So I've own the car for a few months now. Done 3 track events and spent countless hours working out how to modify the car to perform better. It's still pretty much standard. But what I'm realising is that I still haven't got the bravery to find the cars limits, nor the skills to sort it out if I go beyond those limits. This means I'm not getting everything from the car and that's a real shame. I'm reluctant to throw money at modifying the car till I can really drive the car well in the standard setup. So I wondered is there anywhere that I can book a full days training. I believe lotus and Porsche do days to show you the ability of their cars and how to get the most from them. Skid pans, track time, etc etc. Do Renaultsport do something similar? I've booked tuition on all the trackdays I've done but I could do with more than a few quick laps. Thanks.
some of the trackday organisers do 1/2 a days tuition, look at a few tracks or dates you fancy then contact them and ask, tuition is the best mod, i've done loads of trackdays now and still book it, helped me out a lot.
I know a pro driver that gives full days tuition, he's currently driving in LMP3. I've booked him a few times now and it's transformed my driving. He'll go to any circuit and it works out cheaper than booking tuition at a track. If you're interested I can PM his details to you? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Two big names keep cropping up when I have discussed this subject with race or car mates, one of them has been stated to me several times as the best coach around is Calum Lockie (Goldtrack), I know Calum fairly well but never used him, probably will do at some point because of the nature of the recommendations, stuff like he gets inside your head and unpicks how you're approaching learning tracks etc. Could all be baloney but a couple of really good club racers recommended him to me including a guy I know who won the Porsche Club Championship. The other one is Mike Wilds for various reasons, for one the guy practically lives at race tracks, every time I have been to Silverstone it seems he has been there, last time he was coaching in and testing a properly wild looking RS500 Cossie. Can't be many people out there with more experience than Mike the guy really has done everything.
I should add that a full on tuition session is incredibly intense, I have only done it as a racer chasing time but the two times I did it one was half day and another 1 hr but both like doing quali sessions over and over, analyse, review go out and do it. 5 sessions in one afternoon with that level of focus really took it out of me. Some people like to share a coach and do half a day each. I think that makes a lot of sense.
Yeah a full day of tuition is knackering, I find my concentration starts to suffer in the afternoon so the sessions start to get shorter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Colin Hoad, CAT driver training. He has organised days for groups, one to training, etc etc. Teaches you everything from understanding your car, to understanding yourself and all the bits in between. I learnt a lot in the day I spent with him as part of the 350z owners day at Millbrook. Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
There are a few good good guys out there that offer very good tuition. (I've got a instructors license, but focus on a very limited group of people and I don't so this full time). As said, the best thing is to spend some more time than 30 mins at the beginning of a track day to learn the corners. Tuition for racers (as opposed to track day visitors) should also include some theoretical work, which may sound dull, but is hugely important to understand what's going on with the car in different situations. In terms of lap times and performance on track it is one of the best investments one can make, before spending big bucks on upgrades (which I don't criticise, as I'm too mad spending cash on cars myself). If you book a day or some hours with an instructor, also consider some more time just to sit down and reflect on the learned stuff, and depending on the insurance situation of the instructor maybe also allow him to show a few laps to demonstrate what your car can do.
If there's enough interest I would love to do another group day with CAT. Millbrook itself is an awesome venue, let alone having training there in your own car - double bonus. Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
Nice to see building the driving skills and getting the most out of the car is more beneficial than wasting money on unnecessary mods.
Aero, whatever the `carbon bonnet brigade` have done, let it go. It will eat you up & turn you into a bitter old man (or woman), hell bent on dragging forum members into long protracted arguments about you & your views, which we normally find that its `your way or the highway`.
As opposed to wasting your own time making jibes at people who choose to modify their cars? Chill man, you're going to have a heart attack one of these days.
I have recently done a Car Limits training day & would recommend it. Its quite surprising how far you can push a Megane.
I would be up for this as well, I tried to get on these days with the MLR forum and the GTR forum but I couldn't sign up quick enough each time Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What's the format of these? Which parts of Millbrook do they use? Been there a few times for work, so interested to know what they're like.
We used almost every section. The high speed bowl, 1 mile straight, handling circuit, Alpine circuit, drifting in the lorry car park, not sure if they're the "official" names of the various sections. I've enquired with CAT to see how much it would be and the numbers required to make it work.
Cat Driver Training have already come back with the info. Depending on the course taken, prices range from £400 - £445 per day including lunch. The groups are very small - up to 6 persons. I've done the Performance Driver ‘Track’ Day and would be interested in doing the "Cornering Masterclass". Details here. https://www.dropbox.com/s/uoru7tdqdrdl7ko/2016 Group Driver Training Event Options.pdf?dl=0
Would love to bring the Formula Renault! Unfortunately I don't own it, just got to drive it Will a Cup-S do?
The only other issue to consider with taking the tuition route is no matter how good you can get at circuit driving, if you backing off anyway and not teasing the limits because you are protecting your expensive pride and joy, you never get to achieve those better lap times. The financial risk element of rolling out of the pit lane. How many expensive cars do you see being stroked round a circuit because the owners don't want it rammed into barrier.
It's a fair point, but that's the whole point of getting the tuition. So I can learn how to safely find those limits (mine and the cars) and feel confident taking things to the limits. I suppose you can't teach bravery, but once you have confidence in your car and your own abilities that allows you to work the car hard whilst feeling in control and safe. At least that's what I hope I'll get from it.....
there are no issues, drive to your comfortable limits and enjoy it mate, too much bollox spoken about mods and do this do that, also, do what you like to your car, makes it a hobby and adds to the enjoyment, something some people know nothing about. I'd be up for the CAT day, can never have too much tuition, it works better than google......lol
Of course, being the expert that he is, he should of course know that track days aren't about lap times, but about enjoying yourself. That's whether you're driving at 50% or 99% of what the car is capable of. I may be interested in the CAT day also.
Aerofoil "The only other issue to consider with taking the tuition route is no matter how good you can get at circuit driving, if you backing off anyway and not teasing the limits because you are protecting your expensive pride and joy, you never get to achieve those better lap times. The financial risk element of rolling out of the pit lane. How many expensive cars do you see being stroked round a circuit because the owners don't want it rammed into barrier." The drivers you see pussy footing around are usually the ones who have never had tuition. [QUOTE="VW TT, post: 162608, member: 11540"]It's a fair point, but that's the whole point of getting the tuition. So I can learn how to safely find those limits (mine and the cars) and feel confident taking things to the limits. I suppose you can't teach bravery, but once you have confidence in your car and your own abilities that allows you to work the car hard whilst feeling in control and safe. At least that's what I hope I'll get from it.....[/QUOTE] You're spot on, and that's what you will get from it. Every track day I do (and I've racked up quite a few over the years) I always book tuition if available. Once you have the tuition you'll know what the limit feels like, how to get to the edge of it and if you do overstep, what it feels like and then how to bring it back. I love it when I exceed the limit's of the cars handling - then having the confidence to make the right corrections without panicking. It all adds to the pure joy of driving and is such an exhilarating feeling (or is that relief ;-) ) when you gather it back up and carry on. I took my staff on a Caterham track day with Bookatrack last year at Bedford. I ballsed up and changed down too low a gear while approaching the hairpin at the back straight. The car locked up and spun, fortunately in the right direction for the turn, I powered it around and made a great exit. My passenger (novice driver) commented after how we did an amazing "slide" around the hairpin - I never confessed. Having been in extreme situations before due to the training I was completely unfazed when it happened. Training, the best mod you can spend money on and it is transferable from car to car.
You just need to find the balance that works for you and what you want to achieve. Tuition is good but too much at the expense of actually getting on track(s) to build experience isn't. A whole load of Proving Ground training isn't going to help you build up a knowledge base and in depth understanding of circuits. And ultimately you still have to decide for example, if your going to kill the ESP on a wet track, push the risk and limits in areas that might bite your ass. What you have to loose sometimes is more important. One thing is clear though, getting the most out of yourself and the stock car is more important than just bolting on mods.
