Castle Combe 12 August - Open Pit Lane Track Day

We've just sent out an invite to the mailing list for the remaining places at our Castle Combe track day on 12 August.  If you'd like to see the invite it's available here -

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=h6x6x9bab&oeidk=a07e7ycb1z37e230421

 

Driving Castle Combe

No 2 - The Esses and Old Paddock

 

After Farm Straight is The Esses, the first of two chicanes.  Do not turn in too early, then take as straight as line as possible between the two apex’s (up to the white lines on RH & LH sides), then wide out of the second apex right up to, but not onto the kerb.

 

Move smoothly over to the left after the Esses, then from the centre of the track, aim for the RH apex of Old Paddock. There is no need to move fully to the left prior to this; only about two thirds is sufficient.  Short-shifting up before the start of the turn in for Old Paddock while the car is balanced leads to a better gear selection to complete this complex and can permit the application of high power (within the car’s cornering capability) right through to Tower.

 

On the exit from Old Paddock let the car drift out to the left exit kerb but not onto the kerb as this will unsettle car.  In dry conditions this is a fast exit.

 

Sweep smoothly to the right for the line-up for Hammerdown which follows.

 

Note:  There is an escape road on the approach to the Esses that can be used if necessary.  There is a tyre wall that has a wriggle through to give access to regain the circuit at Old Paddock.  If you have to use the escape road DO NOT turn back to face the oncoming traffic from Quarry.

 

Driving Castle Combe

 

  No 1 - Avon Rise into Quarry



Avon Rise complicates the entry into the next proper corner, Quarry. Avon Rise as it’s name suggests is a gradient change with a shallow left hander.  Quarry beyond is blind.

Note:  For the approaches below, braking is either before or after Avon rise, or both, but Never on Avon Rise.

 

Approach 1:  Move to the RH side of the track prior to Avon Rise. Brake shortly after Avon Rise begins, but come off the brakes before the top of the rise.  Do not head for the LH side of the track but more towards the middle in fact in a visual line with warning traffic light on the bank. Complete braking when over the top of the rise to finally slow the car for Quarry corner. The amount of actual power that may be applied whilst going over the Avon Rise will vary according to the car, but it is important to apply some power in order to balance the car. This approach is ideal for beginners, saloons and heavier cars without down force.

Approach 2:  Follow the same approach as Approach 1: but do not brake before Avon Rise, this leaves very little space or time to brake sufficiently for Quarry and this approach is only for suitable cars i.e. light sports cars or single seater’s, some GT cars with high down force, and very experienced and somewhat brave drivers with the correct type of cars. You have been warned!

 

The line taken through Quarry will largely depend on how Avon rise was tackled; Quarry is a long fairly slow RH bend and thus has a late apex some two thirds of the way around the corner. Use the full width of the track on the exit, but beware of a slightly bumpy exit kerb.

 

Coming soon - The Esses and Old Paddock

Track Day Cars

Introduction
When I first started trying my hand at track days they were really just starting to become popular.  I’d just lashed out on a mid-life crisis second hand Caterham 7 and I took it to Brands for an Easy Track day on the GP circuit.  Be warned!  Once you start, the bug really bites and it becomes an addictive pastime that can last a lifetime.  All I knew about track days and track day cars at the time was that the Caterham was clearly designed to race and from what I could glean from chat rooms it could more than hold its own on track against far more exotic and expensive machinery.  I’d kinda put to one side the bit about a lot of the performance comes down to the skill of the driver of course.  The Cat in my eyes was second to none on circuit.


Now that I’ve been running track days for over 10 years, my picture about cars and their capabilities is quite a bit altered.  Also our customers, except for a very few who I could probably count on one or two hands out of a total of literally thousands since we started up, all fall into the classification of real enthusiasts making the most out of  their chosen car be it a recovered insurance write off to really exotic supercars.  You’d be surprised at how many McLarens there are out there although there are a lot more VW Golfs!

So if you are thinking about taking up track days and are wondering what to drive, maybe this will help you make a choice.  You can spend a fortune, but it’s really not necessary.

Don’t be fooled by the model
I guess the temptation when deciding what to buy is to look straight away at sports cars in their various guises.  And indeed the sports car will provide a ready-made package pretty much track suitable straight from the dealer without the need for much modification.  However, there are other options that will provide you with a very competent track car, probably at a fraction of the price of some sports cars, albeit you may have to put in a bit more effort to achieve that.  Hot hatches for example can be really cheap to buy, cheap to modify and as long as they are effectively roadworthy don’t have to be road legal.

With the cost of car repair nowadays being relatively high compared to the value of the damaged car, insurance write offs can result from very minor damage that makes the car uneconomic for the insurer to repair, but which can be fixed by the application of a little fibre glass rendering the car perfectly roadworthy and suitable for the track.  After all it doesn’t have to look like it just came out of a showroom.  We had a Lotus Elise track car for a couple of years that was an insurance write-off but just needed a crack in the nose-cone repairing.  It cost very little to buy and fix.

Front wheel drive or rear wheel drive
Most of the sports cars are going to be rear wheel drive, whereas the hot hatches and most of the saloons will tend to be front wheel drive.  I’m not touching all-wheel-drive.  Both front and rear wheel drive have their pros and cons.

Front wheel drive
Because the drive train has to cope not only with power transmission but also steering, there is a practical power limit to what can be successfully handled in a front wheel drive car whilst avoiding unacceptable torque steer, and achieving the basic mechanics of getting the power onto the road.  Front wheel drive cars tend to be limited to around the 200 bhp mark.  Their handling will be familiar to most drivers; it’s pretty predictable but with a tendancy to understeer through the corners.  Understeer is a relatively benign trait and fairly forgiving for less experienced drivers.  Although the car will not follow the line requested by the driver, it will tend to remain stable.

Front wheel drive is usually cheaper than rear wheel drive and possibly a little lighter too.  On the downside, reliability and maintenance may be a little higher, mainly because of the more complex drive train/steering arrangement.

Rear Wheel Drive
Rear wheel drive cars are probably the most fun and most rewarding to drive. If you choose rear wheel drive there is also scope for different engine layouts ie front, mid and rear engine, all with different handling characteristics.  Out-and-out horse power is not a limitation either with a good choice of naturally aspirated, turbo and supercharged models around.  Rear wheel drive will, however, be less forgiving to the bold driver than front wheel drive – especially in the wet or greasy conditions, but let’s face it, that’s half the fun!

Here’s a selection of the most popular cars for you, taken from our bookings records in 2012; there are many more you can choose from.

A small selection of front wheel drive cars
Renault Clio
VW Golf
Ford Fiesta
BMW Mini
Honda Civic
Peugeot 205

A small selection of rear wheel drive

Caterham 7/Westfield/Locost
BMW M3 especially the E36
Mazda MX5
Porsche (various)
Toyota MR2
Lotus Elise/Exige

Other favourites are the Subaru Impreza and the Mitsubishi EVO in its various evolutions.

Mods to consider
Or how deep is your pocket?

Actually you don’t need to fork out much at all to get you going on track.  Straight off the road the car will be fine, although you will in all probability find that on-track the brakes quickly start to become ineffective once your competence and speed starts to build.  Road-going brakes are generally going to quickly overheat under sustained track driving conditions.  The car will also probably tend to roll quite a bit in the corners if it’s a family saloon.

So what to fork out from your hard-earned?

Well I’d start with making sure the car’s general mechanics are up to scratch before you go anywhere near the track.  The bodywork should, of course, be sound.

·        No sloppy joints or bushes.

·        Steering properly aligned and rack in good fettle.

·        Braking system with new fluid; Dot 4 or better.

·        Plenty of wear left on the pads.

·        Discs not seriously worn or grooved.

·        Engine oil change with new air, oil and fuel filters if the car’s service history is a bit of a mystery.

·        Coolant fresh and no leaks.

·        Radiator clean.

·        Check the seats are secure and the seat belts are in good nick.

·        Tyres should have plenty of wear left in them and at least 3 mm.

I think at that point I’d stick it on the track and try it out.

In ascending order of things to consider doing next would be:

·        Get some quality instruction from a qualified instructor  before you do anything else (ARDS Grade A recommended).  No really just do it!  This will be by far the best value early upgrade to the cars performance you can do. 

·        Uprated brake pads.

·        Better tyres more suitable for track use.

·        Strip out all unnecessary weight eg rear seats, carpets, headlining and soundproofing, and anything else you don’t need on the track eg radio.

·        GO ON A DIET!  Can be a very effective weight saving measure on a lightweight car.

·        Fit a proper race seat and harnesses for the driver (remember you also need a proper passenger seat and harness/belts if you are going to take a passenger or would like some on-track instruction.

After you’ve done the above any further mods are going to involve potentially serious money and may not be worth it on the car you bought.  These could include:-

·        A roll cage.

·        Stiffened/lowered suspension

·        Modified steering geometry

·        Increased engine horse power

Remember that the overriding objective is to have fun, and you will get most fun by making the best use of what you’ve got with some proper instruction to show you how to do it and what driving skill to work on next.  The basic car is really all you need but you may also get a lot of fun out of fiddling with it.

Enjoy!

Coming soon – “The nut behind the wheel”

I’m New to Track Days – So what do I need to know?

Introduction

 

Track days probably represent the very best value for money in terms of actual time on the circuit than any other form of motorsport.  So if you are considering taking up motorsport and aren’t sure if it will truly be for you, track days provide an ideal way in that doesn’t have to be expensive.

I hope you find these notes useful and that you will scratch that itch and try a track day for the first time.  Be warned – track days are VERY addictive! Sometimes just one event means you are hooked for life.

Really the only difference between a track day and an actual race is that the track day is strictly non-competitive and there are rules about when and where you can overtake.  The risk of contact with another car is therefore very low and you can get out there and learn how to drive on a race circuit knowing that you are in the relative safety of controlled conditions. Oh and of course another very important aspect – have truly huge amounts of fun.

Of course defying the laws of physics never works except on the Starship Enterprise, so keeping on the black stuff and off the green stuff and avoiding the barriers means always driving within your comfort zone and the cars capability.  I always strongly recommend that newcomers take advantage of the qualified instruction that’s always available at a very modest outlay at the circuit.

So where do you start?  Let’s look at what different kinds of track days there are, how they are organised and then what happens on a typical track day.

Track Day Formats

The two formats you are most likely encounter are sessioned and open pit lane.

The sessioned event, as it’s name suggests, divides each hour into a number of timed sessions and drivers are assigned to a particular session within each hour.  Group allocation is often arranged by driver ability and hence typically into novice, intermediate and advanced groups.  Here advanced usually means quite a few competition licence holders and the action can be very “full-on”.  The number of sessions per hour is determined by the TDO (track day operator); 20 minute or 15 minute sessions are common, but as little as 10 minutes or as much as 30 minute sessions are sometimes offered.

Pros –

·        Normally cheaper than an open pit lane day because it’s possible for the TDO to run much larger number of cars than an open pit lane event (see below).

·        You know when you are going on track to the minute.

·        Broadly speaking the other drivers in your group will have similar levels of skill to you and an attempt may also have been made by the organiser to have cars of similar capability grouped together.

Cons –

·        You are only going to get 15 minutes or so in the hour on track so a lot of hanging around if you are sharing with another driver.  Remember that the session include getting out of the pits and up to speed, and the in lap, so actual session time at circuit pace will be less than the session time by at least 3 or 4 minutes.

·        You will be in a potentially large bunch of cars for the first laps especially if the first few cars in the queue are slower than you.  You could find yourself in a queue reminiscent of the M25 at rush hour!

·        If there is a stoppage because of a breakdown or other incident then you will lose the remainder of your session while the incident car is recovered.  Bad luck if the stoppage is at the end of the session before yours because you could have to wait for the thick end of 2 hours before you get any track time.

·        If you need to adjust or fix anything on your car you are under time pressure to do it or you will miss a session.

The open pit lane, by comparison is, as it suggests, an event where you are free to go out on circuit at any time to suit you, and for as little or as long as you wish.  We always recommend circuit time be around 15 minutes at a time though.  Driving on circuit requires sustained high levels of concentration and 15 minutes is a good limit and plenty of time out there (it amounts to about the length of a club race for example).  Also your car may very well be a road going model not really intended for prolonged high speed and repeated heavy braking.  Regular cool down periods are good for you and help preserve the engine and brakes.

A good open pit lane track day will usually be more expensive than a sessioned event because the numbers of cars booked must be smaller.  The entry fees are directly linked to the number of cars ie circuit hire cost plus TDOs overheads divided by the number of cars = entry fee broadly speaking.  It’s not a free-for-all on the circuit and numbers permitted on track are limited by the circuit licenced maximum, so the number of cars booked needs to be properly matched to this circuit limit in order to avoid long queues of cars in the pit lane waiting for access.  A rule of thumb is around twice the number of cars booked than the circuit limit or maybe a bit more depending on the circuit.

A sessioned event running 4 x 15 minute session per hour by comparison can run up to four times the circuit limit so you would expect entry fees to be around half those for open pit lane at the same circuit.

A good open pit lane day may have some queuing at busy times like immediately after lunch for 20 minutes or so, or after a stoppage but when running smoothly there should usually be no queue or if there is one, drivers shouldn’t expect to have to wait more than a very few minutes.

Pros –

·        Very relaxed in terms of circuit access as there is no pressure on being ready at a set time every hour.  It tends to be more sociable too because drivers get chatting more in the paddock when they aren’t worrying about the time.

·        A stoppage has much less impact on track time than a sessioned event.

·        You can drive as little as you like if you don’t want to stay out a long time or you are trying out some adjustments to the car.

·        No bunching of cars on circuit as the circuit is live all the time.

Cons –

·        Will be more expensive than a sessioned event if it’s properly organised (see below).

·        If you are brand new to track days it can be a bit daunting going out on circuit for the first time but not much more so than a sessioned event.  Good organisers will arrange introductory instruction for you, and further instruction is also available.

BHP TrackDays only runs high specification open pit lane track days because that’s what our customers want and expect from us.  In common with the other good operators out there you will find our prices are not the cheapest, but that’s because we are running fewer cars than the budget end open pit lane days.  Bear in mind that the TDOs are all paying around the same for circuit hire so a significantly cheaper day can ONLY be paid for by higher numbers of cars.  You will have less track time on a budget day so you need to ask is budget the overriding factor for you.  If not then avoid the budget end of the market.

When researching which TDO to go with there are a lot of car forums available to you so you can see what other people’s experiences are with the various TDOs.  Don’t forget though that many of the posts on car forums have a hidden agenda that’s all to do with marketing under the guise of a “satisfied customer”.  If the post looks like a truly wonderful recommendation and gives links etc to the TDO website then it might very well be a spoof posting.

So What Happens When I Book and What Information Should I Get?

Well as a minimum you should receive a confirmation by email that includes directions about how to get to the circuit, a programme for the day, ie when you should be there and where to sign on etc, information about how the day is organised, and a copy of the indemnity forms you will be required to sign.  Some operators also require to see your driving licence.  If for some reason you can’t produce a licence, then all is not lost as a phone check with the DVLA can usually be arranged, but there will probably be a charge for this.

Check to see that you are booked in correctly and the details are all ok.  Also see if there are any optional extras you might like to reserve like tuition, garage, or if you would like to book on extra drivers and passengers.  Also check any cancellation clauses if you haven’t already done so because there is usually a penalty in the form of an administration charge for cancellation and a cut-off point when cancellations will no longer be refunded.

If you do have to cancel it’s worth asking the TDO if you can transfer to another date.  They will often accommodate you if they can.

Some TDOs offer newcomers a free introductory tuition session.  We’d recommend you sign up for one.  There is often limited availability so don’t leave it until the day of the event to do this.  Do book some tuition on the day anyway.  It will stand you in good stead.

What Happens on the Day?

Arrive at the circuit in good time and find a place to park in the paddock.  Spaces aren’t normally reserved, so anywhere is ok.  The bays are usually marked and enormous so they can accommodate large lorries on race days.  If you have trailered your car there allow time to both sign on and get it off the trailer before the start of the safety briefing.  You will need the car for the sighting laps (see below).  All is not lost if you haven’t time to off-load the car – you may be allowed to do the sighting laps in the tow car.

Signing on is often in the restaurant so you can normally get a cup of coffee and breakfast.  You’ll need to fill in and sign an indemnity form.  The sign-on staff will check your details and give you a wrist band or other identification to wear that confirms you’ve been through the sign-on process.  You’ll also get a programme for the day and they’ll tell you about things like getting the car noise tested, and where the safety briefing will be held and the time.  You’ll also get an identification sticker to put on your car to identify it.  You can sometimes also get a “Novice Cross” to put on the back of your car.  It’s just to let others know that you are new and they’ll give you more room.

The safety briefing is mandatory for all drivers and informs everyone about the circuit rules for the day, what to do in an emergency, what signals will be used to control traffic ie flags or traffic lights or both and other circuit specific information that you need to know. Don’t be late for the briefing.  If it’s started you won’t be admitted. At the end of the briefing you should be issued with a second wrist band to confirm that you have been briefed.  You need both wrist bands to drive on the circuit.

Sighting Laps are required to be attended by all drivers and take place immediately before the circuit goes live.  Drivers roll up to the appointed place and are taken in groups behind a pace car out onto the circuit usually for three laps when they return to the paddock.  The purpose of the sighting laps, which are carried out at a slow pace, is to see the circuit layout, note track conditions (ie dry, wet, greasy), and to note the locations of the marshals posts where flag signals will be given, and any traffic light locations.

The pace car will follow the “racing line” and the crocodile should follow it so all drivers get a feel for the correct lines around the circuit.

There is no point weaving or accelerating/braking in the crocodile (like they do on F1) and in fact it’s usually forbidden.  No overtaking!

There may also be a noise test to confirm your car is within the permitted noise level for the day.  You will be tested when you go out on circuit for the first time (another sticker) or you will have to go to a designated noise test location.

Track time starts as soon as all of the cars have completed their sighting laps.  If it’s a sessioned day go to the appointed place and queue in good time for the start of your session.  If it’s an open pit lane day present yourself at the circuit access point and you will be admitted to the circuit by the pit lane marshal after your wrist bands have been checked.

Other things you might like to consider

 

How do I pick a reputable organiser?  A good place to look for the names of organisers running properly operated track days is the Association of Track day Organisers.  All of its members meet the requirements of the track day code of practice so you have a guarantee that the day will be properly run and operated.  Also membership of the ATDO is recognised by insurers and track day insurance premiums are cheaper if you are attending a day run by an ATDO member.  The list of members can be seen here - www.atdo.co.uk.

How much should I pay?  You will undoubtedly see a range of prices quoted for what seem like identical track days at the same circuit.  So which one should I go for?  Well if it’s open pit lane then the cheaper priced days will be running with more cars booked than the more expensive days.  I would avoid the really cheap ones unless you don’t mind the risk that you may be sitting for long periods in pit lane queues.  If it’s a sessioned day and looks cheap just check out how many groups per hour are running.  Some days run with as little as 10 minutes per session.

I do hope that you found this useful.  If you have anything you’d like to add, please post a comment and I’ll take it on board.

I’ll be adding a blog on choice of track day car soon.

Horse Meat

There you are in the shop, buying your burgers and expecting to get beef because that’s what it says on the packet, and what to you get?  Apparently some burgers, we are told, could simply contain anything with the beef in very small quantities if at all.  I guess it’s just a case of you tend to get what you pay for, so if you go into one of the low end supermarkets and buy 20 “value” burgers for £1 I think it’s fair to say that you’d be pretty grateful they actually had any meat in them at all, never mind horse (or possibly donkey).

Supermarkets and food shops of course come in all shapes and sizes and are catering for all sectors of the market; and there’s nothing wrong at all with that.

That brings me back to track days so I suppose it’s not difficult to guess where this is leading.  A cheap open pit lane track day just ain’t going to have the same quality of beef in it that a more expensive day has, all things being equal.  Fine if you don’t mind spending time in the pit lane queue, and I hesitate to say this but nevertheless it’s true, that you’ll generally experience more sheds dropping oil and breaking down on a cheap day too.

Many years ago now I worked on a prestigious project at Heathrow.  The architects used quite a useful analogy to describe the quality of job the team was aiming for.  They looked at white goods as being the bottom of the market.  We aren’t at the white goods end.  They compared Sainsburys with Waitrose.  The project aimed at achieving Waitrose quality; that is towards the high end.  I guess nowadays it would be Aldi and Marks & Spencer in the comparison of basic to highest quality with a bit of premium pricing thrown in for good measure.

We aren’t at the Aldi end of the spectrum.  We think we are about in the middle which is a nice place to be in my view and it allows us to run good quality days at a reasonable price.

Please spread the word .......

Circuit Driving Notes

Circuit driving notes are now available for Castle Combe in loose leaf, laminated A5 format.  They are issued free to customers booking one of our circuit training packages, or you can purchase a set from us for a nominal charge of £10 to cover production, plus postage and packing.  Alternatively you can pick up a set at the circuit on one of our track days. 

We think the notes will prove very useful to drivers of all abilities, but to get the best from them we'd recommend booking one of our driver training courses.

 

Here's a sample for Avon Rise and Quarry.  I'm sorry but I've blurred the text.








We'll be producing sets for Donington, Oulton and Cadwell as well in due course.