Trackday question

[lsteph0]

I was thinking of doing a trackday but was a little concerned about the amount of wear and tear on tyres. Can anyone offer any advice as I really can't afford a new set. I've got a z4 m and am a complete novice to trackdays having never done one before. I do like to put my foot down normally though!
Many thanks in advance.

 

[tomTVR]

Depends how you drive, if you're really hammering it it you could munch through a brand new set of tyres in a day!

Personally i'd get a second set of trackday wheels with 17" (cheaper) tyres or i'd wait to do the trackday until my current tyres are getting a bit low and 'finish them off' on track.

Remember brakes take a heavy pounding, plus a whole tank of fuel plus you're not insured, plus the entry fee - track days are never cheap!

Also if you are a novice, maybe try Bedford Autotrome or Elvington to start with as they are on airfields so where's no barriers for you to hit which means you can drive nearer the limit.

 

[markeg]

Once did a trackday experience at Cadwell Park - if you are a complete novice, I would definitely recommend it. Its narrower than most tracks but with some great corners and the whole day was very well run.

 

[M@r]{]

+1 for Bedford. Lovely smooth surface, no/very little stones to chip your paint (unlike most airfield venues) and so much run off you'd have to be really unlucky to do any serious damage. A great place to start You can normally book time with an instructor too (about £25 iirc)

 

[VvrooomM]

As a novice, you will barely notice any wear to the tyres. A bit of feathering on the edge but that will be it.


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[BMWZ4MC]

As a novice, you will barely notice any wear to the tyres. A bit of feathering on the edge but that will be it.


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As VvrooomM says, but some surfaces wear tyres faster than others. Budget for finishing off your current pads, especially if you don't switch off the stability control (DSC will really cook the pads, so I'd recommend switching it off as soon as you are confident).

Airfields can be great fun and there is usually acres of run off. They are also around half the price of "proper" tracks. The key missing ingredient is the lack of changes in elevation as all airfields are necessarily flat. However, that does mean that you will not find yourself going weightless over a crest and then facing a corner for which you are unable to slow sufficiently...

I've used http://www.motorsport-events.com a number of times for fairly cheap airfield trackdays with both my ///M coupe and Westfield. They are very friendly and extremely safely run. There's an open pit lane for most of the day and usually tuition is available from professional racing drivings if you want it

Insurance is a good idea just in case you collide with another car (always purchase for my ///M, almost never for my Westfield). I can PM you the details of a company I've used if you like. It isn't cheap though - it can easily cost as much as the trackday entry fee, and the excess is pretty big.