Thought I'd come out in the open. Might as well give an explanation on what gave me this idea to do this. Past few weeks have been exciting.

I'm turning 22 next month, and booked myself a Ferrari 360 Drive in Knockhill just a few days before my birthday *cheaper, since my 22nd was on a weekend*

And just recently last week, I was up in Knockhill, doing some Go Karting, and on a damp track I was just 1.5 - 2 secs off the official lap record. *I'm also a big build lad* And the employee of the track was impressed. And I was about to leave, I saw that a Ferrari Racing team, were doing testing around the Knockhill curcuit for the day. One of the drivers happened to be Gordon Shedden driving the Racing version of the Ferrari 430. Had a chat with him and got his autograph . Lovely chap, didn't seem to mind me having a quick blether.

I had the privilage of watching him in action whizzing past me in the pitlane at 140-160mph. Was a quiet day, and was just pure luck that I decided to go up to Knockhill on a quiet day. Only wanted to go in and out to ask about the Ferrarai driving experience I would be doing soon.

And I'm going Go Karting with a friend this Saturday against a few others, and its franky got me fired up and excited to try out a track day in Knockhill where you take your car out for a spin for a few hours for just 40 quid *or 50 on arrival*

http://www.knockhill.com/trackdays/speed-sunday.php

And I won't be doing it this soon, want to get Christmas and everything out the way, thought this would be something to do later on in the New Year. The novice drive seems like a good idea, so I could familiarise with my car and avoid major mistakes.

Now this all seems fun to do, but I know that there will be flaws:

Tyres
Fuel
Cost of entree *not really that much*

Could someone also show me what other flaws there could be?

Thanks.

Sorry about the long post, had to get that off my chest, a lot has happened the past 2 weeks in Driving experience terms.

EDIT: The pic attachment is me and the car, ignore the big bellies you see, I lost a stone since that photo was taken.

Quote from BigDave2967 :

Could someone also show me what other flaws there could be?

I'm sure you're already aware of it but it should be pointed out that unless you pay for it you'll be uninsured. Other than that repeated track days will knacker your car and it may affect resale value of a car, that only really applies if you've got a car which is likely to draw questions about past abuse.

Quote from ajp71 :

I'm sure you're already aware of it but it should be pointed out that unless you pay for it you'll be uninsured. Other than that repeated track days will knacker your car and it may affect resale value of a car, that only really applies if you've got a car which is likely to draw questions about past abuse.

Well I got the car for £350, and I can take it to a local scrappies and get a hundred quid out of it. But I did drive around 1,200 miles back in August, most of the hours an average 70mph, and the engine was fine, but I understand it would be less different due to high revving.

As for the uninsured. I am insured for the car, its MOTed and Road Taxed. But if you are talking about Insurance in Knockhill itself to drive on, I'm not too sure, because I had a look, and I haven't seen any mention about insurance when driving on the track at all.

Your road insurance will not work on the track, and it is VERY unlikely to work even if you pushed the wrecked car (if you crash) down the road away from the circuit - they're not that stupid!

Your brakes will get a work out - I'd suggest decent pads, not cheap road pads. Check your discs as well, because if they are worn (thin) you might have problems towards the end of the day, even if it's just severe warping rather than cracking/explosion. Also, check your brake fluid - if in ANY doubt change it, because, again, you will be working the brakes hard, and you don't want the hydroscopic action taking you to hospital.

Brakes are important. If your engine breaks you stop. If your steering breaks or your tyres go flat you can usually stop (using the brakes). If your brakes fail you end up in a plywood box.

Once you are 100% happy with your brakes (bear in mind accidents don't wait for you to be prepared, and a 100mph crash in a road car is a 100mph crash. The cheaper the car the more likely you are to get hurt (generally)), you can look at your tyres (bulges, tread etc), steering (balljoints, CV joints), suspension (broken springs, weeping dampers, solid mountings). Also have a quick glance at your exhaust (not about to drop off through rot) and fuel (not dripping, and no dampness around injectors caused by fuel).


None of the above will make you go faster - that's not the point. Don't bother with sticky tyres, as it'll make the car less 'fun', and don't go for racing brake pads (crap on road cars as they won't get hot enough). But the above should ensure you have an above average chance of not being removed in an ambulance and a road sweeper lorry.

Don't borrow a helmet (not even from the circuit). Buy your own. A motorcycle one is fine, but it MUST cost more than £100 minimum. Make sure all your cloths are cotton (naturally fire retardent), and ideally not screen printed (not fire retardent). Try to avoid jeans if possible, but they aren't SO bad. Wear gloves of some sort (cotton ideally, and preferably ones that will help you grip the wheel).

Obviously if you don't care about safety, ignore all or any of the above. But accidents can and do happen, so you might as well take precautions which will allow you to double the enjoyment of the day (less worry about injury every time the car slides).

Quote from tristancliffe :

Your road insurance will not work on the track, and it is VERY unlikely to work even if you pushed the wrecked car (if you crash) down the road away from the circuit - they're not that stupid!

Your brakes will get a work out - I'd suggest decent pads, not cheap road pads. Check your discs as well, because if they are worn (thin) you might have problems towards the end of the day, even if it's just severe warping rather than cracking/explosion. Also, check your brake fluid - if in ANY doubt change it, because, again, you will be working the brakes hard, and you don't want the hydroscopic action taking you to hospital.

Brakes are important. If your engine breaks you stop. If your steering breaks or your tyres go flat you can usually stop (using the brakes). If your brakes fail you end up in a plywood box.

Once you are 100% happy with your brakes (bear in mind accidents don't wait for you to be prepared, and a 100mph crash in a road car is a 100mph crash. The cheaper the car the more likely you are to get hurt (generally)), you can look at your tyres (bulges, tread etc), steering (balljoints, CV joints), suspension (broken springs, weeping dampers, solid mountings). Also have a quick glance at your exhaust (not about to drop off through rot) and fuel (not dripping, and no dampness around injectors caused by fuel).


None of the above will make you go faster - that's not the point. Don't bother with sticky tyres, as it'll make the car less 'fun', and don't go for racing brake pads (crap on road cars as they won't get hot enough). But the above should ensure you have an above average chance of not being removed in an ambulance and a road sweeper lorry.

Don't borrow a helmet (not even from the circuit). Buy your own. A motorcycle one is fine, but it MUST cost more than £100 minimum. Make sure all your cloths are cotton (naturally fire retardent), and ideally not screen printed (not fire retardent). Try to avoid jeans if possible, but they aren't SO bad. Wear gloves of some sort (cotton ideally, and preferably ones that will help you grip the wheel).

Obviously if you don't care about safety, ignore all or any of the above. But accidents can and do happen, so you might as well take precautions which will allow you to double the enjoyment of the day (less worry about injury every time the car slides).

That was the kick in the balls I needed. Thanks Tristan . I didn't want to go super duper fast, I just wanted to experience of going round the track in my own car for fun.

I'm not your average boy racer helmet designer, I was just wondering, because I know there were going to be flaws, and I knew there was going to be a kick in the balls, I just needed the kick to happen.

The car was cheap because it happened to be a friend of mine that was selling it, and the car is that damn good, was a fluke that I got it from a friend who would have sold it for 500.

Thanks for the reality check, definately not gonna go, not worth the journey.

Oh dear. I didn't want to put you off. You SHOULD go for it!!!!!

Just make sure the car is safe, paying particular attention to the brakes.

Boy Racer Helmet Designer? You make think of Eygpt when you say that It's never quite as easy as just turning up in your daily runabout, as trackdays will stress you and your car a lot more, and you still have to drive home afterwards.

£500 is still a cheap car, and as such it might have worn out bits (worn out in terms of track, not in terms of MoT passing).

It really REALLY REALLY is worth the journey, and the money and the time. You don't need to get a garage to check the car - you, some common sense and a Haynes manual will be enough, perhaps with the phone number of a local mechanic/garage/friend who can give you tips if/when you get stuck.

Don't give up so easily. Please. I just wanted to make sure you took the safety side seriously, because it could help you (although chances are you car won't get a single scratch, but it's best to be careful beforehand than simply wise afterwards.

Trackdays are awesome, just do it, I have done a few now, all be it on a bike, but it's still awesome none-the-less, best way I can think of to spend £50 and a Saturday .

I would give you some tips, but they would probably be bike specific, so I won't fill the post up with useless (for you) information.

Just don't drive like a tool, and you'll be fine

Quote from tristancliffe :

Oh dear. I didn't want to put you off. You SHOULD go for it!!!!!

Just make sure the car is safe, paying particular attention to the brakes.

Boy Racer Helmet Designer? You make think of Eygpt when you say that It's never quite as easy as just turning up in your daily runabout, as trackdays will stress you and your car a lot more, and you still have to drive home afterwards.

£500 is still a cheap car, and as such it might have worn out bits (worn out in terms of track, not in terms of MoT passing).

It really REALLY REALLY is worth the journey, and the money and the time. You don't need to get a garage to check the car - you, some common sense and a Haynes manual will be enough, perhaps with the phone number of a local mechanic/garage/friend who can give you tips if/when you get stuck.

Don't give up so easily. Please. I just wanted to make sure you took the safety side seriously, because it could help you (although chances are you car won't get a single scratch, but it's best to be careful beforehand than simply wise afterwards.

Oh I did take it seriously, you got my post the wrong way .

I'd love to do it, but like you said, chances are I could get my car scratched, could have a failiure. When I said I needed a kick in the balls, I needed one, because I was high on momentum on the past few weeks, and I needed someone like you, with proper experience, to kick the momentum back, because I needed it. I didn't want to jump the gun and then suffer unexpected consequences that I didn't think would happen.

Brakes are no problem, what I'll do though, is give the car a once over with a local mechanic, and take it from there. Its a standard car, the brakes are absolutely fantastic. and I can get very good tyres for cheap prices. I'm just not sure about the track insurance at Knockhill, how does that work out?

Quote from danowat :

Trackdays are awesome, just do it, I have done a few now, all be it on a bike, but it's still awesome none-the-less, best way I can think of to spend £50 and a Saturday .

I would give you some tips, but they would probably be bike specific, so I won't fill the post up with useless (for you) information.

Just don't drive like a tool, and you'll be fine

Don't worry, I won't . I drove a Singler Seater at Knockhill last year, and I enjoyed every moment of it *pats DFP and LFS* I know where to cross the line of being a boy racer and a sensible driver. It's the neds/chavs that I am worried about, I have seen their driving on Knockhill track days and they claimed to be "good at it" and show their driving online only to spin off a couple of times and nearly caused serious crashes.

I don't know if they offer it at Knockhill, but have you thought about an instructed Track Day? That would seem a safer solution if you're worried about the wannabe race drivers wrecking you ...

Quote from Linsen :

I don't know if they offer it at Knockhill, but have you thought about an instructed Track Day? That would seem a safer solution if you're worried about the wannabe race drivers wrecking you ...

Yeah they have a day where its a Novice training day. I was thinking of attending them first before taking part in the Track Day events next year.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Don't borrow a helmet (not even from the circuit). Buy your own. A motorcycle one is fine, but it MUST cost more than £100 minimum. Make sure all your cloths are cotton (naturally fire retardent), and ideally not screen printed (not fire retardent). Try to avoid jeans if possible, but they aren't SO bad. Wear gloves of some sort (cotton ideally, and preferably ones that will help you grip the wheel).

You might also wish to look at a second hand racing helmet, but only if it fits you and comes from someone you know and trust would not sell you anything dodgy, if you can find one you could pick up a far better helmet for peanuts because racing helmets are dated. If you wish to take part in competition in the future or want the ultimate protection it may be worth looking at an MSA approved helmet. If you do decide to go for a bike helmet follow Tristan's advice and do not rely on a cheap one.

Also worth noting whether you have break down cover from a track, IIRC the RAC are the only company officially providing cover for broken down but rolling cars from tracks at no extra cost, although we did manage to get them to take a 3 wheeled car home at no extra cost

Just a suggestion, but my nephew grabs old (but running) wrecks from another of his uncles (who has a garage), splashes a bit of dulux on them, and goes banger racing...doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but is immense fun, and his winnings actually pay for his days out!

http://www.geocities.com/~dave_rc/january03.html

Look out for JON BRICKNELL

wow 40 quid! Go for it mate! I agree on the brakes, they do take a beating. If you're scared of the car taking damage, you don't have to drive constantly (I presume), I've been to the ring a couple of times and I only drove a couple of laps a day, that may not seem like a lot, but together with all the off track spectating and taking in all your driving experiences it is great. Man, 40 quid, why dont I live in Brittan.

Quote from lococost :

wow 40 quid! Go for it mate! I agree on the brakes, they do take a beating. If you're scared of the car taking damage, you don't have to drive constantly (I presume), I've been to the ring a couple of times and I only drove a couple of laps a day, that may not seem like a lot, but together with all the off track spectating and taking in all your driving experiences it is great. Man, 40 quid, why dont I live in Brittan.

Well, it all seems like a good idea, but in the end, I did speak to my Dad about this, I need a car to get to work, go to places, and I can't risk getting the car damaged, even though I'm a very good driver, and I don't make any mistakes, a ned can simply knock me off, and think its funny and drive on. I won't get any claims of it because I'm on the racing track.

But its definately something to do when I get a bit of money rolling and have a full time job.

Being a very good driver, and not making mistakes, will count for nothing on your first proper track day in your own car, when you can push as hard as you like in a car you already know. Very different from 'Driving Experience' days when it's alien cars, mostly with instructors alongside or watching like a hawk.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Being a very good driver, and not making mistakes, will count for nothing on your first proper track day in your own car, when you can push as hard as you like in a car you already know. Very different from 'Driving Experience' days when it's alien cars, mostly with instructors alongside or watching like a hawk.

Just realised I'm starting to sound like Lep lol.

You are quite right on that, I meant both in track and in proper driving. I wouldn't normally push my own car on the track on the first few laps, until I get a lot of experience out of it.

Least I know what to expect if I eventually have the money to do something like this in the future .

Least I got the Ferrari drive to look forward to next month .

Quote from BigDave2967 :

I lost a stone since that photo was taken.

would anyone please tell me how much a stone in kilos is?
(no useful advice from me today...like there has ever been one...)

Quote from squidhead :

would anyone please tell me how much a stone in kilos is?
(no useful advice from me today...like there has ever been one...)

1 stones = 6.35029318 kilograms

Good old google!

Fat = >14 stone (roughly!) Obviously rugby players aren't fat but... you know what I mean!

Quote from Bladerunner :

Just a suggestion, but my nephew grabs old (but running) wrecks from another of his uncles (who has a garage), splashes a bit of dulux on them, and goes banger racing...doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but is immense fun, and his winnings actually pay for his days out!

http://www.geocities.com/~dave_rc/january03.html

Look out for JON BRICKNELL

The greatest mod I ever did banger racing was an idea I stole from another guy there. He would tape his wheel up with gaffer tape, which confused me, but he said it was to stop his thumbs getting broken as he couldn't put them through the wheel, so when you hit someone your hands fall off the wheel rather then snapping your thumbs off.