Track day with own car.

[dkbolduk]

Hi, just seeing what people think about taking their daily driver on a track day? I just want to see what my car can do and it seems the best place is on a track. I'm interested to hear peoples opinions, insurance costs and how people have found the experience. I'm new to Porsche ownership and never taken any of my previous cars on a track, so this is all new to me.

 

[McMurray]

I have done several track days, although my car is not my daily driver. Great fun & the best / safest way to explore your car & your own abilities. If you take the option of tuition your abilities will improve, helping you to understand your cars handling & making you a safer driver at the same time.
Just because you are on a track doesn’t mean you need to drive the car to its absolute maximum limit, the great thing about Porsche track days is that you drive at the pace you are comfortable with.
The one thing that has become synonymous about 911’s is there ability to be driven hard on the track & then be driven home or used as the daily driver with no ill effects on the cars, due to the robust engineering used to create them.
My suggestion get out there on track & enjoy the real performance part of the car you are missing out on.

Steve

 

[fireblade]

Go for it!
Take it easy at first, allow the car and yourself to warm up and if possible get tuition or get someone who knows the track to accompany you for a couple of laps.

Great fun and you will learn a lot about yourself. As the above comment you can drive there, put it on the track, drive back and if you are in France pick up lots of cheap goodies from the supermarkets.

The Porsche is a fantastic all rounder, all the above plus fast comfortable continental touring and daily drive.

 

[dkbolduk]

Thanks for the comments, some really useful advice and they really are making me think I should get out there and have a go. I think one of the concerns I have is over revving the engine. I watched you tube video that said the car can be checked for this by a dealer. I don’t want to do this for the reasons of looking after the car and also for reselling it. Mine is a PDK gearbox and therefore I’m under the impression the software won’t let this happen unless the highly unlikely event of me downshifting whilst going down hill occurs. I‘m also generally interested in how things work as I‘m new to the 911 world.

 

[fireblade]

Don't worry about over revving on PDK. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but even in manual the car will not change down unless safe parameters are met. Not sure in manual if it will also hold on to a gear until it over revving though.

Certainly for your first few runs jut leave the car in auto and this will be safe up and down plus you will get an idea where the car itself wants to change which in Sport Plus will be at optimum. Even in auto you will be able to change down manually if necessary without exceeding limits.
Have fun

 

[salisbees]

Agree the above with the addition that it may help you understand track driving by doing a full day course at your closest track. It gives confidence and breaks you in gently, as does taking instruction on the day. We are never too old to learn!! As for insurance, that is up to you. It is expensive unless it is included with your road policy, it gives confidence in case of misfortune but is not a requirement. If you drive within your ability and be fully aware of other cars on track, you should be alright and Porsche days are the safest days around.

 

[jungle650]

As others have said the Porsche owners club track days are a great place to start. Friendly people and generally no plums as everyone has serious skin in the game. I enjoyed the one that I attended this year and hope to do more in the future. Well worth paying extra for an instructor for 15-20mins to get your eye in on the specific track. You can then explore your abilities and the cars limits within a relatively safe environment. Take a passenger with you and they can also help you with traffic if you are not confident. Each circuit is different however so its worth noting what is your local one and if that suits your needs. Some have more run off areas than others ! . Generally there are limits to the number of cars on circuit and when you can and more importantly cant over take.


if you are new to both Porsche and track days another alternative is to go on the Porsche Silverstone experience in your own car. Cost is about £300 to use your own car vs circa £500 to use a Porsche UK car. The main benefit is that you will have an instructor with you for the entire morning / afternoon rather than just 10 mins and you can explore various handling characteristics and see how YOUR car reacts. Instructors will ask what you want to do, so its a great opportunity to make full use of their time and experience, and effectively tailor the event to your wants and desire.. Its very reassuring and a great way to feel the cars limits on items like the skid pan, low friction circuit and high speed handling. It will give you a lot of confidence in the car which you can take with you to another track day and have a better understanding for your cars unique dynamics when on the road and in different weather conditions. In my opinion if you are a total newbie its money well spent. No insurance needed on the Porsche Silverstone experience ( its on their own circuits -not the Silverstone racing circuit ) so unless you ignore the instructor sitting next to you and drive like a tool you wont have any issues. I have now done it twice and enjoyed it immensely both times. I am always amazed at the traction these cars have, as long as you are patient on the throttle, and how you benefit from weight transfer techniques. Wear and tear on your car is minimal.

Most people don't bother with insurance for track days, especially the official Porsche club ones. Some insurance companies will allow track days as part of the normal cover if properly organised (like Porsche Club ones) but I have found they are generally 2-3 times higher than the normal insurance routes. This will of course depend on the car, your age, valuation and of course location etc. However it depends how many track days you think you might do in a year. The more you do the more you get your moneys worth and they come into their own.

You can get separate track day insurance but its not cheap. It however is all relative if things go wrong.... Companies like Morris, Insuremytrackday, Towergate and CompetitionCars all offer policies for track days. To give you an idea
on cost, I was quoted circa £400 for a single event on a £65-70k car. It does give you peace of mind and is obviously invaluable should the worse happen. But do look at the small print on what is covered, especially labour charges etc.

Insurance does takes the risk away, no matter how small the chance things might go wrong.

Enjoy your new car and make the most of it!

All the best
Jungle

 

[Motorhead]

Danny,

I have to agree with everything that's been said and also to say that it's the only time that I really enjoy driving my Cayman, free from speed limits, cameras and congested roads; an opportunity to drive the car as it's meant to be driven, but in a safe environment. You'll learn a lot about your car ... and especially your driving limitations..!

If you're looking for a good way into track-days in a Porsche environment, I can heartily recommend the annual Blyton track day organised by Region 4 (note that it's not on the Track Day list at the moment). Apart from being cheaper than the other Porsche track days, in the morning sessions you're put into one of three groups depending upon your experience, so as a novice you're not on-track with more experienced drivers. As an additional bonus, instructors are available free for the whole day, whereas you'll have to pay for tuition at the other track-days. As a novice you'll automatically have an instructor with you until they are happy that you're confident to drive alone.

If you find that you've got the bug then when it comes to insurance renewal you may want to take a look at more specialised brokers who offer track-day cover. The Club's own partner, Locktons, is one, but ManningUK and my own insurer ClassicLine - whom I can recommend - are examples, but I'm sure that there are others.

Do have a go ... I'm sure that you won't regret it.

Jeff

 

[Dylan1]

Personally I would look at a CAT driver training event first
its brilliant as the guys explain a lot about how your car behaves etc
highly recommended by those of us who’ve done it

 

[dkbolduk]

Thanks everyone for some really helpful advice. I have decided that I am going to go on a track day and see how I enjoy it, I'm sure I will. As McMurray said, just because it is a track day I don't need to drive the car to its limits ( I was forgetting this really). I'd be happy just driving at a quicker pace than I seem to be able to do on the roads near me. I also quite like the idea of the Porsche Experience centre with my own car. I have been before but I think I'll get more out of it in my own car being now familiar with the 911. I live near Manchester so I'm looking to go on the Angelsey race day and Oulton park is pretty near and I know they have race days. Insurance wise, I'll probably get some quotes but any organised club events or beginner track days with an instructor I'll perhaps leave it or make the decision nearer the time.

 

[McMurray]

I’m glad to hear that you’re up for trying a track day. The tracks I’ve been on with my 911’s have been Knockhill (numerous times as it’s my local) Croft & Oulton. Each have a different feel to them. My favourite so far would be Oulton Park, but I would also say it’s the most challenging as there is lot going on between double radius bends, blind apex’s and elevation changes. I would definitely get tuition there, I can’t comment on Anglesey as I have still to go there someone else will be better placed to comment.
Either way whichever track you choose, they will put you out in the morning in groups based on experience, so if you put yourself self down as a novice & get your instructor booked for early in the day you will be absolutely fine. For instance for my first trip to Oulton I went with the intermediate group in my GT3 as I felt more comfortable in a slighty less pacey group whilst trying to learn the circuit.


By virtue of it being called a track day, you have all day to enjoy your experience. If you are feeling nervous pick a quieter time to go out you will find at the start of the day it can be quite busy but later on the circuit can be a get a lot quieter & you can get out and enjoy yourself without being intimidated by the faster cars and drivers.

hope this helps

Steve

 

[mphillips]

You’ll love it! Not only will you learn about the car, you’ll learn about yourself. If you want to do some really good preparation, the two day course with Porsche Experience at Silverstone is a great introduction. They build you up over the PEC tracks on day one, then onto the main Silverstone circuit on day two. As somebody has already mentioned, CAT driver training at Millbrook is the ultimate training in my own experience (search the forum and you’ll find my write up from a couple of years ago). For a first circuit Oulton or Angelsey will be great, because they’re fun circuits. Big circuits designed for F1 cars, like Silverstone, can feel a bit bland for a mere sports car as they’re so big and wide (you’ll immediately think of the positives to that though—lots of run off!) It’s a pity the club doesn’t go to Cadwell, as that’s the most fun circuit I’ve done in the 911.


As everyone says, just make sure you get some tuition for the first session if you go straight to a club event, because if there’s one thing you’ll come to realise very quickly, it’s that the car is so much more capable than we everyday drivers are!

 

[DandyDon]

Porsche Post included a pull-out called Track 9 which as the title says gives information about track days including 3 pages of do’s and dont’s for tracking your car. I don’t have an exact date for the Porsche Post bit I think it was around March or April 2019. I’m sure the Club would have back copies.

 

[mclark]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have now taken the plunge, and booked the Anglesey track day.
I would like to get some track insurance, any suggestions for one day cover?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Steve Lyle]

If you get on OK with track days then you may like to consider having a go at hillclimbs and sprints in the future. There are various pros & cons between track days and actual competition so here are a few for you to consider:
Track day Pros - build up gradually, go at your own speed, no special equipment required
Track day Cons - can be hard on tyres & brakes, can get involved with other driver's mishaps, expensive
Competition Pros - hugely satisfying as you build up your skills levels, can quantify improvement year on year & event by event against others, great camaraderie, only essential requirement is to mark on/off on ignition switch, cheaper (typically £100 to £150 per day), any accident can only be your fault!
Competition Cons - initial outlay for for minimum requirements (licence, helmet, overalls and gloves) c £500, only 5 to 10 minutes actual driving time per event (but this will be guaranteed to give more of an Adrenalin buzz than an hour going round and round on a track day).

I don't know where you are in the UK but if you are within reach of the Midlands then have a look at these two web sites for more details: http://www.speedchampionship.org.uk/latest-news/2020-provisional-regulations/ or http://www.cmscc.co.uk/

Enjoy whatever you decide to do!

Steve

 

[mclark]

Interesting post on PistonHeads, a member suggests that if you have a track day accident, and have an annual policy with track day cover that would then affect your road going policy going forwards.

They suggest Morris insurance, does anyone have experience of them?

It seems a shame that the club doesn’t have a go to insurance company for their organised events.

Thanks

 

[mphillips]

There is another option … don't bother with insurance.