Trackday - Open pitlane or Groups?

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So I know a lot of you have done trackdays and since the Rover is now back on the road (well virtually :D ) I really want to get a few trackdays booked (as that’s the reason for getting her going again)

So on trackdays.co.uk there are open pitlanes and grouping days. I know open pitlanes gives you total freedom, which you pay a premium for, but I wondered if anyone had done the grouping days? I like the idea of knowing your in a group of an equal level of ability (ish) but fear choosing the wrong group and being lumped with a bunch of numpties. I've done castle combe 4 or 5 times but wouldn't know whether that makes me better than a novice group? Also, does the car you have have a bearing on the group you go in?

I'd assume that open pitlanes will attract every type of driver and car, ala castle combe, so this makes me think this would be better?

Any advice is much appreciated :D
 
Ive only been on open pitlane days but never really found it a problem. Yes there are many faster cars/drivers but then there are plenty of slower ones too.

On the days Ive been on, there have been loads of Porsches, a couple of Astons and a Ferarri as well as the track orientated cars Atoms, Caterhams, Exige/Elise, then there are the stripped out Pugs and your more normal cars etc all going round. Its good fun keeping up round the bends and blasting past on the straights past some Caymans and Boxsters.

I wouldnt worry about it, just go on one and enjoy it.
 
Cheers for the reply, Got my eye on Pembrey circuit for the end of may which is open pitlane and only an hour away. Best get booking :D
 
I went to donny in my Z4 on a group day. It was great fun and I think the organised groups is a good idea. The 30min slots were perfect, it gave you enough time to enjoy the track without getting too cocky and then 30mins for the car to cool down and recover!

I think if I had been in with some of the cars in the other group I would have never had chance to get a good line on the track as I would have been constantly over taken.
 
Big-Mac-Please said:
I went to donny in my Z4 on a group day. It was great fun and I think the organised groups is a good idea. The 30min slots were perfect, it gave you enough time to enjoy the track without getting too cocky and then 30mins for the car to cool down and recover!

I think if I had been in with some of the cars in the other group I would have never had chance to get a good line on the track as I would have been constantly over taken.
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How'd the Z4 get on? Anything need to be replaced afterwards?
 
I have only done ones where there are 3 groups so you get 20mins per hour. Generally I have shared a car with a mate so we have had 20 mins per two hours. I've found this very enjoyable and I would be concerned on open pit lane that I might end up with the "red mist" descending etc etc. From a track time point of view however, I guess it would be better. I think I would prefer it if it was divided in to two 30 minute slots in each hour tho as it does get a bit boring sometimes waiting to go on track again. That said I had a good laugh talking to other drivers and walking round the circuit to find good vantage points to take photos.
 
I've come to prefer open events over grouped since going to my first track day in 1991. I think the merit of grouping is not only to distinguish experience levels but also that it gives a more structured day.

With reference to your Coombe experience you could legitimately class yourself as intermediate there, and perhaps novice elsewhere (?) for the record. :cool:
 
mr tommo said:
How'd the Z4 get on? Anything need to be replaced afterwards?
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The Z was great if a little scary :D I didn't need to replace anything. The tires, brakes, suspension were all fine no problems at all! I kept the traction control on which saved me a few times.

Its great fun and I would definitely recommend it :)
 
I've only ever been on track at Castle Combe, where they have four groups (15 mins each), which is okay but annoying as you wait around for 45 mins a lot :/ Tend to get 6 or 7 runs.

I'd like to go to Bedford on an open pitlane sometime.
 
depends. I 'run what I brung', being a 13 year old MX5, which an open pitlane may just be a little too much for. You need track-focused tyres and are likely to destroy your pads/discs etc. If I had pots of dosh and didn't have to worry about the car, I'd be happy to do open pitlane, but it you can't afford to throw lots at it, I have to say do a session one.
 
I find sessions frustrating. If you have a small niggle with your car which you want to sort you lose part of a session.

I guess that if there's no live snatch, people coming off the track can ruin your session (and possibly the next) too.
 
Seen as it looks like a lot of you here go to Castle Combe track days, and ive just come back from a day of racing there, can you just turn up as a spectator for free and mill about watching people at track days, and if you know anybody, blag a lift? Ive only ever been to a Ferrari owners club track day at Combe where I was a 16 year old wandering about with a hired helmet trying to blag rides off of anyone and everyone :)
 
Skeeter said:
Seen as it looks like a lot of you here go to Castle Combe track days, and ive just come back from a day of racing there, can you just turn up as a spectator for free and mill about watching people at track days, and if you know anybody, blag a lift? Ive only ever been to a Ferrari owners club track day at Combe where I was a 16 year old wandering about with a hired helmet trying to blag rides off of anyone and everyone :)
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I went to a track day at croft today, yes you can go in and just 'mill' about, i took my camera and took pics and had a chat with a few of the owners of cars, i could probably have blagged a passenger ride if i wanted but i had my 2 yr old son with me.

It's something i'd consider, though £195 sounds quite steep, for a full days track racing it's good value i think, and that's open pit.
 
Skeeter said:
Seen as it looks like a lot of you here go to Castle Combe track days, and ive just come back from a day of racing there, can you just turn up as a spectator for free and mill about watching people at track days, and if you know anybody, blag a lift? Ive only ever been to a Ferrari owners club track day at Combe where I was a 16 year old wandering about with a hired helmet trying to blag rides off of anyone and everyone :)
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Yeah the gate is open, so you can go in and watch. You'll need to pay to either drive (someone's car) or be a passenger though.
 
Do you have to pay to be a passenger at Combe? All I can find on the site is that you have to sign some stuff (presumably legal stating Combe arent liable for any injury, etc) but nothing about fees for spectators? I figure seens as I live 10 miles away I might as well pop down and see whats about.
 
Wez, how much was it at Croft? what was it like? Thats my nearest track and I quite fancy taking the Lupo for a session
 
Spie said:
Open pit lane every time. More dosh, less stopages.
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yup exactly. Then you can pace yourself, and not be forced into 30mins on, 30minutes off etc.

id much rather had my 10mins driving hard, 5 minutes to cool and check levels before going into normal 20-30minutes track, 5mins cool down etc etc.

Kitchster_uk said:
depends. I 'run what I brung', being a 13 year old MX5, which an open pitlane may just be a little too much for. You need track-focused tyres and are likely to destroy your pads/discs etc. If I had pots of dosh and didn't have to worry about the car, I'd be happy to do open pitlane, but it you can't afford to throw lots at it, I have to say do a session one.
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why would open pitlane be worse than a SET group session of lets say 30mins?

On a Open pitlane session pace yourself, if you think your car cant do long runs you do short 10min runs with lots of breaks. If you did that on a group session you've wasted 20mins of your time.
 
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