My First Track Day! (Warning - lotsa pics)

[AirCooledExcellence]

Hi Guys,

Had my car out on the track yesterday for the first time, What a blast!! It was at Snetterton circuit in Norwich (UK).

I was really surprised how well my 22 year old car handled, it didn't miss a beat, brakes were fantastic once up to temperature (no fade). My Kuhmos took a battering though!

All in all a fantastic day, well organised (by Bookatrack). Everyone was behaving themselves and there were no incidents. There was a great mix of cars, normal road cars, hot hatches, Lotus Elises, VX220's, a few ultima's (they are MAD!) etc..

Right, off to book up another one now.....

Cheers,

Tim.















Link to all 36 pics: http://photobucket.com/albums/v382/aircooledexcellence

[Schrup]

That's cool Tim, I started this year as well, can't wait to get back. Were you able to time yourself? We aren't supposed to at PCA DEs. What kind of hoops did you have to jump through before they would let you on the track solo?

[AirCooledExcellence]

Paul,

No timing permitted (although I'm sure a few people were!), all drivers are allowed out solo providing they have a full drivers licence and have attended the safety briefing. The day was run on a 3 sessions an hour basis and grouped as Novice, Intermediate and Advanced.

Cheers,

Tim.

[911-32]

Originally posted by Schrup
That's cool Tim, I started this year as well, can't wait to get back. Were you able to time yourself? We aren't supposed to at PCA DEs. What kind of hoops did you have to jump through before they would let you on the track solo?

Paul,

All UK track days are run on the basis that instruction is encouraged but never compulsory. You can go solo from the very start.

This seems to work in the uk because I think people take it a little less seriously. To start with, people tend to drive at the same kind of speeds that you might drive at on a country road if you knew that nothing would be coming the other way. Later they drive a little faster. Secondly, the cars are not as "prepared" as they seem to be in the US - so speeds are lower. Your car would (at a Porsche Club day anyway) be one of the more prepared cars for example. Very few people have rollcages and race seats in their Porsches for example unless it is actually a race car. This may have something to do with the fact that it is difficult and expensive to insure modified cars in the UK.

Despite the UK having a reputation for being the "nanny" state, it seems to me that people are generally more prepared to let people work things out for themselves and to make their own mistakes than in the US.

Richard

[Mark sP]

Great pics. Who took them, a friend or a pro at the track?

Lovely car aswell. Are those 7 and 8 x 16 Fuchs?

Was the targa top off simply to allow more headroom?

Are your brakes standard?

I am jealous! LOL. I must get on track soon.

[AirCooledExcellence]

Mark,

The pics were taken by a couple of pro's at the track. At the end of the day they sell you a CD with all your pictures for £30 (quite expensive I guess, but heh it was my first time!)

Fuchs are indeed 7 & 8 X 16's, Well spotted!

The targa top was off because it was a lovely day and I thought I could top up my tan whilst driving It does also give more head room once you've got your helmet on.

Brakes are pretty much standard apart from EBC Green Stuff pads & Stainless Steel hoses. Over the last couple of years I've rebuilt all the calipers and replaced the discs. I also use ATE super blue brake fluid.

Get your car on a track soon, you'll be wearing a s**t eating grin for days afterwards!

Cheers,

Tim.

[dickster]

tim

thats great, glad you enjoyed it.

those cd's are a bargain - mine were £5 each!

what exhaust is that?

i'll try and join you next year.

[MrKJBlue]

Originally posted by AirCooledExcellence
Mark,

The pics were taken by a couple of pro's at the track. At the end of the day they sell you a CD with all your pictures for £30 (quite expensive I guess, but heh it was my first time!)

Tim.

LOL
I got one of those CD's on one of my first days out, I think I picked around 5 pics for £12 (see link below) and there is a lot of similarity in pictures at every track so at least its just a one off cost .Now I just look on line when available Rockingham Pics
Glad you found bookatrack ok my first one with them is booked in at Rockingham for Dec 5th, its a bity souless there but the scale and facillities are very impressive.



I seeyou had an instructer in the car with you, did you think he was any good? I've found that standards vary a lot, even had one lad at Bedford texting his g/friend all the way round.

Get your car on a track soon, you'll be wearing a s**t eating grin for days afterwards!

Its not days its every time you look at those pics

[AirCooledExcellence]

Dickster,

There's a little confusion over my muffler, the PO had it installed and says that it's either a Dansk or a Leistreix (SP?) There's no markings on it at all. It's stainless with a single 75mm outlet. Apparently it sounds great but I've never heard it coz it's always behind me!

Be good to see you at the track!

Kev,

I got 36 pics, so I guess £30 isn't that bad after all!

The instructor was excellent he had me following the correct racing line in no time and kept adjusting my steering, telling me when to brake/accellerate etc.. it was well worth £20 for a 20 minute session, it gave me much more confidence for the rest of the day.

Cheers,

Tim.

[constructicon]

Awesome that you were out there with the top off! Classic.

But, what's with sitting on the wrong side of the car?

[motion]

I think the high lateral g-forces, the counter-clockwise track configuration and lack of a proper race seat and belts had him on the opposite side of the car!

[S4drifter]

Looks like a blast. However, now that you've been bitten by the track bug there is no turning back

Its nice that you are able to explore the car by yourself. Here "in the states" the novice run groups don't usually have many "prepped" cars either. However, I think the litigious nature of our culture may have a lot to do with the stringent safety and instruction guidelines. As an example: I remember being in Europe and visiting some old catherdrals and found that you could walk up the steep, narrow, winding staircase to the belltower, where there was an amazing view of the city (Florence) and the only thing separating you from the 300ft drop was a low 2ft high masonry wall. In the U.S. the tower would have been off limits. If not off limits, it would have 10ft fencing at the top, be handicap accessible and you would have to walk through the gift shop to get to it.

I have six track weekends and the skip barber driving school under my belt and am still riding with an instructor. Given the nature of the car I am driving though, I do not mind and appreciate the advice of someone who knows the limits and behavior (sorry...behavIOUR ) of my car.

At the events I have been to, targa tops had to be left on. In my BMW club no cabriolets even with roll bars are allowed. That would rule out any really fun cars like the Caterham in your run group. The reason being that at my home track (Watkins Glen in New York) there are a few gravel traps. Being upside down in a gravel trap in a convertible might get a little uncomfortable.

So congrats on the experience, enjoy it! Be safe and have fun. If you do get the opportunity to have an instructor ride with you, you will learn a lot about what the car can do. Best of luck!

[Chuck Moreland]

Great pictures! Welcome to the slippery slope club.

[}{arlequin]

those really are good shots. Glad you had fun. And that *other* machinery in the background is not too bad either.

[MrKJBlue]

Tim
Glad the instruction went well, its amazing how much harder these cars can be driven, you would never be able to do it on the road. as I said before give us a shout if your going to book another one would be good to have some one to swap tips with.


S4drifter

Being upside down in a gravel trap in a convertible might get a little uncomfortable.

Thanks for that lovely image I'm starting to think I need at least a rollbar/ cage if im going to keep this car.
Over here you dont even have to wear full face helmets in open top cars but I hope people are aware of the risks.

Skip barber school must have been great ($$$?) , I brought the book this year and its definatley the best written I've come across.

[soup dragon]

Great pictures Tim ,looks like you were really giving it some! How fast did you get it up to?
Im going to have to have a track day just to learn how to drive mine and know the cars limits.
Has your car been lowered from spec at all?

[Bill Verburg]

Great pics and Nice car!

I'll never get used to the driver being on the wrong side though

[Jack Olsen]

Really cool pictures.

Don't they make you roll down your windows, though?

[nostatic]

its all downhill from here...

I don't think it was the g-forces...the negatives were flipped.

[KobaltBlau]

Originally posted by JackOlsen
Don't they make you roll down your windows, though?

Let alone put the top on...