Ducati Sporting Club UK - Phil Derbyshire/Tracktime swan song?

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- - Phil Derbyshire/Tracktime swan song? (/showthread.php?t=25211)

iTs sad when anyone leaves a bussiness they have given 13 odd years commitment to,we have done lots of trackdays with Phil (including a week at nagaro) and were always impressed with his no nonsense approach (including "the Briefing"!).
It would not be good to have one trackday company domanant in the market but numbers are dwindling fast!
if you read this Phil ,best of luck for the future.
Butch

Well done Dibble - I wont go as far as to say the replies you mentioned were embaressing, but I was a little disappointed that people on here would belittle someones business, that also happened to be a service to quite a few people on this site.

Even though I had a few issues with Phil on one TD - he took the time to answer all my points and was throughly professional in the way he did it, outside the pressure and confines of a trackday.

Personally, I'm saddened by the loss of yet another TD company and see it as a bad omen for the future of trackdays in the UK.

I'll forward Phil the link to the thread so he can see for himself the replies, if he wishes to - I dont think he'll be too surprised.

Good luck anyway Phil - Cheers, Frank

Quote:

Originally posted by JPM
You have members of The Association of Track Day Operators (ATDO) trying to bring in rulings about insurance (which very nearly closed down the track day business) and to put the records straight "I was the only Bike Track Day Organiser at the first meeting, consequently I was the only Founder Member on the bike side of things. Those that state anything other than this will of course be able to prove me wrong by showing me their name on the minutes.

<cough>Geoff Sturgess of the Motorcycle Folly was also at that meeting and was voted in as the ATDO Secretary the same day</cough>

Quote:

Originally posted by JPM
I have always had to defend the argument of "Who invented Track Days". The fact is that people were hiring race tracks for many years before I came on the scene but I defy anybody to come up with evidence that they invented the terminology.
Fact; I was made redundant at 08.50 hrs on the 18th June 1992 and decided to set up a Track Day business.
Fact; the terms Track Day & Track Time were born that day (if only I'd Copy Written them)
Fact; the first ever official Track Day was at Mallory Park on the 5th November 1992

With all this in mind, I have been advised to write a book about things that have happened so far in my life. The person who advised me to write it, reckons that those who don't like me will buy it to see if they are mentioned and those who do like me will buy it for the memories. ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

<cough>I think you'll find the Motorcycle Folly started the terminology back in the late 1980s</cough>

Still really sorry you are packing up. At least you cared enough to try to make changes whilst many others were sitting back trying to generate as much cash as possible in the shortest period of time.

[Edited on 22-12-2005 by Mike Edwards]

I think it's always sad when someone packs in their own business, especially one which PD has put so much hard time and money. As a track day enthusiast, I did go with TTP depending what day suited work etc.. But I did avoid him, if possible. If there was anyone who liked the sound of his own voice, it was our Phil!

Never mind.

No hard feelings, good luck in your next career.( I suggest a safety officer, cause they really are boring)

T1

sounds like he needed to vent his opinion but he has raised a few good points especially about the claims culture, its the only thing that worries me when on track is that some clown could take out a unnecessary lawsuit against you for his/her error

sad to see another 1 go

Have to agree with you there deej.

I was at Donnington recently and this suited guy came over offering this no-win no-fee crap!!!

I feel strongly about these ideas and it p*sses me off to think someone on a race-track can sue someone elses mistake. Sure there are idiots taking silly risks but they should be banned. If you dont like the consequences don't do it!!!!

As for the other stuff about the track owners it certainly compares to many businesses where there is supply and demand. The suppliers sometimes getting greedy and powerful.

Andy

yep and i dont get why he is complaining about no pits at donington, everyone knew they were being pulled down once the bs boys had been there and finished. i did a trackday the monday after bsb and they were already pulling down the old parc ferme building whilst we were on track

these people in suits that wander around tracks and hospitals,d surgeries etc need to be looked at and registered before they ruin a lot of sports with their silly claims culture. i ride on track because it should be safer than on the road but theres always another idiot on a bike somewhere

Sounds to me like a relevant post to me as obviously DSC members have used Trackdays services, winding up a business is a tough decision and it takes a while to get over it, I know. I wish Phil, his family and former employees well for the future.

Personally I have not been on a track day but it seems to me that if you choose to participate you have to accept that it is with considerable risk to you and others and should be insured accordingly. The organiser surely can be no more liable than the track owners and Im surprised that they are not able to insist that the liability is with the riders alone.

Obviously it cant be as simple as that or people on track days would not be attempting to sue organisers, then again in a world where smokers can sue tobacco companies anything is possible.

"Obviously it cant be as simple as that or people on track days would not be attempting to sue organisers, then again in a world where smokers can sue tobacco companies anything is possible."

that sentence just about sums up how crap the world we live in has become, no doubt it will happen in the uk soon. people who smoke know their going to die earlier from it so have no sympathy from me and no right to sue the company that make the cigarrettes, rant over :mad::mad: