Trackdays/Tracktime

[Revels]

Just curious as to how many of our members like to go on track with their cars.

 

[Skeeter]

A lot I would expect.

Why do you ask? CS Trackdays on the horizon?

 

[imprezaworks]

Me, i love it

 

[Tom]

A lot I would expect.

Why do you ask? CS Trackdays on the horizon?

Yes.

 

[Wick]

I would love to but never got round to it. Think I fall into that category.

Pending whatever car I'm driving in June I'm very tempted by the Burpspeed day

Definitely want some tuition the first time I go out and would be good to have an experienced driver in the passenger seat to pick up on any bad habits, improve technique and generally act as a second pair of eyes when your a complete novice.

I'm also intending on doing a car limits day when I move to RWD, partly for fun, partly to exploit the handling and partly to find out the limits in a safe environment and know what to do if things hit the fan.

 

[Sam@NP]

CS Trackday? I've said it before Ill say it again I'm up for it! Need some driving tutors?

 

[jon_r]

I think we'll need somewhere with 4 miles of run-off Sam.

 

[JamesBryan]

CS Trackday? I've said it before Ill say it again I'm up for it! Need some driving tutors?

Know any?

 

[daveski]

I think I want to but am basically too much of a woman to actually try it.

Thanks to the Burpspeed guys though I will be doing my first on the 7th June.

 

[Bren Rogers]

Something like the RTOC day at Mallory? Only been once, but was a great day. Sure CS could organise something good, but renting a track for the day/weekend is very expensive.

 

[gothy]

You forgot Nurburgring touristen fahren

I would be up for some track days round brands, silverstone, or lydden hill

 

[DannyR]

I organised a CS trackday a few years back now and got 25 odd people together to do it which I was impressed with considering I had only booked 10 provisional slots.

I imagine with the website behind it you would easily get a good few.

Best way to do it would be to hire a middle country circuit and split the cost between everyone going.

 

[Skeeter]

A number of other forums run trackdays at some of the smaller/cheaper tracks quite a lot.

CS.net trackdays that are open to non CS members (and therefore not just Clios) should fill up fine. Maybe open them up to booking for CS members a month earlier and with a little bit of a discount so that we get a good fleet of Clios though?

How do the Mazda on Track and Lotus on Track ones work? I think there open to non members/Lotus or Mazda owners, arent they? Maybe get a joint venture with other Clio/Renault forums?

There has to be a viable business venture in there if its done properly, as there are lots of small indipendant trackday companies out there who seem to be surviving year on year. I have actually wondered about how you would go about starting one of those companies in the past... Organising trackdays sounds like it could be good fun (obviously theres the nightmare of admin, but at the end of the day you get to spend a lot of time at tracks with like minded guys).

Theres a big difference between hiring a track and spreading the cost between mates and forum members, and actually running a 'proper' trackday company with numerous events, though.

 

[Revels]

It would be Clios only I expect.

 

[Skeeter]

It would be Clios only I expect.

Is the plan around a 1 off, or a continued regular project? Clio's only for a 1 off would be fine, but if you want to do it regularly then opening it up would make it more likely to succeed.

I'm in which ever route you take though

 

[Cub.]

I'd be up for a few, specifically why I'm building the flamer so if CS run some I'm in. Beats sharing the track with a load of unknowns!

 

[Revels]

Is the plan around a 1 off, or a continued regular project? Clio's only for a 1 off would be fine, but if you want to do it regularly then opening it up would make it more likely to succeed.

I'm in which ever route you take though

Baby steps. It's only in the early stages of looking into what's viable.

We want it to be a ClioSport thing. Not 'Everyone bring along a mate who has some shed that he calls a trackcar'

 

[welshname]

The only reason I haven't yet was first because I had a standard 1.2, and then second because my current car needs a bit of work before I'd take it on track.

 

[Eddie.]

I would love the idea of a CS trackday. I'd be so nervous on an open pitlane, even novice day. The risk of complete muppets is high.

Naturally muppetry can occure within CS, but it's a little less likely.

 

[imprezaworks]

Id be up for a clio only trackday, or share with another forum. HOT do the same and it works out much cheaper if they book it that way.

 

[Bren Rogers]

It would be Clios only I expect.

The RTOC event was open to memebers with other cars too. Depends how you want to run it. A dedicated CS event, or buy a provisional number of slots at an existing trackday event and just make them available to CS members (or CS members with clios).

 

[The Boosh!]

I imagine it would be a member event and not restricted to Clio's, however we're just at the research stage atm so who knows. If there isn't demand for it we won't organise it.

 

[Bren Rogers]

I think a safe route to take the first time around would be to contact a trackday operator and enquire about a large 'group buy'. Wouldn't be a 'dedicated' CS event, but would give an idea of actual interest, rather than people just saying they want to, then realising how much it costs (fuel/tyres etc.). There is much less risk and hassle involved for admin, as the operator would be reponsible for everything.

 

[Nick172Cup]

Think it would be a good idea to do one just for Clios, ranging from Mk1's right up to the current model. My only gripe would be how you run the day, granted everyones got to start somewhere when doing their first trackday but if there's going to be a lot of novice drivers then sessions would be advisable. Something that i'll be honest, am not interested in as I like a lot of tracktime for the money I pay.

Nick

 

[Skeeter]

Sounds promising.

I think limiting it to just Clios might be to restrictive. But just CS.net members should be fine. Or at least a large proportion of slots for CS Members only. You will then have a solid regular community, but also the ability for people to bring their friends along too (I know Revels said about not wanting Joe Blogs with a shed to turn up, but I have 3 or 4 mates who I regularly trackday with who own things other than Clios. Opening it up to them would be the difference between selling 1 place or selling 4 places). How about a 50/50 split with CS members being able to book earlier and cheaper?

Of course, this does all depend on the size of the track and the numbers it can hold. You would easily fill a day at Llandow with CS members (Burnspeed have proven that), but you would struggle at somewhere like Bedford GT where it easily holds 50+.

 

[Eddie.]

Yeah that would be the biggest issue. You could have drivers who have never driven their own car on track, all the way up to race drivers. CS is so broad with the skill of drivers in here.

 

[Sam@NP]

A track with novice and experienced drivers is a much safer track then one populated with only novices.

 

[Revels]

It will 100% be CS members only. The Clio bit will be based on what spaces/how many we sell and various other things.

But people are getting sidetracked. This isn't about a CS event yet. This is just fact finding.

 

[Eddie.]

A track with novice and experienced drivers is a much safer track then one populated with only novices.

Really, why? I mean I know the experianced guys will have a better ability to go round slower cars, but is there not going to end being a rather large difference in speed through corners?

i.e. someone like yourself could come into a corner, and be met by me on the apex doing snails mph!?

 

[.Adam.]

I would love the idea of a CS trackday. I'd be so nervous on an open pitlane, even novice day. The risk of complete muppets is high.

Naturally muppetry can occure within CS, but it's a little less likely.

Have you seen the Road Driving Stories on here? Imagine some of that lot getting on the track. :dead:

 

[Eddie.]

Have you seen the Road Driving Stories on here? Imagine some of that lot getting on the track. :dead:

True dat actually! LOL!

 

[Skeeter]

Yeah that would be the biggest issue. You could have drivers who have never driven their own car on track, all the way up to race drivers. CS is so broad with the skill of drivers in here.

You get that range at most trackdays and provided the rules are layout out and enforced its fine. At least with a Clio based day you won't get the massive range of closing speeds you can get on mixed days.

Would the 100% CS members limit be extended to passengers? If so, then my interest will drop dramatically. Like I said I trackday with a bunch of mates, none of which are CS members. AFAIK the Mazda on Track days limit you to having 'a mazda', or being a passenger of a guy who does. CS.net members is a rather restricted subset of potential Clio trackday goers.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Clio only trackday sounds like a great idea.

Used to do the mini action day at castle combe about 15 years ago when I had a trackday car that was a mini and it was so much more fun being out with all the same car, even if they do still end up varying quite a bit power wise etc.

Do it!

 

[Bren Rogers]

Really, why? I mean I know the experianced guys will have a better ability to go round slower cars, but is there not going to end being a rather large difference in speed through corners?

i.e. someone like yourself could come into a corner, and be met by me on the apex doing snails mph!?

It wouldn't be like having a Le Mans car on track compared to a metro. An advanced driver will notice they are approaching someone going slower, and pass in a safe place. As long as people are well informed and know the rules, cars shouldn't come together or cause problems for eachother.

 

[Sam@NP]

Really, why? I mean I know the experianced guys will have a better ability to go round slower cars, but is there not going to end being a rather large difference in speed through corners?

i.e. someone like yourself could come into a corner, and be met by me on the apex doing snails mph!?

The experienced driver will have encountered slower cars many times on track and know how to deal with them, e.g wait, make yourself visible and be polite. On trackdays you dont get that close to each other mid corner so the difference on corner speed is very easy to judge. You dont just turn into a corner and suddenly find a 172 on the apex because you will know when you are catching a car up and drive appropriately.

 

[imprezaworks]

Clio trackday would be ace. What tracks were you thinking?

 

[Revels]

But people are getting sidetracked. This isn't about a CS event yet. This is just fact finding.

..

 

[Sam@NP]

Performance BMW are doing a BMW only trackday at Brands this year, might be worth getting in contact with them?

 

[The Boosh!]

Performance BMW are doing a BMW only trackday at Brands this year, might be worth getting in contact with them?

We've already started contacting people but like Dan said this is a fact finding thread more than anything.

We know how to go about organising a day, it's whether there's demand for it or not.

 

[Steve]

This could go seriously bad if not organised & enforced correctly.

To many 'egos' with too much to prove, your typical forum heros.

The RTOC event the yr before at Mallory saw several cars destroyed, one the driver was lucky not to of been seriously hurt.

It would be Clios only I expect.

That would rule out at least half or more of the hardcore trackdayers?