[Pond]

I am looking to book a supercar experience day for the wife for her birthday. She has always fancied ragging a fast car around a track.

Does anyone have any experience of these, ideally at (in order of nearest to me) Donington, Cadwell, Mallory, Bedford Autodrome, Thruxton or Silverstone?

I have heard stories of people doing these and there being too many in the group at any time, so you spend 90% of the day standing around watching other people. I would like as much track time as is possible and don't like standing around.

I think it will need to be a 'proper' car, not an open 'racing car' type thing.

Any suggestions to narrow down the search would be great.

[Danj94]

Just go to Palmer sport and be done with it. It's expensive but you get what you pay for and these guys actually encourage you to go faster and set the best timed laps you can. Not many places will even encourage you to go faster most tell you to slow down or stop downshifting so much in my experience these guys at Palmersport the instructors are in competition with each other to mentor their drivers to the best laps of the day.

https://www.palmersport.com/event-options/full-day

[Nibbles]

Agreed, having done a few different ones, palmer sport is definitely the best. Drive it like you stole it.

[Alscoob]

I've driven the short circuit at Silverstone a good few years back, was OK but not that exciting.

As far as supercar experience days are concerned, wife & I have done two of them, you're correct that you will be standing around for a good part of the day. In fact the two we did you chose either an AM or PM slot so you'll only be there for half a day with some standing around.

1 was with Everyman Racing and they were at some bloody awful circuit in oxfordshire, Prestwold, just a big loop with a couple of wiggles. You had one out lap two full bore laps and an in lap, we drove 4 cars and stood around for a lot and there were loads of folk there.

Can't remember who the other one was with but similar circuit and a lot of standing around, driving time was quite limited.
Always thought that just as you get settled in the seat, it's time to get out again.

It may well have been the low budget level so guess that the more money you spend the better the package and driving time will be.

As an alternative you can take your own car on a track day. Wife did Castle Coombe in her Vectra ST200, lots of laps and a great day with some tuition thrown in by Tim Harvey (shows how long ago that was)

If I had the choice I would do Cadwell or Donnington, both very interesting & technical circuits.

[JD6]

I booked a supercar experience package for my son (13 at the time I think) at the Three Sisters circuit in Wigan. The organisers were 6th Gear Experience and I booked through trackdays.co.uk

It was totally crap - just pottering round a small loop in the paddock at 20mph. A lot of disappointed punters at that place. Even the people supervising the event, who had been hired locally, were very embarrassed.

I obviously tried to get my money back, but trackdays.co.uk were an absolute nightmare to deal with so no chance of them doing that voluntarily. I then disputed it via American Express- that was trickier than expected. From their perspective as we had turned up at the event and taken part, so case closed, even though it was nothing like it was advertised. I had intended to take it to the Financial Ombudsman, but didn’t have time.

So my only advice would be to avoid trackdays.co.uk and 6th Gear Experience.

[Pond]

Thanks guys.
It for my wife's 50th so want it to be good. I am happy to pay good money for good stuff, but I will not be happy paying good money for shite.
From a selfish point of view, as I won't be driving, I don't want to stand around on a windy airfield all day waiting for something to happen.

The Palmersport one looks good and the facility is only an hour and a bit from us. shame they don't have more 'exotic' cars, though.

[KRS_SN]

Originally Posted by Danj94

Just go to Palmer sport and be done with it. It's expensive but you get what you pay for and these guys actually encourage you to go faster and set the best timed laps you can. Not many places will even encourage you to go faster most tell you to slow down or stop downshifting so much in my experience these guys at Palmersport the instructors are in competition with each other to mentor their drivers to the best laps of the day.

https://www.palmersport.com/event-options/full-day

The forum sells me stuff that I never knew I wanted...can't unread that post now..

[flipflop72]

I've got a triple supercar experience coming up at 3 Sisters in Wigan through Car Chase Heroes in a week so I'll let you know what it was like after that.

One thing to note, when booking these days, you really need to be booking many weeks in advance (like 10-12 weeks in advance if possible) or the best cars get booked up very quickly.

[Pentland]

I’ve done a track experience day where you pick 3 or 4 cars then get a few laps around a track.
It was OK to try the cars, I mean how often do you get a go in an Lambo? However, it’s designed for the lowest common denominator so you’ll never get any real speed up. You also get little education due to the short and limited laps.

[gac]

Originally Posted by Pentland

I’ve done a track experience day where you pick 3 or 4 cars then get a few laps around a track.
It was OK to try the cars, I mean how often do you get a go in an Lambo? However, it’s designed for the lowest common denominator so you’ll never get any real speed up. You also get little education due to the short and limited laps.

This definitely describes Prestwold (which is in Leicestershire rather than Oxfordshire, so is probably pretty close for the OP if Donington is their closest real track).

I've had some for Christmas/"sorry you're leaving" gifts over the years, booking the vouchers is a pain because the vouchers have caveats. The track isn't particularly challenging, although I think I have managed to get within a gnat's whisker of three figures. The cars are a little leggy and not well looked after (hence at least two from Prestwold have ended up on Mat Armstrong's salvage rebuild channel). But it suits my cheap and cheerful budget and is realistically the only time I'm going to find myself in a Lambo or GTR.

Is it special enough for your wife's 50th birthday though? Probably not. It's something you buy someone you're not sure about (hence me getting them from work colleagues), and they'll probably have a great time. But lowest common denominator is definitely true.

[Danj94]

Originally Posted by KRS_SN

The forum sells me stuff that I never knew I wanted...can't unread that post now..

You're welcome, get it booked you will not regret it.

If you want an experience where you drive many many laps as fast as you dare then Palmer sport if for you. Dont be put off by these other "track days" where you go in a beaten up old ferrari with the EML on and the guy next to you says keep it in 3rd and 4th only.

Honestly Palmer Sport scared the shit out of me when my instructor told me to keep my foot flat on the bend and trust in the car... the instructor was getting angry at me because I wouldn't just turn the car in i was braking too much and too early.. I am not joking he shouted at me something along the lines of "did you come here to poodle about or do you want to go fast? if you want to go fast start doing what I say"

you think you can drive... this is an eye opening experience.

[TurboWeasel]

Good to hear Palmer Sport are good as I got an experience day with them for my 50th, but haven't booked it yet.

Can I take my missus for company? I note there is a lot of sitting around, lunch, tea break things etc through out the day. Small talk with strangers isn't one of my strong points

I like the look of the M4 race car!

[C320]

Originally Posted by Danj94

You're welcome, get it booked you will not regret it.

Honestly Palmer Sport scared the shit out of me when my instructor told me to keep my foot flat on the bend and trust in the car... the instructor was getting angry at me because I wouldn't just turn the car in i was braking too much and too early.. I am not joking he shouted at me something along the lines of "did you come here to poodle about or do you want to go fast? if you want to go fast start doing what I say"

you think you can drive... this is an eye opening experience.

Pretty similar to my Palmer Sport experience - probably one of the best events I've done like that.

Did a corporate day at Silverstone with a 997 and 360 and whoever ran that was a bit like some of the other experiences here, leave it in 3rd or 4th and just follow that line...

[Danj94]

Yes and the great thing is there is so much smooth run off area you really can push it and the risks are as minimal considering the activity you're doing.

The LM car 2 seater with the instructor is one of the best experiences of my life so far.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by KRS_SN

The forum sells me stuff that I never knew I wanted...can't unread that post now..

It's a utterly fantastic day out and every petrol head should have a full day there, I've been lucky enough to do it 3 times on corporate days and it got better and better.

What the day shows you is just how mundane and boring road cars are compared to race prepped cars and the of course the real race cars you drive there, my e92 M3 felt like a van driving home as did my 911 it's next level stuff.

I like the way you build up during the day ending in the JP-LM and then F3000 single seaters, it's the cornering and braking that blows your mind, sounds daft but if you go and get in the that single seater you will at some point feel like your Jenson Button, my heart was pounding when I was strapped into that thing.

Lewis used to be an instructor there back in the day I believe.

[TouringPleb]

I did a Porsche driving experience at Rockingham in Northants when that was open. Did 6 laps of a small circuit and that was it. Very disappointing and my other half who got it as my gift was disappointed as well.

Also did a Land Rover off road driving course which I got for Mr TP when he had his Freelander years ago. That was a brilliant day. I went along expecting to sit in the cafe while he did his thing. The instructor told me there was a space in the car if I wanted to go along. I was expecting just to sit there but the instructor let me drive as well. We both really enjoyed it.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

I did a Porsche driving experience at Rockingham in Northants when that was open. Did 6 laps of a small circuit and that was it. Very disappointing and my other half who got it as my gift was disappointed as well.

Also did a Land Rover off road driving course which I got for Mr TP when he had his Freelander years ago. That was a brilliant day. I went along expecting to sit in the cafe while he did his thing. The instructor told me there was a space in the car if I wanted to go along. I was expecting just to sit there but the instructor let me drive as well. We both really enjoyed it.

I also did Rockingham back in the day in a Formula Ford.... being in a very low single seater and getting pretty close to the concrete on the banked oval was quite interesting but then a friend was the Finance and Ops Director at the time so pretty sure we got special treatment!

[TodmordenLad]

I can't remember who the organisers were but I did a couple of fast car days as corporate events and bloody loved them! I thought I could drive fast but realised very quickly that I was utterly clueless 😂

[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

I also did Rockingham back in the day in a Formula Ford.... being in a very low single seater and getting pretty close to the concrete on the banked oval was quite interesting but then a friend was the Finance and Ops Director at the time so pretty sure we got special treatment!

I actually went there when I worked for BMW for the E63 6 series launch and had a far, far better day!