17 so i dont know if i can . but next year me and my mate are getting a metro as a project car and putting a 1.8 vvc engine in ti so wil be coming to a few then. if i cant drive it il get my dad to lol

[Ste-88]

Might give the tracks a go sometime mid-this year when I find the "right" MK2 dub.

[mattchewone]

Would love to but not got a decent enough car. Nor the moneys just waste on this at the moment.

[Ryan]

most will count the 15mins they do at a show as a proper track day :P

[titchster]

Did 30 min at FCS last year, and got a 30 min session and 15 min booked this year.
Done Cadwell once, and got a day booked again this month.

Wouldn't say mine's a track car, it gets used everyday, so it'd be impractical for a start, but its certainly seen a track.:zainy:

[shooorn94]

most will count the 15mins they do at a show as a proper track day :P

Hinting at the 180 there mr ryan? Tut tut.

Would love to this year just for the experience mainly, depends when money allows as for a "Day" the car just wouldn't last, half a day, perhaps ;) Need the money first.

There's a few here that have done plenty of trackdays, mainly the shed lads that are itching for their next one ;)

[evans1089]

what insurance do people have for track days?

[Ryan]

where was craig mentioned in my post???

feel free to pinpoint it incase i missed it when typing it.

[Ryan]

what insurance do people have for track days?

none. you bend it you mend it.

[Jazz]

Never done a track day thus far, but I will this summer hopefully, probably not in my own car though lol. My car is a daily driver, not sure I'd want to rag it round a track, even though I'm confident it would take the abuse easily.

[evans1089]

none. you bend it you mend it.

Thought i read that some tracks require insurance?
So i can drive my vts down with a days insurance or on plates or actually on my trailer and go on the track without insurance?

[Mochachino]

Thought i read that some tracks require insurance?
So i can drive my vts down with a days insurance or on plates or actually on my trailer and go on the track without insurance?


Yeh you can go down with no car insurance. And just take it on a trailer. Has to be road worthy though. You can get insurance for track days aswell i thinkkkkk

[Ryan]

Thought i read that some tracks require insurance?
So i can drive my vts down with a days insurance or on plates or actually on my trailer and go on the track without insurance?

yep dont need insurance for every track day ive been on/looked into.

As i said you bend it you mend it. The car does need to be in a road worthy condition mind.

[Ryan]

You can get insurance for track days aswell i thinkkkkk

yep specialists, although the premiums are high for a day and sometimes so is the excess.

if you cant afford to fix your car then you really shouldnt be on a track imo.

[evans1089]

yep dont need insurance for every track day ive been on/looked into.

As i said you bend it you mend it. The car does need to be in a road worthy condition mind.

thats mint...

that was the only thing that was worrying me about tracking my S.. Insuring it lool!

But thanks 4 info :y:

[evans1089]

yep specialists, although the premiums are high for a day and sometimes so is the excess.

if you cant afford to fix your car then you really shouldnt be on a track imo.

i payed £300 for mine :homme:

[Mochachino]

yep specialists, although the premiums are high for a day and sometimes so is the excess.

if you cant afford to fix your car then you really shouldnt be on a track imo.

Good job saxos are cheap to fix then, unless your Alex...

Or you bump into another car thats worth a few bob!

[Ryan]

Or you bump into another car thats worth a few bob!

Big boys rules.

Theres nothing to make you have to pay for it, thats what the track day disclaimer is for.

you are all out there and if shit happens it happens.

[shooorn94]

where was craig mentioned in my post???


In a way my post was a question to you and mr craigy. Purely because I was not aware he had done a whole track day, and if so I would have been pleased to see some images of the orange beast, or whatever he drove :y:... however I knew that he had done FCS for 30mins last year as I caught several photos. And yet as I know you like to wind the poor tango-ed fella up about his "track day" I thought it would be appropriate and was a subtle question to you whether he had or not.

[Ryan]

In a way my post was a question to you and mr craigy. Purely because I was not aware he had done a whole track day, and if so I would have been pleased to see some images of the orange beast, or whatever he drove :y:... however I knew that he had done FCS for 30mins last year as I caught several photos. And yet as I know you like to wind the poor tango-ed fella up about his "track day" I thought it would be appropriate and was a subtle question to you whether he had or not.

craig knows ill allways take the piss. I know a few things about his car mind as to why its not safe for it to be on track, like his roll cage. Craigs fully aware of that and so his lack of track time is out of his control.

it was more of a jibe at most of the people who say they are track slags when they have only ever done a short show session :P

[evans1089]

Ryan, what in your view would you describe as a track car?
Need guidelines for mine :y:

[Ryan]

Ryan, what in your view would you describe as a track car?
Need guidelines for mine :y:

one that spends a large proportion of its time on a track being used, and is spec'd for one thing and that is performance/safety and not what it looks like etc...

[shooorn94]

craig knows ill allways take the piss. I know a few things about his car mind as to why its not safe for it to be on track, like his roll cage. Craigs fully aware of that and so his lack of track time is out of his control.

it was more of a jibe at most of the people who say they are track slags when they have only ever done a short show session :P

Exactly, does deserve to see more tracks though. Whether 180 wants to see more is another thing though.. the style whore ;)

You mean the track slags that whip out the rear seats for a day pelt up to fcs/trax go round and brag about being immense at trackdays.

[Ryan]

You mean the track slags that whip out the rear seats for a day pelt up to fcs/trax go round and brag about being immense at trackdays.

*sniggers* ;)

[evans1089]

one that spends a large proportion of its time on a track being used, and is spec'd for one thing and that is performance/safety and not what it looks like etc...

So.. basics..?
Cage? What Point?
Obviously bucket and harness..
Brake system i can sort easy..
Suspension same but what's recommended purely for track?

[titchster]

My first (and only, so far) proper day, I managed to come off on my 2nd lap, cause I got a bit over-enthusiastic, absolutely shat myself thinking i'd took the wing/door/quarter out. Turned out I'd smashed the bumper, woopee. Them tyre walls are more forgiving than I thought, at low-ish speeds, unfortunately, other folks cars aren't.
So keep away from them if you aint got trackday insurance lol.

[Ryan]

So.. basics..?
Cage? What Point?
Obviously bucket and harness..
Brake system i can sort easy..
Suspension same but what's recommended purely for track?

totally depends on budget and how you drive. No point having a suspension set up thats 'the one' if you dont like the characteristics of it.

A diff is very useful on track mind :p

[evans1089]

My first (and only, so far) proper day, I managed to come off on my 2nd lap, cause I got a bit over-enthusiastic, absolutely shat myself thinking i'd took the wing/door/quarter out. Turned out I'd smashed the bumper, woopee. Them tyre walls are more forgiving than I thought, at low-ish speeds, unfortunately, other folks cars aren't.
So keep away from them if you aint got trackday insurance lol.

breaking my car wouldnt bother me tbh.. it was £300 lol

[evans1089]

A diff is very useful on track mind :p

you got one on yours?

[muddy_trousers]

I'd love to get to a track for a day and give mine a damn good thrashing but I need a better suspension setup. I don't think lowering springs constitutes as a performance inhancing modification!lol

[Toad]

yep dont need insurance for every track day ive been on/looked into.

As i said you bend it you mend it. The car does need to be in a road worthy condition mind.

Ah, but what happens if you 'bend' a rather expensive Porshe by spinning your Saxo into it?

[Ryan]

Ah, but what happens if you 'bend' a rather expensive Porshe by spinning your Saxo into it?

most track days its tough shit from the disclaimers. Most say in the print that you are on the track and vehicle is your choice and so your risk.

Depends on who/where you go with mind if you read the rules/print.

[Ryan]

you got one on yours?

yes, see my thread for spec list.

[Mochachino]

Ah, but what happens if you 'bend' a rather expensive Porshe by spinning your Saxo into it?

As ryans said:

Big boys rules.

Theres nothing to make you have to pay for it, thats what the track day disclaimer is for.

you are all out there and if shit happens it happens.

But ive heard of poeple kicking off ALOT about it off the track, with blood :)

[Jaytee]

I wouldnt call mine a track slag yet as its not fully stripped but its getting there. Hoping to get a few booked in summer first. Tbh i feel capable in my driving but still something putting me off going on track when its possibly going to be damp.

[Toad]

Gotcha...

[dannygti]

its not a track slag until its been on track simple..

im with the majority, it makes me laugh and pisses me off at the same time when people uprate their pads and take their spare wheel off and called it a "track prepared car".


i have driven my car to quite close on its limits i would say, pushing fairly hard when its possible/safe, but thats just how i let off steam. i ALWAYS drive within my capabilities wich is the most important thing to renember on a track day.

the worst thing to do is be going down the pit straight and notice some chav looking nova come out on track and presume you are quicker because its "just a nova". because that nova might be a well sorted car on full slicks and when going 100mph round a corner you dont want to realise mid-corner that you are infact not quicker, as it will be nasty.

[Mochachino]

its not a track slag until its been on track simple..


I could take a car on track then call it a track slag then? Dont agree tbh.

A track slag in my eyes is a car designed specifically for the track, with no everyday use or comforts in mind what soever. And obviously used on the track several times a year.

[dannygti]

I could take a car on track then call it a track slag then? Dont agree tbh.

A track slag in my eyes is a car designed specifically for the track, with no everyday use or comforts in mind what soever. And obviously used on the track several times a year.

i know of many people who use their lightly modified everyday cars for 10-15 trackdays a year. do you really think a stripped out saxo vtr that has done 1/2 day at llandow would be more of a track car??

i determine a track car by track time. not what it is.

you can have a radical sr3 and use it one the road and never see a track (highly unlikely i know) but that to me is a road car thats is track prepped.

[Mochachino]

i know of many people who use their lightly modified everyday cars for 10-15 trackdays a year. do you really think a stripped out saxo vtr that has done 1/2 day at llandow would be more of a track car??

i determine a track car by track time. not what it is.

you can have a radical sr3 and use it one the road and never see a track (highly unlikely i know) but that to me is a road car thats is track prepped.

Like i say, several times a year for a track car. Just one or 2 track sessions wont make a it a track car lol

[Barry123]

silverstone and nurburgring.

[Ryan]

Like i say, several times a year for a track car. Just one or 2 track sessions wont make a it a track car lol

Depends on what you class as sessions.

A full day at brands GP and a weekend in SPA are more worthy than a 30min session here and there ;)

[Barry123]

doesn't matter whether it's 10 minutes or 10 hours. a track is a track.

[Ryan]

doesn't matter whether it's 10 minutes or 10 hours. a track is a track.

except doing 10mins on track is a bit different to logging 10 hours in the drivers seat :homme:

[Mochachino]

Depends on what you class as sessions.

A full day at brands GP and a weekend in SPA are more worthy than a 30min session here and there ;)

I still wouldnt call it a track slag lol.

[willsy]

doesn't matter whether it's 10 minutes or 10 hours. a track is a track.

Agreed.

Granted a 10 minute session isnt going to gain alot of experience but for many a full track day is too expensive, not just for having the session but for getting through tyres and various parts much much more quickly.

To date i have only been round Silverstone (would love a trip to the ring in the Autumn with the West Mids lot if im not in the middle of training for a new job) but that was plenty for me just to let my hair down and have a bit of fun and i didnt have to replace anything after it.


Going back to some of the original points too to be a specific track car it surely has to be primarily for that purpose

All these people dotting about with 'stripped interiors' for the road i dont see alot of point, its only beneficial if you're going extreme stripping and not just back seats and doorcards. Would rather concentrate on becoming a better driver to gain a few seconds rather than lose the comforts of an interior

[Roasthunter]

My cars a track car. I bought it 2 weeks ago specifically for tracking and took it to Snetterton on Sunday for my first track day. Clocked up about 3 hours on the track. How did I prep my car for the day, ummm got the MOT done because it was about to run out, check the tyre pressures and all fluids....rolled out onto the track with a standard VTR. There was another friendly chap who was in a modified VTS; his car was quite a bit quicker in the straights especially since my car had a few issues at the end of the day which need looking into.

What am I going to do now, not sure yet. Thinking about suspension first, brakes were fine didn't have any brake fade at all but will be replacing the fluid ASAP. Haven't decided whether to strip the interior out yet, and yes I left the spare wheel on :)

Would I recommend it, absolutely, best day out for ages.

[Roasthunter]

See my car getting blown out the water by a Clio 172 sport and a WRX STI, approx 4 mins here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLMSdUXrZvo&feature=related

[Mr_X]

ive done a few track days, tbh a track slag in my eyes is one used for competitive racing.

[Andy72]

There is loads of chat about Track Cars on here but how many have actually done a Track Day and gunned their car to within an inch of its life.....?

Ive done 3 years of sprints and hillclimbs in mine and drive to work two days a week in it. No probs so far. as long as you take it easy on track days eg a full day at 85% is better than half day at 100% and a ferked car.

Keep coming back in to the pits, let the car cool down, (dont put the handbrake on!) and keep the sessions to a shortish time the car should last all day.