Me and a few mates are into cars big time. We want to start doing some track days. But I dont fancy taking my furby and plus any major mods are going to add to my insurence. Just want some advice were to start.

We live in the south, not far from thuxton. Between about 5 of us we have around £4000 for a car, we already have a trailer to tow it. All being under 25 I dont think insuring a road going track car will be a option. Does it need to be insured if we tow it to and from the track?

So what to buy? FWD? RWD? Small engined hatch? Big engined saloon? Want a car thats going to be fun to drive and we can all learn to drive properly in. Any web sites that will help? Cheapest way to attend track days?

Any advice would be great.

Cheers,

If your towing it then no insurance, road tax, not needed.

As for cars. 205 gti's are popular, cheap and fun. Friends got one with a vts lump and loves it for track days.

Rwd. E30 325?

pistonheads.com have a classified section for track cars, most are ready for trackdays with roll cage and other safety equipment fitted.

AFAIK, You need insurance if you are toeing on a rope or bar, the only way you get away with no insurance is lifting 2 wheels off the ground, either with a trailer or dolly. (Because the car then becomes a trailer)

As for a good car, im a regular at Knockhill and the 2.0L corsas seem to fly, and if you can find a c20let (turbo'd one) they have evo and scooby beating potential. But people will bring anything! as long as its got at least a 1.6 engine you will have a blast, even if your not at the front, theres bound to be a few to race with.

One of these, you could probably build one of £4000 if you go out there and find the bargains and then you can get into real club racing

- Kev

Edited 16 March, 200917 yr by Jabbasport

Cheers guys,

Ive seen a mk II gti, fully specced up for track days. Mite go look at a few at the weekend. Glad to hear it wont have to be insured if we use a trailer. Not going to enter any races at the moment. Just have a bit of tuition, get some experience on the tack and then go from there. Hopefully do my ARDS test at the end of the summer. Any more help would be good. Il let you know how I get on. Post up some pics.

I don't know if you're aware but you're no longer allowed to tow a decent sized trailer automatically, you need to take a B+E test.

You want something light and fun, 205 GTi is a good call, 2.0 Nova/Corsa, Mk2 GTi as have been suggested. Honda Integra Type R (import model can be bought for 4k I think) is in the running. E30 BMW (I'd go with the 318iS and tune it up) or an MX5. No really, an MX5. Or a Caterham/MK Indy/Kit car type thing.

Good luck with your choice and let us know what you go for! I've given up track days for a while and I'm selling my track car (Audi S2) but hopefully in a few years I'll be able to buy another car and get back out there

Hopefully do my ARDS test at the end of the summer. Any more help would be good. Il let you know how I get on. Post up some pics.

ARDS test is really easy as long as you remember the theory, which they actually show you in the go racing video before you answer the questions.

When on track they're not looking for you to set the fastest lap, or scare the instructor within an inch of their lives, just show them good track positioning, lines etc.

If you wanted tuition, i'd highly recommend Simon Mason - Racing Driver & Motorsport Tuition

A friend of mine recently bought a Pug 206 1.6 GTI fully prepped for £900.

Inside needed a bit of tidying but we took it to Mallory on a track day and did 124 miles in it!

I would buy a car for similar money and spec. I would buy a car that you could use in a race series too such as 750 Motor Club stock hatch as track days aren't meant for racing so you won't find any competition and it's good to have some tuition

Spend around £1000 - £2000 and the money you have left put towards maintaining it, track days entry, fuel, brakes tyres and race entry if you decide to do that

Its good to hear you want to do some track days and racing later on a track and not on the road.

I've seen 2 young lads in a little Fiat twin cam at a track day that cost them £500 and they they really enjoyed themselves. The 0-to 60 times are quite immaterial when choosing a track car. James Hunt if you remember him as an F1 world Champion drove a Austin A35 with stockwheels & tyres on the road to to practice his skills "even better in the wet" were his words off wisdom "you can hone your handling skills at 25mph just as good as if you were going 70mph" So really any car will do that you can buy parts for, especially brakes and suspension which usually need constant work. Go for a simple to maintain car as your starter track car and not expensive/complicated to maintain Japanese ones.

Short of buying an Ariel Atom how about aformentioned Pug 205GTi , the 1.6 is a wonderful revvy engine, better than the 1.9 IMHO. The Fiesta SI is also a good choice for plentiful parts and there is a race series at some UK tracks. One more to consider is a Mk2 Golf GTI 16v. for which there are many Companies offering tuning parts , however Golf parts do cost more than most.

Hope you report back to Briskoda with photos and stories at a later date. Good luck with your mates. Bernie.

I wouldn't go straight to Thruxton either it is the fastest circuit in the UK and people have died there before. I'd go to a couple of aerodromes first. There use to be a driver who worked at Thruxton Blencowe I think use to be a Seat Cupra driver

Thanks for the positive thinking!