uberf1end

I am after a bit of advice on my first possible trackday.

I am pretty experienced and, I like to think, fairly proficient at driving fast on the road and I have driven some quick cars or all persuasions before but I am under no illusions that this will necessarily make me any good on a track without a lot of practice.
As such, I am thinking of dipping my toe into the world of trackdays at my nearest decent circuit, Castle Combe. Has anyone driven there before and do you reckon it might be a bit quick and/or lacking in run-off for a total track novice? Does it have enough corners to be worthwhile as a learning experience? Anything you can tell me about it would be gratefully received. My next closest option is Rockingham so any comparisons would be good too.

Also, as I am a total novice, will the S hold up OK to what will, no doubt, be quite a tame day compared to some of the hammerings I imagine more experienced owners give their cars?

joper90

Where you live? i live in corsham (very close), but i took my S to one of the nearby airfields first, there are about 4 too choose from:

www.motorsport-events.com

You can even just try half a day for

MarkB

Until very recently Combe was my local circuit. I did my race licence there, and all the testing for my race car, I wouldn't really recommend it for a first track experience. it's a tricky circuit and the runoff is minimal in places. It's also a fast circuit, which means you can be travelling at a fair lick when you go off.
if you do decide to go there, get instruction and use either Bookatrack or Motorsport Events - both are well organised and have good instruction. DO NOT be tempted by some of the cheaper outfits or by the days run by Combe themselves, in my experience they're not well run or policed, and you risk damage to your car caused by poor driving from others.

If you're local to Combe, you could do worse than an airfield day with Motorsport Events who have venues in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, all with plenty of runoff and good instructors. It's a good budget day as well, cheaper than a 'proper' circuit and very well laid out. The venues they use are generally not too harsh on tyres either.

Not sure why you think Rockingham is the next nearest circuit if Combe is your closest - Silverstone is far closer, it's a very wide track with a lot of runoff, personally i find it a bit dull, but for a first timer it's ideal. I can recommend Goldtrack, not necessarily the cheapest, but one of the best organised in the country.

Alternatively there's the halfway house of Bedford Autodrome, a circuit layout with airfield runoff.

Finally, you could do a lot worse than get on the S2ki trackday at Rockingham, look in the events forum for details.

joper90

well there you go, me and Mark said the same thing

chrispayze

Another Advocate of MSE here. They're a cracking bunch, I did the academy day and then a 'track' day, both at Hullavington.

GIXER1

I've done Combe quite a few times (though not in the S2K....yet) and I must admit I probably wouldn't recomend it as a place to go for your first ever track day. Don't get me wrong, it's a really good circuit to drive but there are two or three places that if you get it wrong it will be very wrong. The worst of the three is probably Quarry corner, which in an S2K you'll be approaching at something over 120mph over the top of Avon rise, This is where most people have an "off" because they lose it on the brakes on the way in. Avon rise unsettles the car and you really have to wait for the car to get planted again before braking hard for the corner. Brake to early while the car is still light and your almost sure to find out that the 15 feet of runoff before the tyre wall is not nearly enough.It's also very easy to run out of track if your a little to ambitious on the way out.

There is even less runoff at Tower corner but your not going quite as quickly. The problem at Tower is that you need to leave your turn in very late or once again it's all to easy to find yourself wishing the track was just a little wider and the tyres a lot further away. Camp corner which leads on to the start/finish straight is the third place that can catch out the unwary......again useually on the way out.

MB

Done Combe a couple of times now - see footage in my signature to get an idea.

I wouldn't recommend it for beginners, unless you are sensible and prepared to start quite slowly. It's now my favorite UK track, I really do like it.

The main problem is when its wet, its pretty dangerous for a newbie. In the dry it's a lot less intimidating.

BookaTrack are my favorites

Si2k

I like Combe, a bit easy compared to Donington (my favourite). I was playing with a mates S4 into Quarry, ended up drifting all the way around it. Apparently the crowd were all 'oooooooo'ing when I went around and cheered when I got on the straight Never did get a video of it though

Did Combe alot in my old tuned Rover turbo, was a beast around that track.

Not been on a trackday for ages now though, need another fix!

uberf1end

Thanks guys, having watched a bit of racing there, I suspected it might be a bit too quick for my first go so it is nice to have it confirmed that I am not just being a bit of a coward!

I forgot about Hullavington and Abingdon airfield. I remember checking them out when I had my kit car but I never got round to it.

I must admit, I had discounted Silverstone as it seems a but pricey but you're right, it is closer than Rockingham (I am in Newbury). I think I'd like to have a bit of experience before I spend

MB

I find Donny and Rockingham a little dull by comparisson, although the surface isn't as good as Combe. It's a good enough lenght to keep you interested, and quite technical.