SPEN555

Last month I joined the SIDC and during 2002 I am hoping to do a track day.

Before I do is there anywhere that does courses using your own car so that I can get a better feel for what the car is capable of and it's limits?

I am not interested in people who have done 10+ track days and thereby deem themselves 'qualified intructors' but qualified instructors who know how to drive and can teach me to get the best out of my car.

Thanks in advance,

Damian.

tonybooth

Damian

There will be qualified instructors at most track days, but if you want to do something first contact Mike at Performance Drivers

www.performancedrivers.co.uk

He runs a course in East Yorkshire or Lincolnshire. People who have done it said it was very good. Not an out and out track driving course but will help.

In your last paragraph I don't really know what you mean. There are some very good drivers at SIDC days who are not ego maniacs. Pete Croney, Mellow Yellow and Craig from NAM. Stef is very good as well, but at the same time slightly mad

Cheers

TONY

SPEN555

Tony,

I don't doubt for a second that all the guys you mention are good drivers.

I am mainly interested in me learning to drive. This requires a properly qualified instructor who knows how to teach people of all abilities.

Basically you can be a very good driver but a poor teacher in which case in my circumstances I would learn very little.

Don't know whether that makes more sense to you.

I'll check out the site you mention.

Thanks,

Damian.

tonybooth

Damain

Paragraph 3 clarifies it. A very valid point.

TONY

BTW I have done the RoSPA & IAM Advanced tests. Don't think about these for track driving

jon hill

check out

www.drivingdevelopment.co.uk

there are a fair few folk here who'd recommend a Don Palmer day

jon

chuckster

There's a course at Thruxton (Ian Taylors? Something like that)
which I've heard is great, advertise in EVO and other car mags and probably on the web.
You can also hire performance driving instructors by the hour/day, so you just book a trackday (with whomever) and book an instructor as well. I'd call Pete Croney and ask him if he can get some names from Rob Mac of guys who offer this service. Rob is an instructor by trade (at the Bedford autodrome I think) so will have great contacts, he is also closely involved with the SIDCS trackdays.
My wife went out with Pete Croney btw and said he was very good (ermmm as a driving coach!) and that his coaching helped her confidence on track no end.
Ta
Chuck

SPEN555

Tony,

I tried the website but it does not recognise it?

Damian.

Plantie

Spen,

Call this number...07968 029655 - This is Pete Jackson.. he is a Prodrive Instructor / Rally driver / Service Manager @ Listers / Ex SWRT cheif mechanic. He will surely be able to. a) Teach you himself (he is a very very good instructor) or b) point you in the wright direction. Other than that call Stef and do PRODRIVE LIVE, this will teach you about YOUR car and what it is capable of.

Tell Pete I sent you and he should help!

SPEN555

Plantie,

Thanks for that. I would like something as close to me as possible, I live in West Yorkshire and really don't want to travel more than a 100 miles.

Damian.

Louise

Why dont you do an Advanced Drivers qualification? It also reduces your insurance so it may be an expensive option, but its probably well worth it

P1 Enthusiast

In my experience with being quoted with over a 100 insurance companies and brokers only the companies who were very uncompetitive anyway valued an advanced driver certificate. Certaintly for a Scooby turbo or P1 in my case it was not valued by any remotely competitive companies.

Good feedback since i want to do the same, gonna check out the Lincolnshire guy i think.

Louise

I think the qualification helps alot if you are under 25. Someone I know got £500 off a caterham insurance when he was 21....Anyway, it also teaches you how to drive, but I think there are less expensive ways of doing that!

SPEN555

Louise,

Ditto what P1 says. The competitive insurance companies won't give a discount on this much the same as having three points on your license nowadays does not effect your premium.

Damian.

tonybooth

Paul Ripley Motorsport used to be in Horsforth, Leeds. However, there is no listing in the phone book for it.

TONY

wacko

So, anyone know of someone in the Herts area or close by for good instruction???

SPEN555

Tony,

That sounds interesting, do you have an address or any other details?

Damian.

tonybooth

Damian

I will have a drive up there tomorrow and see what I can find out.

Cheers

TONY

Adam M

I would definitely give mike peck a call at performance drivers.co.uk.

He is the one who pioneered to removable roll cage for track days.

He is a qualified driving instructor as well as being a police driving instructor and a police accident investigator.

He is also a subaru fanatic and since you dont want to drive over 100 miles he must surely be the best person for you.

rik1471

Corner

Ballies

SPEN555

I've just seen Stephen Emery's thread regarding rallying schools.

Courses are offered with their car a Subaru Impreza for a tarmac course.

They also allow you to take your own car on with an instructor which costs around £170 for a morning session with a one to one instructor between 9.30am and 12.30pm. The afternoon sees you on your own putting to good use what you have learned.

The website is http://www.rally-drive.com/rallydrivefset.htm

I think this looks promising for me, it's close, it's reasonably priced and the website gives the impression that the instructors will be good. I might do both, one with their car and one with mine (separate days of course).

I will also see what tony comes back with on the above thread.

Damian.

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

I did the Rally Drive Impreza course about a year ago. I did a write up in True Grip June 2001.Look for "A date with the Seven Sisters",page 24.It was while I was waiting for my P1,the ex-police instructor was based in Doncaster.Rally Drive are near Gainsborough.

Also did the SIDC skid pan two dayer at Chelmsford Police Driving School.All well worth doing,skid pan should be tried by everyone.Its like sex.Everyone tells you what its like,but till you have done the deed you can not begin to imagine the feeling.

Keep the shiney side up and the greasy side down.

Mark

SPEN555

Flat Eric,

I only joined SIDC in December 2001 so I don't have the edition you mention.

Damian.

tonybooth

Damian

I have just returned from my quest. Not good news I'm afraid.

He moved from Horsforth a couple of years ago and went to work for Brands Hatch Leisure. He has since left there as well. BHL are still forwarding his mail and someone promised to call me back over an hour ago with his forwarding address. I am still waiting.

I was given an address of PO Box 116, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9YE. But this may or may not lead somewhere.

Sorry mate.

TONY

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

Damian

The SIDC shop has loadsa back copies of TG.You need Vol3 Issue2 for the bargain price of £3 all inc.

http://shop.sidc.co.uk

Copy also has a History of Subaru article,and one on the UK 300 WRX,well worth a look.Do I get commission on sales?Free membership for the next ten years?I can email the phone numbers but the full monty will give you a better idea of what you get on the courses.

Mark

tonybooth

Damian

Slightly better news this morning. Lady from Silverstone has just called me with his address. As I believe this may be current I won't post it, but suffice to say it is very darn sarf.

I have e-mailed you the full address.

TONY

nevr

paul ripley operates from Elvington on occassions they may be able to get you in touch.
Im a self employed advanced instructor I also drive a Subaru, contact me if you want details of costs.
As an alternative contact Ride Drive WWW.ridedrive,co.uk
I work for them sometimes they do the advanced training for TVR
Good idea to get some additional training if you want to enjoy the new car

SPEN555

Tony,

Thanks for your efforts Tony. I'm at work at the mo so can't see the e-mail and as he's down south I think I shall go with the Stephen Emery thread as it looks promising.

Damian.

ARRON BIRD

Any time your at a track day if I`m there I`ll show you a trick or two but alas I`m not a certified instructor you understand

tonybooth

Damian

It works OK on my PC.

Tel: 01482 868877
Mobile: 07971 863892

TONY

Edited to add contact numbers.

[Edited by tonybooth - 1/9/2002 12:53:51 PM]

Nigel H

I was thinking along the same lines myself, but more for road driving.

I was going to see if I could check out Paul Ripley (he of Driven and Daily Torygraph fame). Think he may be based in Yorkshire.

Seem to think he'd be more biased towards IAM than track. Will post if I can find a website

Edited to say it should be Paulripley.com, but that appears to be dead. Coppernic produced this link however which looked better

www.oilypages.com/links.asp?page=advanceddriving



[Edited by Nigel H - 1/9/2002 1:38:56 PM]