Race track advice.

H

h8 afk

Member
 Linlithgow, Scotland.
OK, so I'm going here on Friday
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=golspie&rlz=1Y3KTZR_enGB586GB586&oq=volspie&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.4506j0j4&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#q=golspie+race+track

I'm putting my 3.0si round this track, first time for the zed and indeed first ever time on a track for me. Any advice?

Please don't say 'don't do it' :p

H8
 
Isn't that a kart track? I have a go kart and I can assure you that kart tracks aren't suitable for cars: they're far too tight and too many hairpins. I've recently bought a gearbox kart and even fewer kart tracks suit them!
 
You don't say what sort of day it is, but I'd get an instructor or experienced user to sit in for a few laps to show you the lines.
Don't try too hard, just enjoy and keep out of the way of fast cars. There's always someone faster and more experienced.

Enjoy and be able to drive the car home :)
 
1st bit of advice if you cant afford to crash it then think again. It's real good fun though and you can learn the limits of your car so its rewarding. It was raining hard last month when I last tracked which actually wasn't bad until it stopped and then the track got real greasy. I'm on track again next Friday at curborough in my 3.0i I'll probably take it a bit more easy as the more hard you go you do have that worry of what if you bin it, was more a case of me getting home after. There was only 1 crash really (girl driver) binned her mx5 into the fence but mainly the others were just 360 spins then straight back on track no damage etc. My Z4 handles great I think its easy to get over confident as on the road you have a better sense of speed when you thrash it around a corner. Its easy to go to fast into corner on track you only need to be 10mph above approaching a corner to make a mistake. Always brake before the corner then turn in and accelerate on exit remember. Take some gloves and googles/sunglasses and long sleeve shirt as most require your arms to be covered depends how strict they are. At Curborough their not so strict as its only 1 car on track at a time you do a few laps then get off didn't even need a helmet but its at your own risk I suppose.
 

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Curboriugh is really a sprint track. Actually quite good to learn on as no wild guys around and less temptation to try to follow or pass. Easy to let confidence exceed skill though.

Like the place and been many times but I think newbies are best somewhere like Bedford where you just have masses of run off
 
That does look like a kart track from Google maps. I'd be worried the run offs aren't big enough for a car on some of those corners. As its your first time you are more likely to have an off and do you want to bin your pride and joy? Not trying to scare you off it by all means but personally for your first go, I'd go to a proper race track with good run off areas and even an instructor to show you round first. They help you understand the lines quicker and you'll have a more enjoyable day.
 
Hi all and thanks for the replies.

The track is mainly for karts but they do have track days for 'normal' cars. 8 of us have booked the track for the day with all the marshals etc. They are all experienced track racers so I'll probably go round with one of them first just to get the feel of the track. I'm not too concerned about running off as I'm only really wanting to blast it round some corners without worrying about a cyclist or a horse being hidden round the other side.

I do have to admit though, I'd love to beat my Brother-in-law. He has a 330ci series 3 BMW. In theory I should be faster then him but he will be running track tyres with an adjusted ecu giving him more low end power.

You never know...

H8
 
The upside to a kart track is that your top speed will likely be a lot lower than on a full circuit, downside is that it will be hard on the brakes. When you come off the track after each run I would suggest driving around the paddock or local road for a distance to get some air through the brakes and radiator.
You have to be comfortable with the risk of damage when driving your car on track and from the comments above many people are not (which i totally understand). I've probably taken part in a combination of 200 races, trackdays, sprints and other events since 2003, without car to car or car to scenery damage, but am aware it will happen but try to reduce that risk in a number of ways. I couldn't afford to replace my Z4M if I had a big accident but accept the risks and the pleasure the days bring me. An upside is that the skills you learn may help you become a safer driver on the road. Enjoy yourself, take some video and share on here. :thumbsup:
 
Have only taken my own car on track thrice. Each time I took out track day insurance for the full value of the car. Costs a pretty sum, but you can't beat piece of mind. Also if it's available pay for an instructor. You will learn so much more from the feedback. Most important have fun. :driving:
 
cj10jeeper said:
Curboriugh is really a sprint track. Actually quite good to learn on as no wild guys around and less temptation to try to follow or pass. Easy to let confidence exceed skill though.

Like the place and been many times but I think newbies are best somewhere like Bedford where you just have masses of run off
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I see why those mx5's and clio sports are popular track cars now as they cost less than £1500. Crash one, get another and then just swap your performance parts over simple cheap fun. Got me wanting to book another day now for July I need to get my exhaust tested as a lot of the main circuits have strict noise policy mines quite deep with no back box. I'd hate turning up and get sent away id be gutted. I've been told to watch out on tracks like Silverstone too many of my friends take their reg plates off. People have been reported for racing with no track insurance. You don't need it but if marshal's see you leaving and driving home its been known some get reported for having modified track cars etc and not telling insurance

I've looked at doing Bedford aerodrome a few times as its one of the closer to me but prices their are high

https://www.trackdays.co.uk/calendar/cars/
 
goldbcfc said:
I've been told to watch out on tracks like Silverstone too many of my friends take their reg plates off. People have been reported for racing with no track insurance. You don't need it but if marshal's see you leaving and driving home its been known some get reported for having modified track cars etc and not telling insurance
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Just to reassure you, the information you've been given is not correct. Most cars attending a track day will have been modified in some way; whether owners have declared the modifications to their insurance company is a different matter, but Marshalls and track organisers have better things to do than drop their customers in it by reporting to insurance companies that you have non standard alloys or an exhaust.

If you have a big accident on track and then fraudulently try to claim on your road insurance that it happened by driving through a hedge/reversing into a wall on the road then you could of course be found out! I know of one person on the 200SX forum who got in trouble for doing exactly this, it's too easy for a claims investigator to search on forums and youtube after an on track accident.

Cheers, Dave
 
Went to Trax at Silverstone last year with lads form my work they all had RS focus's or turbo'd cars were all mechanics so some are well modded with roll cages but still used for road use. 4 lads were reported the rest of us who took our plates off wasn't I suppose it depends on event and who's attending. You pay insurance for social commuting not tracking. The 4 lads then had to get Vosa check done or insurance were going to void and of course we don't always declare mods now do we. It may have not been marshalls who it could of just been spectators not sure. Even when you swap alloys your supposed to tell insurance its a joke. I've never had track insurance don't see the point maybe if my car was worth more I would.
 
Yup, know what you mean, I've never had track insurance either (unless included FOC). :)

Well, that's a new one on me, guessing that Trax is a bit different from a trackday, maybe some insurance spies were about with plenty of easy targets?

Cheers, Dave :)
 
couple of short vidoes on track on Friday at Curborough

https://youtu.be/p-uWE0Bt0nk

https://youtu.be/OfjrPMbnQcU
 
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