Last year when buying a new car I wanted to buy something that allowed me to have just a bit of fun in it. It also needed to be reasonably sensible on a size and practicality front too. So, I ended up with a 2001 Vauxhall Astra 1.8. I've loved driving it since. It is hardly a 'fast' car, but is quick enough to have a wee bit of fun in. One thing I wanted was a car I could do a track day in without it being too embarrassingly slow.
I've never been on a track day before, and the thought of doing a full day was quite scary. What if I cooked my brakes? What if I stacked it? What if I was a mobile road block and hated it? However, I saw an advert on the Rockingham website for a 'track taster session'. This is basically a half hour on track while everyone on the full day is having a lunch break. It was £30, and so I thought I'd have a crack.
The session was on Saturday, and I was full of trepidation - especially when the road conditions on the M1 made me think I'd taken a wrong turn into a car wash! When I got to Rockingham we had some time on the race simulators before getting a briefing and getting out on track. I was pretty nervous, especially when learning we were on the ISSC circuit which includes Turn 1 of the Rockingham Oval. Sitting in the pit lane before going out the banking loomed up at me - it looked a damn sight more intimidating than it did when I've spectated and marshaled at Rockingham! The guys running the session were friendly however, and gave a thorough briefing, explaining the track and conditions and so, after 3 laps behind a pace car, we were let loose on the circuit.
I'd let the other three cars go ahead of me, still worried was I that I'd just be a mobile chicane to everyone. But I needn't have worried so much. It was pretty nerve-racking at first being on a proper track (especially that banking!), but pretty soon I started to feel more confident and enjoyed feeling the car moving about underneath me instead of feeling threatened by it. I was keeping up with the Porsche in front, which was pretty pleasing. The poor Astra didn't have the grunt in a straight line to really catch up to pass though! Just as well really considering I'd started enjoying it so much that I put the car into a lazy half spin in the Pif Paf corner. The guys from the circuit had told us Rockingham is like ice when damp, and they weren't wrong. I struggled for traction in all the corners, although Pif Paf was the one corner they said we wouldn't struggle on. It's typical of me to then spin the car in it!
The point really of this story though is that soon the value of a shorter (and lower cost) session really came home to me. Shortly after the spin, about 15/20 minutes into our 30 minutes of track time (which included the paced laps) a warning light came on in the car. With only 10 minutes left I didn't really car to stop and come in. I did slow down a little though, not pushing quite as much. If that had happened on a full track day, I think it would have freaked me enough to do very limited running. This is especially true when I rely on the car for getting to work and other things too (the sensible part of my purchasing decision). As it was, I was able to enjoy my session, tested myself on a slippy track, and didn't have to worry about wasting my money for only part of a day - or worry about breaking my car!
All in all, I thought the 'taster' day was great fun, and good value for money. I just wish more circuits did shorter sessions like this. The only other place I've really seen it is at the PPC Magazine 'In the Park' event at Mallory Park, where you can book 15 minute track slots for £20. You have to pay entry to the event too (£15), but its a good day out, where you can enjoy the track displays, the off-track action and have a bit of a blast getting your car out on a racing, without worrying about needing new brakes and tyres (or worse!) afterwards and only £35 lighter (well, £45 if you do the Autotest too, which you really should!). I'll definitely be trying to get along to Mallory Park for PPC's event and getting myself out on track again now I've got a bit of a taste for it! No doubt I'll get along to do another half-hour at Rockingham too. I just wish more circuits offered similar ways of getting on circuit without making it a £100 plus 'all or nothing' choice! I can't think, for example, of a better day out than half an hour out on track at Donington Park followed by lunch and a trip round the museum. Hint hint!
(The light, by the way, went off of its own accord after I stopped for a sandwich on the way home. I think the poor thing just wasn't used to being chucked around!)
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