Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Anyone on here do car trackdays?

[Ray]

If so what's yer weapon of choice?

I'd be interested to know if on the same track you lap faster in the car or on a bike. If you have done the same track on bike and car please say which make/model of bike & Car.

Ray.

PS the idea is not to pour petrol on the bike versus car flame war!! just curious, to quote Mr W.

[neilkeogh]

Without doubt matey I'd use the family Volvo S80 that would frighten the carp out of all and sundry!!!!!!!!!

[misterpink]

lotus elise at Spa - last year, would scare the pants off me on a bike, but hey thats worth a go. The track is phenomenal, spun the elise 3 times in the day as it was the slowest out there - went with a bunch of porsche and BMW M3's - so had to reeeaaalyy push in the corners. Spinning at the top of eau rouge (about 95mph) was interesting to say the least. If you get the chance Spa is fantastic - you can see why people(racers) rate it so highly.

[Martin Dower]

*ding*

I have a modified Lotus Elise Sport 160 just for track days. It runs cut slicks and 400/500lbs springs on 2-way Racing Dynamics dampers plus race brakes, geo and harnesses. I do a lot of UK and European track days including Spa (7 visits), Nurburgring (5), Zandvoort, Folembray, Croix, Silverstone, Snett, Cadwell, Oulton, Goodwood, Brands, Donny etc...

The only time I have compared performance is at the ring where the car is *much* faster round the corners (by a huge margin) but get murdered on the straights.

I will also be racing a BMW in the UK Kumho series this year. The BMW is 5 seconds slower a lap round Brands (55 secs in the Lotus, 1 min in the BMW).

I would say it would take a fast bike and a good rider who knows the circuit well to lap quicker on a bike than the Lotus.

ps. Misterpink: are you a member of SELOC?

[Felix]

If you look at club racing times for motorbikes around Brands Indy, you'll see that any half decent club racers is under the 55 second mark, even on a 250!

[beancounter]

So - a half decent club racer on a 250 race bike

That would be a fast bike, good rider with a knowledge of the circuit then ?

[Felix]

Not necessarily, depends on your point of reference. If you're doing car track days in a tricked up Lotus, I'd imagine your point of reference is quite advanced.

As Ray said, not looking to spark a bike vs car debate.

[ath748]

But to help you, I did Brands on my very first time at a track day on my 748S, after having only owned the bike for 4 months, and I still managed to get round in 1min 2 secs or so. That was an early session too, before I got to know the circuit. Not trying to show off, just disagree with Martin Dower's last point. S'all.

[ak47]

55 secs dower?????? in your car???
I'd expect better than that.

Either way, most/all trackdays the companies are not insured for people to be timing their laps so this is all guess work i'd imagine.

[ak47]

oh no I get it
1 elephant 2 elephant 3 elephant 4 elephant 5 elephant.........54 elephant 55 elep