LK Performance's Ultimate Guide to UK Track Days

Wouldn’t it be great to know just what your car’s really capable of? Revving your car to its limits and putting your foot to the floor simply isn’t possible on the UK public roads (at least, not until we get our own Nürburgring), so now and again it’s fun to take your car to a track and satiate your need for virtually unlimited speed.

Naturally the team at LK Performance are regular attendees at track events, so we thought we’d share our ultimate guide to UK track days which you’ll find handy whether you’re an experienced enthusiast, or just an aspiring racer. It includes a comprehensive list of tracks in the UK (and a map to help you locate them), the things you’ll should do and have to prepare for your track day, and other important things to know. Have some advice of your own to offer? Tweet at us using @LKPerformance and we’ll add your tips!

Find Your Nearest Track

From Silverstone to Seighford, we’ve discovered all the circuits and tracks in the UK and Ireland that host track days and race days to which you can take your own vehicle. Some may offer organised car and supercar driving experiences too! To find the one that’s closest to you, check our handy custom-made Google Map – and don’t forget to let us know if we’ve missed one.

Preparing for Your First Track Day

The thought of blasting your car round a circuit is a thrill in itself, but it’s also understandable that you’ll be worried about damaging your pride and joy. That’s why it’s important to be prepared for your track day to ensure your experience is fun and enjoyable, and that you and your car drive away unscathed. Here are a few pieces of advice.

Choose the right track

Not all tracks are created equal, and some are in far better condition than others. The tracks where motor sports competitions take place, such as Silverstone and Donington Park, are kept in tip-top condition whereas others that are not used as often can be a little rougher around the edges. 

If you’re thinking of taking your car to a local track, attend an organised track day as a spectator first to check out the track, facilities and attentiveness of the marshals, as well as the other types of cars that you’ll be sharing the track with. Pay close attention to how the cars seem to handle on the track, and if there are any aspects of the track that you may not feel confident tackling in your own vehicle. 

Look out for track day events targeted at novices

Track days are all about going fast, and if it’s your first time on the track you may become intimidated by more experienced drivers zooming past you at top speed. To allow you to get a feel for track days and become confident handling your car at speeds you haven’t driven at before, look out for track days that are specifically for novice drivers

Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Cadwell Park and Oulton are just some of the circuits that hold novice track days. The accommodations made for novice drivers may include a limit on the number of the cars on the track, friendly experts on hand to offer advice, and sometimes even in-car training to get you off to a flying start.

Consider getting expert tuition

It’s normal to feel a little anxious before your first track day, but if you’d like a helping hand with your confidence you can book a tuition session. There are several companies that offer driver training for race and track day environments, and during these sessions you’ll receive invaluable tuition on how to handle your car at high speeds, on tight turns and generally just get the most out of your track day.

As a bonus, there’s a chance that these tuition sessions could contribute to you having a lower car insurance premium too. This will depend on the type of training and your insurance company’s policies, but it’s good to know!

Check your car is in good health

You’ll be relying upon your car giving you the very best performance on a track day event, so if it has any issues that you’ve been meaning to address, now’s the time to do it. Dodgy brakes or a worn clutch are the last things you’ll need when you’re tearing around a track, and it will only exacerbate any problems that already exist.

Give your car a professional once-over in good time before the event so that your plans aren’t thwarted by last-minute repairs. You should also remember to closely inspect your tyres too.

Bring the correct equipment

Safety is of upmost importance on track days; every aspect is carefully considered to ensure that you and your car go home in one piece, and marshals and medical staff are always on hand should anything go wrong. However, you as a driver have your own responsibilities to make sure that you stay safe too. 

The equipment that you must bring may vary depending on the event and the individual track, but you should always bring an approved helmet: a full-face helmet is preferable, and often a requirement if you have an open-top vehicle. You can hire helmets from most race tracks at a low cost, but it’s preferable to bring your own if you have one so that you can be sure it will fit correctly.

As for clothing, you’ll be fine in jeans and a T-shirt, and comfortable shoes that give you a good feel and control of the pedals. 

Don’t forget your driving licence and insurance

On the day you’ll be required to produce both the paper and card parts of your driving licence. Don’t leave it until the morning of the event to look for them!

As for insurance, you’ll need special track day insurance cover in place in good time before you’ll be allowed to hit the track. You don’t have to go through your existing insurer to get track day car insurance, but you should still shop around for a good deal, and make sure you know exactly what you will and won’t be covered for before you hand over the cash.

Typically, you’ll only be covered for accidental damage to your own vehicle, and not any damage to other drivers’ cars, property or the track itself. You also won’t be covered for mechanical failure of your car. Your track day insurance policy can however include personal accident cover, recovery of broken-down or damaged vehicles, and additional drivers for an extra cost.

Capture the memories of your day

Once you have all the important things in place like safety equipment and insurance, it’s time to think about enjoying the day itself! Dashboard and helmet cameras are a popular choice for track day drivers so you can capture a POV recording of the action for you to watch and re-watch after the day, and impress your family and friends with too, of course. 

You can buy ‘dash cams’ and helmet cameras at fairly inexpensive prices now, so they’re worth picking up if you don’t already own one, or have one to borrow. Just ensure that they’re properly fitted and don’t interfere with your driving, or obscure your view. You might also want to consider changing the position, angle and location of your camera through the day so you can really capture all the views.

So, have you found our guide to track days useful? Will you be planning one for this summer? Tweet at us @LKPerformance to tell us where you’ll be going, and don’t forget to share your track day tips too!