So I spent my afternoon as a passenger in a Ferrari 812 superfast and an Aventador SVJ being hurled round a race track.
Fabulous!
What an experience and I now have more admiration for drivers that can really drive these on the limit. And I also now understand when watching Top Gear / Grand Tours how these cars can all have unique characteristics and good drivers can really take them to the limits.
And yes, the cars were just driven up to the track on the normal roads and back down again!
So far removed from my boring Civic diesel!
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I drove to a Silverstone track day in a Maestro diesel (non-turbo)!
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I used Shanks pony to walk over Ingleboro and spent a few hours late afternoon in a sunny beer garden.
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I did a track day at Brands Hatch in a transit van.
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Did one at Silverstone in 97ish in a Porsche and a couple of years ago in Tÿ Croes (Fifth Gear's test track) in various cars a few years ago. Good day actually.
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>> I did a track day at Brands Hatch in a transit van.
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....I've emulated a track day at Brands Hatch in a transit van........
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I did Thruxton in a Formula Ford once. In the rain. Very exciting.
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Several years ago, Top Gear did a couple of events at Silverstone (Top Gear Live).
Got took around the track a few times by a professional driver in a Nissan Primera replica touring car. We could also go around ourselves on another part of the track in a variety of standard road cars. There was also an event being held at the Stow circuit where the fastest driver of the day could win a Ford somethingorother. you had someone in the passenger seat telling you the best cornering approach, speed, etc. Basically we were allowed to rag the nuts off the Ford and drive it like a complete loony.
Back in HJ days, I got invited along to the launch of the Astra-J in 2009 at Millbrook Proving ground, where we could take a variety of other cars (as a comparison against the Astra) around the Alpine circuit. Got to drive around the bowl a few times. Also got taken around the handling circuit by a professional driver to show the capabilities of the car with the ESP and TC systems on, and also turned off.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 12 Apr 19 at 12:04
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Circuit driving is great fun, both as a passenger with someone a bit handy, and also as a driver.
Highlights for me:
6 hot laps of Brands Hatch indy circuit in a track prepped E36 BMW 318iS with Mark Webber back in the mid 90s. He was driving Formula Ford at the time, and instructing at the race school there for a bit of extra cash. The car control, precision, economy of inputs, and his ridiculously relaxed demeanour as we exited Paddock in a slightly tail-led four wheel drift at three figure speeds was other-worldly. Lovely chap (I had no idea who he was at the time), and an incredible driver. These guys are at different level altogether. Made my attempts seem pitiful, although he gave me a 93% score for the day, and I got a fastest lap, which I was chuffed with.
3 hot laps of Millbrook outer handling circuit with a test driver in a Hyundai i30N Performance earlier this year. Incredible car being driven to its absolute limits by a complete headcase. I still have no idea how he got it through some of the corners at those speeds, but he did.
Track day at Abingdon with a mate in our old £175 Ford Puma that we bought in 2016 for a bit of fun. Cheapest car there by a factor of 20, least powerful too, but we drove the wheels off it (including a spin into turn 1) and it held up brilliantly. And we overtook a few people as well. :-)
Been sinking cash into the house for the past year or two, but once it's done, I'm going to invest in another track day toy. Brilliant, cheap fun, especially if you split the cost with a mate.
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Never got out in it, but yesterday there was also a Lotus Cortina track car. Those that drove it said it was hard work - non existent brakes, heel and toe needed to keep it going at corners, heavy steering etc. But they all loved it!
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Pounded a capri rs3100 round Castle Combe, now that was lairy, specially when the brakes faded to nothing. (in fact they got so hot the pads broke up and fell out)
When the Mk1 golf GTI came to the uk, I had the chance to run that round oulton park, Found out how good that went round bends when I realised they had forgotten to include brakes as standard.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 12 Apr 19 at 16:41
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When I had my Boxster (15 years ago!) I very quickly realised that it was wasted on the South-Easts busy roads and so took it on many a track-day. Great fun. And when I sold it, the mileage was still respectably low but the tyres were shagged (beware low mileage second-hand cars!)
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A nice afternoon! - bathtub tom
