Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2015 / January 2016 | Page 67

MOTORING

ed it...
My car of the day the Fiat 500! I lov

That’s not to say that this is a hobby
exclusively for the rich. In fact, I found
out that anyone with a car can take to the
track, although it’s advised that you get
some tuition in first.

So how does it work?
Anyone over the age of 17 with a full
manual driving licence can attend.
Your road car must have a current MOT
certificate. When you arrive you are placed
in a group according to your driving
ability. Those are the only stipulations.
A track day can cost anything from
£265 for the winter months to £425 in
the summer. You can drive round the
circuit as many times as you like, as
there’s an ‘open pit’ policy which is real
value for money. You must ensure you
are insured, otherwise it could prove
very, very expensive! It’s best to call
your insurance company before you
even consider a track day in your own
car, and there are specialist companies

out there that will cover you for the day.
Don’t forget to get cover for any damage
caused to the track as well, since this
could be mega expensive!

C osting it out
We found a good track day insurer
(insuremytrackday.com). My own car is
an Audi S1 2015 model insured with
my regular insurer (NFU) for £36,000. I
completed the form on insuremytrackday.
com and was quoted the following:
Insured Sum £36,000, Excess £2,900,
Premium for the day £338.50, with a
maximum payout of £33,100. Add this to
the cost of the track fee, say £265.00, an
hour’s tuition in the afternoon £70, ferry
and fuel for the day £100.00, and food
and drink, say £25.00, and the whole day
would cost just under £800. You can add
another driver for an extra £50.00.
You can book track days direct through
Silverstone, and next year’s dates are

24th January, 19th March, 13th June,
20th July, 28th September, and 13th
October. There are also other companies
such as Goldtrack (goldtrack.co.uk) and
RMA (rmatrackdays.co.uk) that hire the
complete track and run additional track
days, so it’s also worth visiting their sites
for more details.
Never driven round a track before?
Don’t worry, Silverstone have experienced
drivers who hold the ARDS (Association
of Racing Drivers Schools) Qualification.
The cost ranges from £55 for 30 minutes
training in the mornings down to £35 for
30 minutes in the afternoon (these slots
are less popular.)
So if you have a few hundred quid
to spare and want a once-in-a-lifetime
experience, then this is probably the best
£800 you could spend. But let me warn
you - it could become seriously addictive!
Martin Potter

www.visitilife.com

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