[andycmajor]

I have bought a Puma with the intention to go on track days. This was over a year ago, I spend a lot of time looking at track days, but have yet to take the plunge. I nearly booked myself onto the Donington Park one for this weekend, but it was booked up. Typical.

Do you have any advice for a track day virgin like myself?

[Turby]

My advice is to do an airfield type event first - much less damaging if things go wrong! Also make sure you go with a decent TD company which doesn't tolerate idiot drivers - there are quite a few idiots out there!.

This post has been edited by Turby: 08 May 2008 - 09:19 PM

[danellis]

I nearly booked myself onto the Donington Park one for this weekend, but it was booked up. Typical.

My one and only trackday was at Donnington a few years back - a very well organised day.

It was split into three sections - beginners, intermediate, and experienced. Each group got 20 minutes an hour. As appropriate you even got "I'm a virgin" stickers for your car

[Dogsbody]

I know Castle Combe does a half day / day track day tuition in your own car

I'm tempted as I would like a bit of tuition before doing a track day on it, as It's very local for me.

I've never been out on it, so parade lap on RS day will be a new experience

[lisafrp]

We're off to Keevil (Wiltshire) on Monday which is only £69 for the day with a compulsory minimum donation of £20 to charity at signing on. Still makes it £89 for the day which is pretty good.

Worth doing an airfield first as Turby says, it will give you more confidence, and you should still have a puma if you do end up spinning off!

[Dogsbody]

We're off to Keevil (Wiltshire) on Monday which is only £69 for the day with a compulsory minimum donation of £20 to charity at signing on. Still makes it £89 for the day which is pretty good.

Worth doing an airfield first as Turby says, it will give you more confidence, and you should still have a puma if you do end up spinning off!

A Long straight at Keevil. Williams F1 have tested there before the German Grand Prix.
A mate could hear them from his house and went along to have a look
Heinze Harold Frentzen was there. (long time ago)

You drive within 100 yards of my house, as you go through Beanacre en-route.
I'm at work all day or I would have come and watched.

[pumarv6]

Williams were testing at Kemble in the week.

[happy-kat]

Castle Combe is not run off friendly in my opinion

first thing to do is ensure your Puma is in tip top condition with no mechanical faults and a proper set of tyres

[dzm]

Hi Andy,

Sounds like you are in the exact same situation I was in 18 months ago. I got my old Puma as something fun to drive and to take on trackdays. In the 18 months that I had it I went on four trackdays with it and enjoyed every single one enormously. It may not have lots of power, but it surprises a lot of people in the corners. It's also pretty benign, so it won't do anything dramatic unless you really unsettle it. In the end I had my 1.7 lowered and re-bushed all round, then got some part-worn trackday tyres (<plug>which are now for sale with wheels<end plug>) which made an enormous difference. What model year is your car? If it has the smaller brakes you may want to uprate them. An airfiled is a sensible first track, or try something like Bedford Autodrome, which has all the runoff of an airfield, but the corners and surface of a proper track.
You probably know all this already, but clear all the crap out of the car. Ditch the spare wheel and jack etc. Make sure your tyres are in good nick and the correct pressures (check and equalize them after your first few laps once they're up to temperature). Make sure all your fluids are topped up and take some oil with you. Check your discs and pads. Keep an eye on your mirrors on track and indicate and move over on the straights (usually to the right) to allow faster traffic through. Occasionally you find people won't reciprocate if you're faster in the corners but they've a more powerful car. This can be frustrating, but often the best tactic is to back off for half a lap and find some room on the track. Limit yourself to 10-15mins sessions and do a warm up and cool down lap.
The main advice is to bite the bullet and do it. The first few laps might be intimidating, but once you're up and running you'll wonder why you waited so long.
Get out there!

[happy-kat]

just to add
drive your own laps at your own speed and capability, don't follow the car in front, they may be better than you or have a more competent car, or worse then you and drag you off line.
If it gets to busy in your slot and you can't back off to generate space, take a break
build on what you are learning, don't go out as fast as you can first time, take it slow and build and learn and enjoy

I did a Brands day and a young lad was driving his Dad's brand new Mini Copper, who was also having a ago, and he had only past his test three months before hand, he followed the pace car for one lap and then it peeled off, he carried on the same speed down the straight and didn't brake for Paddock Hill.... he was very lucky it did not end in tears, though they then used a screwdriver to pick the gravel out of their tyres and put it through one!!!! I was sharing the pit garage. Thankfully they were not in the same sessions

[andycmajor]

Thank you all for your help, advice and telling me to just get out there and do it!

Think that the car is in pretty good condition so am definitely going to get myself booked onto a Trackday and see what happens.

The advice about taking your time and building up slowly seems to be sensible and I will junk most of the stuff that has accumulated in my car, should shave quite some time off my lap times!!!

After I have had a go will post what I thought of it all.

Wil also take some oil, check tyre temps etc etc.

Many thanks and hopefully see you out there sometime.

Is there ever a dedicated Puma trackday? Would seem to make a whole lot of sense.
Andy

[PumaVoodoo]

If you've never been on track before, book yourself an instruction session when you book the trackday. Nothing helps you pick up a new track faster.

[happy-kat]

we had one at Mallory Park in 2004 organised by Pumabuild, A few Pumas but numbers were made up with other cars. It is hard to get 10 people let alone a days worth of Pumas to do a track day.
It was a top day though

[andycmajor]

Thanks you lot!

I've only gone and done it.

I am booked on a trackDAY (not an evening like I intended) on Friday 30th May.

Am really looking forward to it.

Before I go I will read through all your helpful advice (again) and then probably ignore it (failed to book at an aerodrome like recommended, decided that Donington Park would make much more sense!), then regret not paying attention to it!

If I ruin my Puma, will never post again!!!!

Well, here goes nothing . . .

[Crystalpuma]

Have fun

[happy-kat]

how fab, Donington

[Fledge]

Have fun, Donnington is kind on tyres if thats possible on a trackday. The tarmac is quite new so its nice and smooth. Like DZM said make sure you have a cool down lap and when you get back to the pits lift the bonnet and let the heat escape. At the last track day my starter motor jammed on because of the heat. I always on the cool down lap stick the heaters on full blast to help with the engine cooling.

[happy-kat]

thanks for that tip

[racepuma52]

When you come back into the paddock i try not to apply the handbrake,because the brakes get so hot they stick on the back,just leave it in gear.BUT NOT IF YOUR ON A HILL .

[R5CPD]

Hope Friday goes well for you. Make sure you get some pics of the day.