Motorsport Days Summer 2016

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024 R O A D T R A C K R A C E S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
licence and this could contribute to track and test day risks
elsewhere in the world.
As well as sighting laps and briefings, Silverstone will also
take drivers around in a minibus with an instructor on board
so they can get even more of a feel for the track including
braking points, problem areas, safety information and where
to pass.
There was some disagreement on briefings, with one at-
tendee saying they prefer to split the briefings and have the
basics for everyone, before holding back the novices for a
more detailed explanation and to cover extra topics. One track
day organiser disagreed, saying everyone should have a full
briefing as “it’s the more experienced drivers that cause most
problems”.
Instruction is so important when it comes to track day safe-
ty, but there is still an element of pride in most drivers who
think they can do it all on their own. The reality is that having
an instructor on board will help you to go quicker faster, while
maintaining safety standards. One attendee pointed out that
for drivers who want to insure their cars on a track day, it’s
better to have an instructor on board anyway. He says: “Insur-
ance is vastly cheaper if you state that an instructor will be
with you at all times. Usually to the point that an instructor
costs less than the higher insurance rate.” At some events,
instructors will also get separate briefings, which means
everyone is on the same page when directing drivers.
An instructor commented on MSV’s track limits cameras
saying: “We need education for track limits, not a telling off.”
While these cameras do well to deter drivers from pushing
these limits, if there is someone that is consistently being
snapped then perhaps it’s an opportunity to find out why and
educate them on the proper racing line, rather than simply
removing them from the event altogether.
The same instructor said he learnt so much from doing one
day of marshalling that it should be required for all instruc-
tors and drivers. This shows that there is, perhaps, a lack of
education when it comes to the role of a marshal. If drivers
can do some marshalling themselves, then maybe they would
have a better awareness of track limits, what to do following
an accident and how to make things easier for our orange-clad
guardians.
The rest of the world could learn a lot by looking at how the
UK’s track days are run. This roundtable event showed us that
a code of conduct for organisers is very important, as is proper
education in the form of detailed briefings and in-car instruc-
tion. Lists of rules and the time spent learning aren’t designed
to ruin the fun, but instead to help drivers get up to speed
quickly while ensuring that everyone can play nicely together.
We would love to hear your comments on track day
safety both in the UK and abroad. Please send your
thoughts to: