That being the case, to answer your original question, you are likely to see upwards of 60 riders in a group at any but the smallest UK tracks unless it is stated the day is number restricted. Booking small print may include a reference to group numbers and transferring between groups. Andy
If on the other hand you fancy a trackday run by your grandad you can do a 10 minute session at Castle Combe with only 12 riders on track. Don't get too excited though because if your bike is noisier than a snoring bumble bee you wont pass noise testing.
I’ve done one trackday at castle Combe, shit…. Yeah the euro thing isn’t 3 days, it’s the day either side travelling and the bike drop off etc, plus the fact you have to take two sets of tyres really, that’s where it comes back to the family thing, it’s a full week away, my missus possibly would come with me but what do we do with a 5 year old and a dog for the week during term time, seems a bit off!!!
I did a Rehm's day years ago at Jerez, well I was there with Pacedays but it was a Rehm's event. As you say very well run lots of bling kit and it just works. Racedays had Haslam and McWilliams in attendance, Haslam spun a few laps on my 999R at the time and dragged me around for a few laps. They were both on stock GSXR750's and would have qualified on a GP grid, scary fast. The rolling start race was a nice final day treat, first "race" for me and I think I finished 8th, got home did my ACU and then a few years racing.
Many years ago I was doing 1-2 trackdays a month and things were much much better, probably 40 per group at most tracks, Silverstone probably being the exception. I didn't have a van back then so hiring a van and dropping it off was a faff, plus it was an additional cost. it's been mentioned already about tyres and time off work (I'm self employed), I worked out per TD it was costing me quite a significant amount of cash (trackday cost, tyres, fuel, van hire, van fuel, loss of earnings). So stupidly I decided to start racing, cheap racing - DD initially, tyres were cheaper, less fuel, but bought a van, then did all of the test days, travelled up and down the country to tracks I'd never ridden at, the reality was it wasn't any cheaper just "safer" track time generally in a more understanding/controlled environment. Eventually Mark @NL asked if I'd be interested in instructing, now I'm not by any means the fastest guy out there so I took some convincing, but realistically people that need instruction won't be in the fast group. The big plus was the track-time was free.... All of a sudden my eyes were opened to the riding standards in the novice and inters groups as that was where I was instructing... I witnessed someone skittled about 10 bikes in pit lane, another try and limp his misfiring bike out of pit-lane and cause a huge accident as he entered the track, and trying to help on young guy who thought he was the next Rossi only to watch him completely ignore everything I'd tried to show him and end up in the gravel the first lap of his next session. Those were the bad examples, and I wouldn't want to scare anyone off from doing TD's. This isn't a reflection of NL's trackdays, just some people simply don't have any common sense or understanding of the risk they are taking and to others by their actions. I didn't instruct for long, the track-time was free sure but I was basically riding around slower than I could to help other riders, and when it came back to racing my lap times were being affected. I haven't done a UK track day now for around 10 years mainly as my bike wouldn't pass the noise test, but I doubt I would if I could as it just seems like such a lottery with riding standards, most tracks just throw the red flag out now rather than yellows, probably a safety/insurance thing?? But red flags take a lot longer to clear up, everyone in the pits before marshalls can recover the bike/rider so a lot of lost track time. I'd guess at best 50% of the sessions run smoothly so your 8x20 mins suddenly become 4x20 mins, plus maybe 4x5 mins, that plus additional noise testing, tyres/fuel prices and for me personally losing a days income it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. Saying that I've been doing Euro's for 18 years or thereabouts and it's chalk and cheese, riding is generally better, less people on track, they don't tend to red flag unless they have to, the weather also. Yes it costs more than a UK trackday, but you are getting 3 days on track and a hotel/breakfast for not much more £££. OK, so there's flights, car hire on top and the hassle of dropping off/collection, but I think this upfront cost and having to fork out for possibly 3 rears/2 front in one hit puts off a lot of people and it does generally keep most of the idiots away who simply haven't got that amount of disposable income and holidays/family commitments to consider, maybe I am generalising a little there but on the whole I'd guess a Euro works out cheaper per lap than in the UK because there are simply less if any stoppages. I haven't done a Euro though for 2 years due to Covid and the perceived hassle of travel, but I'm booked for Brno later this year, currently with about 50 people booked and I'm part of a group of 17, so you could argue that we could all be in the same group at this rate.
Very similar thoughts to my own including why I jacked in instructing. Although I’ve now jacked riding in altogether. well said
The general sense I get is that the experienced sensible people are giving up trackdays in the UK in the main. I went out to watch the inters at Donnington and literally all it would take is for one of the No limits guys to be there, make a note of 5-6 bikes and go and have a word, and they would probably get half the red flags. In 20 mins I saw it all, people being lifted at Apex, loads of people irratically 50p piecing just to dab their knee's, I saw wheelies off the hairpin after red flags when bikes ahead are cruising with their arms up. I saw people wide and coming back onto line into the side of others. I also echo the comments about the bikes, some of the sh*t that people were wheeling out of garages, there were zx10's and r1's that sound like they have already dropped the valve before they left pit lane. Ex race bikes most of them.. As I said, I've got donnington booked, and I've got Snett, after that I think I'll have given it a fair crack this year at seeing the state of trackdays in the UK. I may be doing Andalucia in December, so if that's the case and I decide I'm not doing them, I'm going to sell my R1 for hopefully around £10k, pocket £5k to put into a Thruxton, and get a £5k bike and just do 1 Euro day a year. Funnily enough I have a crashed Daytona 675R in my garage currently that I could probably officially obtain for track stuff.
I still don’t get how people pay so much for trackdays, unless you’re BSB pace how do you do a rear tyre in a day, unless the setup is just wrong? Sacrifice 1/10th and buy a slightly harder compound that gives more life? I do 15-20 a year, and note every cost, tyres, petrol, diesel, trackday, food, oil changes, brake pads and the odd hotel. Last year my average day cost was around £325 per day. I’m a decent pace in the advanced group and could do it cheaper if I wanted, only ever buy new tyres (not scrubs) etc, eat at the track cafe not packup etc. Thats across Donny, Cadwell, Snett, Anglesey, Oulton & Silverstone so a big range of entry costs too.
That's about right I think. I rent vans so a tad more for me. I don't know many using new tyres every trackday and unless you're trying to nail a top lap time (which you can almost never do), there's little point IMO.
Got a van. Got a GSXR (sold my 959 for it). Got the MSV £600 for £500 voucher. Get extra 10% off after two days with loyalty stamps. Take sandwiches and flask. Buy tyres in Black Friday deals Maintain bike myself. Ride with respect. Come into pits if it’s getting outside of my comfort zone. Limit my days on expensive track days like Silverstone. One booked this year but in the sale. Don’t see the issue apart from fuel costs (the GSXR likes a drink when “on it”.
I don’t put new tyres on every trackday, I put them on only when I need to!!! Just to be really clear, the reason it was in my cost for each was that I used a lightly used road tyre at snetterton, then it will do maybe a full day at Donnington but I imagine I’ll need one to put on for the road and for snetterton. I’m doing road miles also with my tyres
Tyres have improved, I used the example of 3 rears and 2 fronts from years ago at Jerez and my 999R just ate tyres, no traction or any electronic aids back in those days. I usually run SC's on the Pani, and tend to turn up on a Euro with a part worn tyres that were already on the bike and take 2 rears and 1 front, over the 3 days the I'll get through the remaining tyres, the 2nd rear will get me to the next Euro, or if I spin the bike back into road trim I'll run those tyres on the road. It's the only reason I don't bother with slicks.
I'm afraid we'll be done and gone by then. Hope you have an enjoyable time though, I like the Almeria circuit. Andy
My gixer would eat a rear in a day. New SC1 or part worn SC0. No TC, just rip and grip All my other bikes would do a few days tbh. And fronts I can easily get 3 days abroad from. Whereby, eg Cartagena, 848 would need 1 1/2 tyres but I could get 1 tyre to be ok, the gixer would eat 3 if I let it!
