At Garage126 in Milton Keynes, we offer unique car storage solutions. We act as a bigger garage for many motoring enthusiasts and car collectors. So, if you want to pursue a driving hobby, like taking part in track days, but don’t have the space, we can help.
Some of our clients already regularly participate in track days. So, we’ve grilled them on what you need to know to help you get started.
Getting Started with Track Days
To get started with track days, you don’t need any special licenses or racing experience, just a healthy car and a willingness to learn.
You’ll need a crash helmet and shoes to help you control the pedals well. A securely fixed fire extinguisher is recommended but not mandatory. Make sure you empty the car, including the boot, of all loose objects. They will turn into missiles that may damage the inside of the vehicle or you and could obstruct the pedals.
You should check if your insurance covers you for track days or take out specific insurance. Remember that even if you’re prepared to pay for your damage (or accept the loss of your car), the circuit, the track day organiser or other drivers involved may claim against you.
Choosing the Right Car for Track Days
You only need a healthy car that you enjoy driving to participate in a track day. One of the most famous F1 driver coaches worked with leading F1 drivers using plain, rented saloons like a VW Passat. Legend has it that this ended when the rental company found out. But you read that right: F1 champions worked on their skills in a VW Passat.
To be fast, you first need to be smooth, and you can practice that in ANY car. ‘The need for speed’ starts with smoothness, and that never changes. You will learn more about driving using a basic car or a classic car than you will from over-driving a modern car laden with electronic driving aids.
You don’t need to modify your car for track days, but many people do. Common modifications include more power, more grip, better brakes, adjustable suspension, less weight, and a roll cage. However, if the car is still ‘road legal,’ remember that road legality includes being adequately insured. Therefore, you must declare any modifications to your insurer. Also, be aware that the closer you make your car to a race car, the more unpleasant it will be on the road.
Track Day Costs
Track day entry can cost as little as £100—sometimes even less. But remember that your fuel and oil consumption will increase when you drive your car persistently hard. A TVR Cerbera that usually returns up to 20mpg on the road will drop to single-figure miles-per-gallon on a circuit. One of our clients reports emptying a fuel tank at less than 8mpg each session at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium.
Best UK Track Day Clubs & Organisers
Bedford Autodrome was set up for track days. It’s a great circuit to drive, but not a race circuit. It was designed to have the least chance of hitting any scenery should you lose control of your car. Tuition at Bedford is excellent, and they have a good choice of track experiences using their vehicles and instructors. Bedford is a great place to start if you’ve never been on a circuit.
You should choose track days where cars are similar and of similar value to yours. That way, the driving standards and consideration for one another will be on a level. Price is value; the track days that cost a little more will have fewer cars on track at any one time, and you can expect higher standards of driving and instructors.
Owners and clubs often organise track days worth consideration, but the fun of a track day is comparing your car with other marques. We recommend Goldtrack and RMA Track Days.
Choosing your Track
Bedford Autodrome is hands-down the best place for a beginner, but Silverstone is also a great place to start, and it has the kudos of hosting the British Grand Prix. As a grand prix circuit, its safety provisions are world-class. Silverstone is fast; the gentle slope of the Hangar Straight is one of the quickest parts of any circuit in Britain – remember that a problem at the end caused Michael Schumacher to break a leg and miss six rounds of the 1999 season.
Goodwood is another circuit with serious kudos, but it’s a historic circuit with fewer safety provisions like gravel traps and runoff areas. Part of the excitement and fascination with watching racing at Goodwood Revival is the speed and precision of the professional drivers who slide their cars with millimetre accuracy between the striped grass on either side of the tarmac ribbon. It is a case of ‘don’t try this at home’. Drive a lap of Goodwood, though, and it’s a big tick for your bucket list. And it will only increase your respect for the Revival pilots. After you’ve done your best to navigate Fordwater, you’ll shake your head, wondering how Kenny Brack glides through sideways, in the rain, in millions of pounds worth of Ford GT40.
The Up & Down of a Track
One of our racing customers’ favourites is the circuits ‘that go up and down’.
Silverstone and Goodwood are former RAF air bases, so they are flat.
Oulton Park, Donington and Brands Hatch have hills. Oulton Park is a beautiful circuit, but in his rookie season, our customer found this to be the most daunting race because of the proximity of the scenery. It is exciting! Donington is much more open, and the Craner Curves, downhill, challenge you to carry more speed into them. Fortunately, a vast grass area exists to spin across when ambition exceeds talent.
Finally, Brands Hatch is almost as famous as Silverstone as a former host of the British Grand Prix. The short Indy circuit (1.2 miles) is a natural amphitheatre and is the most frequently available of its layouts. In a fast car, your arms barely have time to rest because the corners and gradients keep you busy while you’ll cover the straights in seconds. The long Grand Prix layout covers 2.4 miles, and the section ‘into the woods’ is spectacular. It’s rarely used for racing, and even more rarely for track days, but for a circuit connoisseur, it’s a must-drive.
Noise limits are an increasingly important factor for all circuits, particularly for the Brands Hatch Grand Prix and Goodwood.
Track Day Etiquette
Track day organisers will always ask first-timers and beginners to identify themselves, and you should do so. Your perception of speed will differ greatly from driving on the road, and listening to the track day organisers is essential. Take advantage of tuition and obey track day rules, particularly regarding passing other cars and allowing cars past. The most important thing to remember is that you are not racing! You must overtake on the left and never overtake in the corners. No, replicating the more questionable moves that notorious F1 and BTCC pilots demonstrate – you’ll receive a black flag, be sent home, and the organiser could ban you from their events.
Common Mistakes & Advice for Beginners
The biggest mistakes of a new track day driver are trying to go too fast too soon and overdriving the corners. Before you can be fast, you have to be smooth. Learn the racing lines and use the whole width of the track. Smooth is not only fast, eventually, but also easier on the car. Inside the car, the driver should always be calm.
Remember that fluid consumption (fuel, lubricants and coolants) increases with track-day driving. Check them frequently. Watch for brake and tyre wear, too. Smoothness will pay dividends, though; brakes and tyres last longer when you’re smooth.
The best way to improve is with tuition and practice. Track driving skills are transferable to the road, and you can consider racing lines within the speed limits between the curb and the white line. Remember: SMOOTHNESS is the objective; save the speed for the track. Track driving can make you a better driver, and remember, if you’re smooth, you’ll extend the life of your brakes and tyres and be a fast and safe pair of hands in a fast car.
Car Storage Solutions for Track Enthusiasts
If space keeps you from starting in this sport, our car storage solutions offer you a bigger garage.
Garage 126 is a great place to keep your track day car because once you’ve entered the track day world, you’ll often receive emails offering ‘last minute’ entries to events, so you’ll want your car accessible at short notice. Garage 126 is in Milton Keynes, less than 25 miles and 40 minutes away from Bedford Autodrome to the east and Silverstone to the west, a nice short drive to warm up and settle into the car before reaching the circuit.
Battery maintenance and vehicle conditioning are essential for cars you don’t use daily. At Garage126, in Milton Keynes, every parking space has a battery charger/conditioner socket, and you can rent or buy CTEK chargers from us.
Track days are a great way to enjoy your car, improve your driving skills, and meet like-minded enthusiasts. If you’re getting started, preparation is key. Choose the right event, respect the rules, and drive within your limits. And if you take your track days seriously, we can help with car storage solutions, so your vehicle is in peak condition for every event. Get in touch HERE.