First Track Day this Friday

Off to a Track Day at Angelsey this Friday for a mates 40th birthday, never really planned to ever do one as car is auto so not ideal for a track but thought I'd make this one exception

 

I've booked tuition sessions for the day, just checked fluids and tyres, geometry was set up perfectly by Center Gravity last Friday so anyone got any tips or advice?

Take it steady, pull over and let people pass, and just enjoy yourself

 

Your auto will be absolutely fine.

You will really enjoy your day, nothing like a track to stretch Supra's legs. Auto will be just be fine, I have been doing track days in my auto for the last seven years no problem. Just keep an eye on your water temperature.

Guessing it's best to be in manual mode? To be honest I rarely use manual mode.

Sounds like fun, I've been wanting to do one of these at some point too to see what the car is really capable of.

Weather isn't looking too good but at least I'm in a car with a roof. Mates are in a Westfield and a Lotus Elise.

Watch a few videos to give you an idea where the track goes, ive got a few on my youtube channel, also more specifically watch the left hander coming onto the pit straight, its off camber and tends to catch big cars like ours out with the backend coming round, ask me how i know:innocent:

Give yourself time, don't go too fast too quickly. Don't worry about people overtaking you. Just enjoy it.

Auto is fine, I did some track days in my Auto TT and it was great.

If it's the full circuit it's a brake killer, all those hairpins.... Definitely use Manual Mode, and ESPECIALLY if it's wet. Be careful coming out of and back into the pits, DO NOT cut across from the wrong side going in and indicate clearly. Lots of nasty misunderstandings occur... It's a fairly safe circuit, you are more likely to have trouble with the Welsh police for speeding or anything else they can think of if it's not an Anglesey plate, than hitting track side scenery.

 

Favourite place for trouble on track is the corner back on to the pit straight where testosterone seems to make people try things way beyond their ability to impress those on the pit wall. When they've sniggered at your misfortune and gone for a bacon roll you will be totting up the damage cost, and wondering how to get the wreckage back home. So keep it within your level of talent and ignore the cameras. They too are a magnet for acts of awesome foolhardiness.

 

Whilst it is of course essential to watch your mirrors it's VERY easy to dwell upon them too much, especially if something with downforce is approaching and going from a dot to a full car in seconds. It's whilst you are looking in awe in your mirrors and wondering what to do, you look forward and see Evans the Marshal in his post, grinning, as you drive off the circuit at undiminished speed. So let those behind look out for themselves to a large extent, rather than not look what you are doing!! Just remain aware of them, don't spend any more time than vital looking in the mirrors, it's a real newbie mistake we all did.

 

If it's wet keep off the kerbs, and off painted lines, and if you feel you are going too slow, but don't feel happy about pushing harder, stay with keeping it slow. To drive a MKIV very fast in the wet, on a strange circuit is NOT for a track day novice!! Be very careful on the A5, fining visitors is all that keeps them damned island solvent

 

 

is me and the wife in my GTS-t doing a track day on the International circuit, I know it pretty well, and my lines are reasonable for an old git, so it may be some good to you. If you look just before 5 minutes in you can see why you need your wits about you as a Caterfield with only hand signals decides the pit entry is best taken from the RH side of the circuit.... Lots of accidents there!!

 

 

Have fun, stay safe

Edited October 22, 2015 by Chris Wilson (see edit history)

^^^ that was close Chris, looked a very busy track too.

 

OT Never driven that track before but I'd echo peoples advise especially if it's wet and you don't have an lsd and poor tyres don't push to go fast. Just enjoy yourself and respect the car and others.

In honestly I'd not fancy an auto on that track... But enjoy!

Here`s mine,

How did you get on?

Just arrived home after a epic weekend. Anglesey was great. It was for a mates birthday so there were 9 of us (including partners) 4 cars (Supra, Westfield and 2 Lotus Elises) tho 3 of the drivers are compete in the Monoposto Trophy race series, the weather was mostly wet but there were only 24 cars there and some of them left just after lunch.

 

I paid for a tuition session which was definitely worthwile as otherwise I'd of been making lots of errors. But with the tuition I felt totally comfortable having fun at speed on the track

 

We were on the Coastal Circuit. Which was fun and as Chris said the bend before the pit straight is the one to be careful on as people get it wrong and stove it into the pit wall. Got warned about this during the morning briefing and yet someone did stack hit Caterham into it, ending his day.

 

Only downer for me was that at times the car was smoking and then dropped some fluid. By end of day we'd figured out it must of been transmission fluid from where I topped up fluids prior to going and looks like I overfilled the gearbox as it came our bleed valve and onto exhaust.

 

I did do a couple of laps prior to tuition session at the very start of the day following my mate's dad (who's raced there) only for him to go into the tight left at The Rocket too fast and both of us totally over cook it, 2nd lap I'd learnt so went in much slower, he didn't so span in front of me.

I used to race in Monoposto, years ago! Glad you had a good time and no whoopsies. Going to go again on a track day?

I used to race in Monoposto, years ago! Glad you had a good time and no whoopsies. Going to go again on a track day?

 

Do you know Mike Reed, Jon Reed and Dan Clowes then from Monoposto?

 

Definitely up for doing another now that I've got the first one done without incident. Really liked Anglesey too, except for how far away it was.

It was in the days of the infamous Jim Blockley, I ran my F3 Reynard in Mono spec for a couple of years, as well as doing some National F3 with it in pukka spec. Then I ran my Dallara in National F3, but only did any good in the wet, as I was mad back then I guess the guys you mention are far too young to remember back then, I would have to sit down and work out how long ago it was, but it was a great and generally friendly series with some technically interesting single seaters in it.

 

 

Try Donington, much more suited to the MKIV than tight little Anglesey, which is more of a bike track, IMO.

The guys I mentioned all drive Jedi's and at least 2 of them came over from hill climbing to circuit racing a while back.

 

Anyway, we were talking today about other track days and Donnington did get mentioned, will see what happens.

Glad you had a good day mate, we`re booked on at Silverstone 16th of next month and thats a great track in the supe.