Bedford race track

[adm]

One of the reason for getting the fabia was that to have a car that I would have feel comfortable to take to the track from time to time, so today, I took my first step and went on one of those race experience so that I could get a feel for it, I choose a cayman S and a ferrari 355 ( both awesome,the cayman was so easy to drive) now, next step but I need some advise from the track guys on here, I'm undecided if to go for another one of those days with an Mazda experience where you get 12 laps with an MX5 and your own instructor or tske the Fabia to Bedford and spend a day there and see if I can instructor for a couple of hours.

MX5 experience would be £160 and if I'm not wrong a day at Bedford £199 but not sure what that includes.

Any advise welcome

Alex

[PastyBoy]

My other half did one of those supercar experiences and said it was massively frustrating. She drove an Impreza, an Elise, a 911 and a Ferrai 360 at Bruntingthorpe but by the time she'd get into the swing of things her 3/4 laps were up and she had to come in.

I think the nest step depends on what you are hoping to get out of the day

I guess given your looking at instructors you want to improve your driving more than have fun?

Personally I'd go track day everytime in either case. If you did the whole day at Bedford you could get instructed first thing, learn the correct way to drive it then spend all day driving it. Or maybe drive it in the morning learning it yourself, have instruction at lunchtime realise how wrong you've been and spend the afternoon driving it correctly!

Or just spend all day bombing round on your own racing lines etc

yes the track day will be more expensive but you will (or at least should) get a damn sight more than 12 laps and i think it;d be a lot more beneficial to your road driving if you are looking to improve. I mean what are 12 laps in an MX5 going to teach you about driving the Fabia quickly

[adm]

Fair points, and you're right, yesterday by the time I did get some confidence in the car a learnt couple of corners was time to get back in, but non the less great fun.

I did not go in thinking to play Schumacher, I was more interested on learning the basics, Bedford seems a good option, need to enquiry about instructors

[dtriggs]

Been doing trackdays for ages. Dont get intimidated by faster cars - there will always be faster drivers/cars. But go and enjoy yourself somewhere safe like Bedford as you say, and learn your own car. Nothing beats that. Bear in mind the abuse the things like brakes will get though. Circuit Days on 30th July at Bedford for example.

[adm]

Have you been running at Bedford before? is £199 only to get in and track around all day?

[PastyBoy]

I've not done bedford before but hear good things.

Being an old airfield theres plenty of run off area so if it does go horribly wrong there no (or very little) armco to smack into.

It's also big and wide so plenty of room for the faster cars to get past withut it being too hairy.

from the info on Circuit Days the day on the 30th is a open pit lane which essentially mean syou can go out as often and for as long as you like.

you'd turn up be briefed "be sensible" only over take on the straight and on the left" etc etc then you can pound round all morning stop for lunch. pound round all afternoon. go home.

Go as hard as you like from the off and until you decide to call it a day or take a break or run out of fuel

Altough i;d start slow and get faster to be honest. I did a day with a few Briskodians on wet airfield in October 2009 and 3 of use ended up on the infield on the firest lap. 1 even facing the wrong way!

Any tuition will be extra is offered by CD and is normally chargable at £30 ish per 20 minutes

Other days will be sessioned where they'll split all the participants into 3 groups and you'll be allocated a time slot say 10-11 with the other groups getting 9-10 and 11-12.

If you are massively nervous check out clubmsv.couk and their novice days. they only allow people who've done less than 3 days and no slick tyres no race cars etc so everyone is pretty much on the same level and as nervous as each other! (MSV own bedford btw there was a novice day there today for £179)

[adm]

Great tip PastyBoy! had a look at their web site and it seems a very good place to start

[BossFox]

Great tip PastyBoy! had a look at their web site and it seems a very good place to start

Yes, good tip. Cheers Pasty.

I've just booked into a novice day at Brands Hatch on the 1st August.

[Jonny5ive]

I did a day with a few Briskodians on wet airfield in October 2009 and 3 of use ended up on the infield on the firest lap. 1 even facing the wrong way!

Who was that then?

Was good fun going sideways too

[PastyBoy]

No problem all. Here to help

Who was that then?

It was damp, you were enthusiatic, it was bound to happen really!

[Soot1e]

Who was that then?

Was good fun going sideways too

^^^^^^ Barrie the beginner^^^^^^.

It's quite different driving a rear wheel drive car to that of the front, however going round with an instructor in the MX5 will give you a good idea on the method of track driving and track day etiquette. If you really want to push the DERV to it's limit then a track day with instruction for 1/2hour at the start will give you confidence in your own car. Plus, a lot more time on track. Count on 2 tanks of diesel if you go to Bedford, it's a great learning circuit with tricky corners and fast ones too, nothing to hit.

PS Don't forget the Briskoda track day heroes will be at Castle Coombe for a blast in September.

[adm]

Unfortunately I'll be on holiday in September....

Looking at the web site it mentions cones to "aim" at to follow the right line and breaking signs,backed up with 20 min with an instructor should be a good starting point

[Jonny5ive]

Looking at the web site it mentions cones to "aim" at to follow the right line and breaking signs................

:wonder:

[PastyBoy]

Looking at the web site it mentions cones to "aim" at to follow the right line and breaking signs,backed up with 20 min with an instructor should be a good starting point

yeah the ones on the action days at combe and one for braking point,one for turn in point, one on the apex and one on the exit

normally a good guide

:wonder:

cones are your friends - try not to run anymore over!

[adm]

You know what I meant.......