FAO: Duncs, Walshy Training Day

[Matty]

Duncs am I right in that you did the driver training not long back?
https://www.awdrivertraining.co.uk/even ... 27-09-2024

I'm sure you mentioned it here but can't find the thread. Tempted to book up as not wanting to risk a full trackday in the QV, but would like to have the chance to push it in a safer environment. Not sure how much actual "training" you get?

If anyone else is interested, let me know, would be good to get a few together

[duncs500]

On the 12 car days you'll get a few snippets of training before each activity, and he jumped in with me once on a high speed corner run and gave me some advice too (I think he jumped in with most people at least once, certainly if asked something), but not a lot really.

I had my eye on this day anyway actually, so I'll probably be keen to come along. I haven't used the car much this 'summer' for one reason or another and I found the last one a really enhanced my enjoyment of driving it on the road too.

[Matty]

Nice one - all seems positive, and NW is only a couple hours from me so not top bad. Going to check a few things and will look at getting something booked in along with a nearby hotel.

[Matty]

@duncs500 I'm booked on this, 5 places left if you're still interested.

Key swap for a few laps if you are, yeah?

[duncs500]

Apologies!

Glad you had a good day, would have been awesome to have seen / heard the Alfa flying round... but yeah, Lotus' are perfect in those kind of situations.

Would be good to pull together an ov9 one of these, although TBH if there was a few takers next year we could just sign up early and fill up the SELOC one, I don't think Panda/Walshy would be that bothered.

Mind you, I'm not sure anyone reads this thread because it's FTAO me.

[mik]

Mind you, I'm not sure anyone reads this thread because it's FTAO me.

I certainly don’t.

[Jobbo]

Nor me. Never seen a thing. Nope.

[duncs500]

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duncs500

[Matty]

Would be good to pull together an ov9 one of these, although TBH if there was a few takers next year we could just sign up early and fill up the SELOC one, I don't think Panda/Walshy would be that bothered.

From the coversation at the end, they were very very keen for people to post up elsewhere, pictures, reviews and so forth - apparently they struggle to fill the 12-people events.

However, as 63% of this forum live in Scotland, it's a long journey to visit the Southerners.

[duncs500]

I guess it's one of those where they struggle but ultimately they do generally get the full set.

I think if you love your car and driving it's a magnificent way to both spend a day and also just remind yourself of the behavior of your car on and beyond the absolute limit. I guess a TD also works but you wouldn't be encouraged to get out of shape in the same way.

[mik]

Every so often I still toy with the idea of trying to pull together a PalmerSport day. Have only ever heard good things, but - accepting there is justification - they are very £pricey.

For some I think prohibitively so. For others it’s “yeah, but for the same money I could do xyz in my own car”. Does look like a giggle though.

[Matty]

I think if you love your car and driving it's a magnificent way to both spend a day and also just remind yourself of the behavior of your car on and beyond the absolute limit. I guess a TD also works but you wouldn't be encouraged to get out of shape in the same way.

For me that massive reduction in risk and the lower speeds for these give far more confidence to test the limits. My reticence with taking something like the Giulia on a a track is the cost - TD itself plus insurance, plus (expensive) consumable wear on a hefty car, plus the outside chance of hitting something/someone. With the AW days, you take away much of that but still get to push/find the limits.

When me and the Evora guy changed keys, we both said how it's a pretty unique opportunity to drive another car at the limit with basically no risk. A dealer test drive is limited to busy roads, and I'd have never let him drive it on a regular TD. But there? Knock yourself out, worst you can do is spin it.

[mik]

When me and the Evora guy changed keys, we both said how it's a pretty unique opportunity to drive another car at the limit with basically no risk.

I’d 99.9% agree, but my McWalshyCopy* day was rather unlucky. Michelin pretty much refunded the cost of the tyre, but a new wheel cost me £600.

* for legal reasons I am sure it wasn’t actually a direct copy of Walshy, run by Andy Gordon at East Fortune near Edinburgh - old airfield. The surface was pretty shit in places - which I am sure caused the rapid puncture that lead to the tyre peeling off the rim under load.

[Rich B]

I think if you love your car and driving it's a magnificent way to both spend a day and also just remind yourself of the behavior of your car on and beyond the absolute limit. I guess a TD also works but you wouldn't be encouraged to get out of shape in the same way.

For me that massive reduction in risk and the lower speeds for these give far more confidence to test the limits. My reticence with taking something like the Giulia on a a track is the cost - TD itself plus insurance, plus (expensive) consumable wear on a hefty car, plus the outside chance of hitting something/someone. With the AW days, you take away much of that but still get to push/find the limits.

When me and the Evora guy changed keys, we both said how it's a pretty unique opportunity to drive another car at the limit with basically no risk. A dealer test drive is limited to busy roads, and I'd have never let him drive it on a regular TD. But there? Knock yourself out, worst you can do is spin it.

this sounds brilliant - what is it that reduces the risk and consumable wear compared to a normal track day?

[Matty]

this sounds brilliant - what is it that reduces the risk and consumable wear compared to a normal track day?

You don't get as much time out as you would on a trackday (I did 20 miles all day, some of which was pottering between activities) and when you do, you're not reaching very high speeds but intentially putting you and the car into loss of control situations.

Maybe in hindsight comparing it to a trackday isn't entirely accurate - it's kindof a middleground between a skidpan and a trackday.

I forgot to ask @duncs500 - what was your time on the final longer time trial course? Considering it was wet, Evora400 was quickest (but this wasn't his first visit) with a 1:25. I managed 1:33.

[duncs500]

Annoyingly I can't remember, Panda said he was going to post the times up on SELOC but he never did. I certainly wasn't all that quick but did improve with each run. I'm sure the quickest person was 1:17 or something, but he'd been loads of times.

[duncs500]

Thinking of doing the one on 18th March in case anyone fancies doing it too?

[Matty]

Oh now you want to do it I can't commit unfortunately, but if I can sort a few things nearer the time, I'd be interested in doing one that wasn't in a tsunani.

I noticed the activity days (on his site, not via SELOC) have gone up to 25 people. That seems a lot? You'd be waiting a long time between runs.

[duncs500]

I still probably won't turn up if the weather is miserable! But I do like what I did last year (doing one early in the year), it just helps me dial back into the car after having not used it much over the winter. Plus new breaks, so will be good to properly test them. Do need to get my coolant leak sorted before then somehow though.

Definitely 25 cars would be too many. Might be bearable on the pursuit thing, but when it's one at a time it'd take forever.

[mik]

Definitely 25 cars would be too many.

What was it before? I assume he's not solo with 25 clients?