Track Days/Off Road Training

[JamesAllport]

A straw poll, if I may:

How many here have done track days, or spent time on other off road training such as proving grounds?

Did it help your road driving? If so, how?

I've taken formal training at Cobham and Millbrook proving grounds and done track/airfield days at Bruntingthorpe and Llandow.

It helped. It made me smoother and slower on the road.

James

[Roadcraft]

I believe it can help...a little....to learn how a car handles at extremes of tyre grip, body roll, weight shift etcetc..

However, there are negative knock ons...

the tract 'arena' and the road 'arena' are very different....(obviously)...

cambers on the public roads aren't always in your favour..for instance..

Also, the new skills learned on the race track...have a tendancy to 'develop' onto the public roads...and people sometimes find themselves getting into difficulties...without the safety net of a soft run-out or escape lane...

[Jon M]

I've done one airfield day at Elvington which was in September. Had a short (20 min) instruction session with it. I enjoyed it tremendously and will definitely be back for more, but can't honestly say it changed my road driving, the situations were just so different. That's my view after a very limited amount of track experience though, I expect it would improve the general smoothness of my overall drive and hopefully will see that happening once I get round to getting some more time in on the track! Also I'm happy to have a bit of limit-handling experience because I drive a car which is known for catching people out with it's handling characteristics!

[vonhosen]

I regularly do training off the public roads at alternative sites. (Will be about 15 days this month)

It is useful & I couldn't do what I do there on public roads as it's very extreme stuff. A lot of it is unlikely to be required on public roads, but if it ever is, it's practiced regularly & in the data bank to be called on when needed.

[Rick]

I've done track days on bikes and in cars, also been to Milbrook proving ground and am going to Bruntingthorpe this Sunday I found the experienece has helped me appreciate the handling limits of the vehicle and also aided my balancing of the car. It depends what you set out to acheive i think. If you go with the mindset you want to tear about then that is probably what you will acheive. ( Or end up in the kitty litter) If you are going under instruction then it can help you become safer on the road. As usual it really comes down to attitude.

[Nigel]

I've done the odd track day.

I'm not sure if it helped my on road driving, it was fun for the first few laps, then a bit repetative.

I wouldn't mind being taught the exciting stuff, j turns etc, not sure if I'd bother with another track day though, I tend to represent the IAM at the BMWCC ones now, give assessed drives etc.

[AdamW]

I was hoping to do some kind of day, having never experinced one yet.

There is a place not too far from me in York I quite fancy a go at.

Will have to try and get one booked for early next year.

[Roadcraft]

http://driverskills.com/

Great for track days/rally experiences....you name it...they can cater ....

and they have professional and experiences staff from all walks of life as instructors...

Rally drivers, class 1 police..etc etc.

http://www.driverskills.com/aboutus.html

[AdamW]

That's the link I have seen before!

Small world, shame the picture couldn't have been bigger!

[madmoggy]

Im seriously thinking about booking me & Mrs Mog on the driverskills skid pan course just after Christmas. Anyone here done it? Would you recommend it or would I be better off going playing on the stunt driving course?
As for the original question, I did a rally driving day near Loughborough and thoroughly enjoyed it, but couldnt say it improved my road driving as most of the day was spent either sideways or backwards

[crr003]

I’ve just done a day of airfield training (in a car, not a plane!)

It was 180 degrees opposite from the way I normally drive (literally with the number of spins I had)

I had to modify my steering to rotational/cross arms; my braking went from “nice” to threshold everywhere. I was trail braking and steering with the throttle through bends.

It did teach me a lot about the characteristics of my car though and I’m happy with what I learnt.

I know I won’t alter my normal driving style, but it’s nice to have gone a bit further with techniques.