First track day (PCGB @ Donington Park) completed!

[TDT]

Well said Geoff. I'm of a similar opinion to you re. enjoyment of the car being the #1 aim.

Unfortunately, I think the majority of people there were chasing lap times which can be captured on the Porsche App, via GoPros and other timing equipment. It's against the rules, but clearly the vast majority of people do it as they talk about it after the event. I have no idea what lap times I was running!

PCGB events are never about laptimes (hence all the faster guys don't do them now days and I also see them as club days and a fun day out with mates) I def don't think any one there was chasing them and it was impossable to do so even if they wished. Not saying that's good or bad, but cannot agree that the majority of people there were chasing lap times on Tuesday.

Some one driving faster is not about chasing a lap time but they want to push and get their money worth as much as the next guy at their own level.

Club tracks are certainly not about chasing lap-times to me, invariably because the general pace isn't quick enough anyway, due to the mix of cars and drivers, and traffic makes it difficult to get a full clean lap.... this relies on numbers and etiquette.

I attend other TDO track days for more 'serious' fun and even then... a lap time is used a measure of improvement, rather than a goal in and of itself... it's not the only way to know that you've improved, but it is a data point that you can use to say... I'm doing something right/better.

I wasn't running any timing display on the day so had no idea of my empirical pace during the day... but I alway run a go pro to capture footage of my sessions, and I have headless data logger so that I can look back at my laps when i get home and extend the trackday experience a little further with some analysis in the days after.

For a club day... I like to drive at my pace (which is getting quicker with more seat time) and if i can have a play or little dogfight with a similar minded mate or dance partner thats always fun too. If its not a clear lap, no problem - i'll try to work on a sector or corner at a time and improve my line, braking and pace though that zone until i come upon another car.

People come to track days to enjoy the car and most people want to drive faster than they can legally on the road without risk of conviction, or recrimination... I think that pretending that 'going fast(er) or as fast as you can isn't part of the enjoyment' is disingenuous.

 

[Twinfan]

I guess everyone's view is different. Ideally I'd just like to be able to go "fast enough" and not have to push, push and push! []

I'm thinking track days may not be my thing after all, so I'll see how Oulton Park goes and take it from there.

 

[TDT]

I guess everyone's view is different. Ideally I'd just like to be able to go "fast enough" and not have to push, push and push! []

I'm thinking track days may not be my thing after all, so I'll see how Oulton Park goes and take it from there.

No one is saying that you have to push; you go at the pace you feel comfortable at - for some thats faster, for some thats more relaxed - just like on the road.

As i said in one of the previous posts... faster and 'more relaxed' can co-exist if both are follow the rules/guidance properly and space allows.

 

[Twinfan]

I guess everyone's view is different. Ideally I'd just like to be able to go "fast enough" and not have to push, push and push! []

I'm thinking track days may not be my thing after all, so I'll see how Oulton Park goes and take it from there.

No one is saying that you have to push; you go at the pace you feel comfortable at - for some thats faster, for some thats more relaxed - just like on the road.

As i said in one of the previous posts... faster and 'more relaxed' can co-exist if both are follow the rules/guidance properly and space allows.

Cheers T, but based on Donington this week the part I've bolded didn't exist.

Like I said, I'll see how Oulton Park goes!

 

[geoff lane]

I guess everyone's view is different. Ideally I'd just like to be able to go "fast enough" and not have to push, push and push! []

I'm thinking track days may not be my thing after all, so I'll see how Oulton Park goes and take it from there.

Dave,

Don't make a decision on Donnington last Tuesday, yes try Oulton Park and if possible do a day at Blyton which in my experience is a far more relaxed experience the track is not like Donnington or Oulton which are both lovely undulating circuits (probably my 2 favourites), but Blyton ( an airfield type track) does not generally attract the faster more serious trackday guys. If PCGB manage the numbers then the fast guys and the rest of us can co exist. Tuesday had too many cars with the track full for a lot of the day, I'm not fast as MrD can testify but I found that due to numbers you were either catching someone or someone was catching you, not ideal if your new and finding your way.

Dave stick with it as it is really the only way to get to know your cars ability, these cars are way too good to get safely to anywhere near their limit on the public road. If you have a GT4 it is nice to give it its head every once in a while.

The Mallory Park novice day sounds worth a try, the circuit is short and quite slow but a good place to learn track driving.

I hope you stick it out as this thread has been a good sounding board with a lot of positive contributions (what this site should be about) in no small amount due to your contribution .

I hope a lot of members who have thought about doing track days but not yet ventured forth have read the thread as it does give guidance on where to start, which tracks, tuition etc.

 

[Twinfan]

Thanks for the kind words Geoff, it's very much appreciated. Hopefully we'll get to meet in person at some point!

I'm looking forward to Oulton Park as it's a bucket list thing for me, so I'll certainly be there on track and will enjoy the day no matter what. OliR is currently trying to persuade me to do the R18 Blyton day with him but I can't keep taking days off work unfortunately, much as I'd love to. I'm seeing him for lunch next week so will chat it over with him then I'm sure.

I'm fortunate in that I've done a reasonable amount of varied driving activites over the years so I know how capable the GT4 is , and as I said in my original post I thoroughly enjoyed the day at Donington even if it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I also know I'm not a hazard to anyone else nor the slowest person out there so I'm more than comfortable trying another day or two out to see how I feel about them. It's all good experience!

 

[OliR]

I haven’t booked it yet but I need an excuse to, and you can bet some money I’ll twist your arm about it

I too am running low on annual leave…. Worth it though.

 

[Twinfan]

No annual leave for me buddy - I'll be losing a day's pay! Got a deadline around that time too, unfortunately.

Let's see what happens over lunch []

 

[rob.kellock]

Yellow cars are particularly welcome at the R18 Blyton Park day []

Twinfan, I think you would get a completely different experience there. We only have 24 cars in total on the day and there will typically be no more than 6 cars on track at any given time. There will be a mixture of driver experience to include complete novices there and I will very much be expecting a decent level of track day etiquette as the days I have been on there haveworked so well in the past in that regard. Overtaking will be on the straights (such as they are) and by consent. Focus will be on fun and camaraderie.

I suspect that part of the problem which the Club will ultimately need to address, alongside overall numbers on any given day, is actually down to the developments with the cars themselves. 15 or so years ago, a 996GT3RS was pretty much the headline of the range but you would need a serious skill level to drive one quickly. The performance and electronics of a modern GT car are now in a different league. Club days used to have a real mix of air cooled and transaxle cars alongside modern cars but the performance differential between newer and (some) older cars is ever widening.

 

[Twinfan]

Cheers Rob, like I say I'm mulling it over but thanks again for the extra info. It sounds like it could be a great day.

-Dave

 

[Brian_Innes]

Re Blyton Park, I also attended a PCGB track day there a couple of years back. I concur with the comments made about the camaraderie in the paddock and the relaxed atmosphere. I really enjoyed my day there.

Brian

 

[AlistairF]

The above thread has put me off as I don't like the sound of cars travelling a great speed differences and also with the potential of a complete novice doing the unexpected.

I have been fortunate and have been on a number of Palmersport days and similar. The advantage here being that each session is in the same type of vehicle and closing speeds are down to driver. In the two-seaters you have an instructor (in my case telling me to go faster). It's a great way to get up to speed, experience the higher speeds you reach on a track, slicks and down-force. I would recommend something like this before venturing on a track in your pride and joy rather than 'dodge the GT3' on your first time out.

I also had a session at Thuxton with Tiff Needell, which was a bit of fun, but shows that you can, as a faster car, keep clear of the slower people on experience days without being frustrated or dangerous. I appreciate all tracks are not a wide as Thruxton.

The other factor of course is the number of cars and in the above they are limited greatly. Perhaps proof that you have done at least one of these days may be worth considering, but I for one would rather have a cars/ drivers graded.

 

[MrDemon]

The above thread has put me off as I don't like the sound of cars travelling a great speed differences and also with the potential of a complete novice doing the unexpected.

I have been fortunate and have been on a number of Palmersport days and similar. The advantage here being that each session is in the same type of vehicle and closing speeds are down to driver. In the two-seaters you have an instructor (in my case telling me to go faster). It's a great way to get up to speed, experience the higher speeds you reach on a track, slicks and down-force. I would recommend something like this before venturing on a track in your pride and joy rather than 'dodge the GT3' on your first time out.

it's not dodge the GT3 !! it's all down to drivers levels . Palmer sport days won't teach you anything about tracking your car, it's a corporate fun day out. In fact you might think you can drive you own car as fast as a race car and crash 1st bend when your car on road tyres don;t stick like slicks ! lol ! People are making a big thing of it now. PCGB days are slow days, always have been but imo safer days. If you want to be faster choose other days.

If you want a safe Club day out do PCGB days.

 

[rob.kellock]

Thanks Mr D.

Alistair - there shouldn't be huge speed differentials at Blyton - it doesn't really have a long enough straight. It's also very flat and you can see 1/4 of a lap ahead of you or more at any given moment. I have been several times now and my experiences there have always felt very safe.

Am looking forward to an informal, fun and friendly day there next month. Obviously, I will set the official fastest lap of the day due to a cruel handicap system I have devised which adds 20 seconds to the time of anyone not driving a yellow Carrera T. If anyone else turns up in one, this system may have to be further amended...

Just found out that we are fully booked as of today so huge thanks to everyone who is supporting the event.

 

[Ryan9729]

Well this thread has been an eye opener, I had wrongly assumed that PCGB track days would show more etiquette than the general javelin or equivalent.

90 cars on a track is just greed on the part of the PCGB, the club trackdays aren't particularly cheap and can often be found far cheaper elsewhere, so for the extra money put in you would expect less cars and bit more space to truly enjoy the experience.

I'm quite an experienced track driver and would probably get frustrated at 90 cars in front of me, my wife is a complete novice and this would be daunting for her as it would be for anyone. I was hoping the PCGB would cater for everyone but this seems not the be the case, do we know what if anything is being changed to address this in future?

 

[Twinfan]

Oulton Park in April was much better with what seemed like fewer cars than last October, but I couldn't say if that was a change made to all days this year.

You could speak to the Motorposrt team to see if they can give you any guidance on numbers for future days.

 

[Ryan9729]

That's a good shout, and glad you had a better experience in Oulton (I track I still need to do).

Do we have a contact in the team, perhaps we should point them to this thread so inform everyone.

 

[Twinfan]

I'd suggest droppipng Mandy Sear an email, she's the Motorsport manager.

You can then let us all know what she says []

Mandy Sear - Motorsports Manager Mandy has been a member since 2012 and has worked at the club since 2015. She has held various roles and is now responsible for the planning and running of the Motorsport Division, managing sim racing, trackdays and the exciting Club Championships. Mandy has a passion for cars and all things Motorsport. Email: mandy@porscheclubgb.com

 

[Ryan9729]

I've emailed Mandy and directed her to this thread, I think there are some really good points here and ones that can be learnt from to provide a better experience for all of us.

I'll update when I hear back, or, she may reply directly to this thread.

 

[AndrewCS]

Ryan ...

A PCGB or any other track day will not suit your wife, suggest that you research a circuit / venue that has conducts `tuition` sessions ... whereby there are fewer cars on track and `one` is accompanied by an instructor

EDIT ... alias Carl []