Driving & Track Experience Days

June 2008 - Cloverleaf Alfa Track Driving Day (Thruxton)

This was an Alfa track driving day organised by Cloverleaf, with full hospitality and all cars provided!... So, not only did we get to tear around a track, but I didn't have to worry about damaging my own car!

There were two parts to the morning:

• First was testing the handling and dynamics of the cars with a small test course, with wet corner handling, "elk test" and slalom test.  This was done in various cars, with the "safety" systems switched on/off to see the differences.  It was interesting, but not as much fun as the second part!...
• Second was what I had actually gone along for in the first place... The rag a bunch of Alfas around Thruxton's famous track!  This was an absolute scream, and truly enjoyable.

All-in-all, this was a fantastic day out and I would thoroughly recommend it to anybody else... Just be weary of the Alfa-heads!  I went along in the Porsche, and it was strange, and a bit of a lagh, to see it in the car park which was 95% filled with Alfas!

2007 - Porsche 997 Turbo Experience (Thruxton)

Went to Thruxton on a Driving Experience Day... Primarily to drive a Porsche 911 Turbo on the track!...

The session started with a couple of passenger laps with an instructor to show us around the track in a Mazda3 MPS.  Following this, I got to have a go myself, in a Porsche Cayman...

After that was the big one, the Porsche 911 (997) Turbo... Well, what can I say, I was completely blown away by this... The power is just immense - We were restricted on the revs, but this just went to demonstrate the immense Torque that this car has - pull out of corners was superb, and it had the traction to go with it!  Great fun!

Finally, was a few laps in a Formula Renault single seater... This, just like the Formula Ford at Castle Combe, was a truly awesome experience... I Love this single seater lark!

If you ever get the opportunity, I would certainly recommend going on a day like this, whether at Thruxton or any other track.

2005 - Formula Ford Experience (Castle Combe)

My first taste of hands-on motorsport on a full size track came only in 2005, when I got a Driving experience day at Castle Combe, where I got to drive a Ford Focus under instruction and then a Formula Ford.  I rate this as one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever had.  It is this that gave me the final resolve to go out and achieve at least part of my childhood dream to drive cars on track.

Under instruction in a School Ford Focus!

Let loose in a Formula Ford!

Like a true racing driver - waving to the crowd!

...Oh, I nearly forgot to mention... I got Driver of the Day!!