Worst Experience ?

[Craig]

What's the worst thing that has happened to you on a track day ? Have you pranged your mum's porker or totalled your prized Ferrari ? Come on; tell us all about your worst experience on a track day!

[touringlegend]

Didn't happen to me but I heard of a local car salesman who wrote off a demonstration Impreza at Knockhill and got the sack. Oops!

[Bluebottle]

Several years ago, a friend took his Dutton Phaeton to the clubs track day. The car was very modified and well over-engineered (for a Dutton..) and boasted a Rover V8 auto with Nitros (track use only) He missed a corner and went headlong into a tyre wall at 90mph. Both occupants walked away, but the car was a wreck. That was almost 10 years ago and the rebuild is still going on....
(I'll post a pic if the mess when I find one)

The worst thing to happen to me was a slipping clutch at a Kit Car day at Castle Combe.

[Warwick]

3 weeks ago (250 superkart) ran on one cylinder for the first race,and I didn't even finish last.

Got it going on 2 for the second race,then ran out of gas on lap 2 while leading,as I forgot to fill it up while trying to sort the problem.

Ran on one and a bit cylinders for the third,started the fourth race running the same pulled into the pits after one lap hopped out of the kart just in time for the steward to turn up with the fire extinguisher and put the fire behind the seat out.

Drove my mates Kart for the fifth (he felt sorry for me)ran off the track and destroyed the front body work, $180aud,I really should have stayed in Bed.

[boyracer]

Have friend who I share a racecar (Datsun 180B {P610}) with. We use it for club events, supersprints, hillclimbs, motorkhanas that sort of thing.
Tuning days never work out, for some reason.
First time, OK it was rushed, trying to get motor run in before sprint. Mechanic took it for several laps, said no problems going fine. Friend took it for 10 laps, still going fine, so the mechanic went away. Friend then went out again, 2 laps this time and the thing starts running on 3 clyinders. We pulled that thing to bits in the pits, carbies, dizzy, the lot couldn't figure it out. Back at the shop started pulling engine down, non-genuine valve had siezed open in head (then spat rocker arm out), only to be pushed shut by the piston. Lucky escpae really as only needed new valve ($20), guide k-lined ($free, thanks mate!) and new head gasket ($175) Still not good for a couple of lads on a budget.

Second time, I was working so friend took it to track himself. 5 Laps, session red flagged. Out again after they dug sports sedan out of sand, 3 laps, back onto 3 cylinders. Checked valves first this time, then carbies, then dizzy, revlimiter. Still confused. Back in the shop closer investigation, and screw holding choke from turning (45mm DCOE webbers) had fallen out, choke had spun so no fuel could get to it.

Funny thing is the car did at least 5 events between track days and has done a couple since, all with no problems what-so-ever.
Track days is jinxed me thinks.

[garcon]

Originally posted by touringlegend
Didn't happen to me but I heard of a local car salesman who wrote off a demonstration Impreza at Knockhill and got the sack. Oops!

I thought that was an urban myth amongst the Scottish contingent of the SIDC (Subaru Impreza Drivers Club) !

I did an Impreza day at Knockhill. Splendid fun. Fried my brakes and melted my tyres. The journey back to Glasgow was interesting.

At the same trackday there were a few modified Skylines, including one rumoured to push 700bhp. It certainly looked quick. That is, until I signalled to let him by down the back straight, he dropped a gear and just as he went by jettisoned a huge plume of white smoke (and most of his engine) all over the track and me

[garcon]

Nothing too terrible has happened to me, but (maybe others can sympathise here)...

WHY oh WHY oh WHY is there always one total at every trackday who thinks he's a god, even though he's just bought his Impreza and hasn't yet realised how much quicker it is than than his old Corsa.

You know the one. He puts himself in the 'pro' group even though it's his first trackday. He goes flat out straight away. Manages to annoy everybody on his out lap, then gets it all horribly wrong and bins his pride and joy straight into the armco...

The cheers are muted, because we all know it'll take an hour to recover what's left of the car, straighten out the barriers and rebuild the tyre wall, AND we know the next day at that track is gonna cost everyone an extra tenner

At least he probably isn't insured

[ISK]

It didn't happen to me, but at a Brands track day a while ago now, one young lad rolled his mum's new BMW 325 drop-head in the gravel trap at paddock. The poor chap had to dig himself a trench in the gravel to get out. I've always wondered if his mum new he was taking it to Brands.

[theracegypsy]

working the complex at Thruxton (by myself) on a rainy cold spring day, sat in car most of time with radio on, and watching the punters make all the usual mistakes with the occassional excursion outside for a spin etc.
End of day had to call on radio for rescue to come and get me, 'cos the battery had gone flat!

Oh for the comforts of modern marshalling.

[Crash Test]

Not really a track day as such, but BMW have an annual day where you rock up to a track and can go to a flail in some of their cars. This one year they held it at an unfinished racetrack. A brand sparkling new one with four big blokes in it, wound upside down in a deep, deep lake... They all got out of it ok, but the car was drowned

[RedRoadster]

Plenty of trackday incidents at Kirkistown (N. Ireland):
Brand new Beemer 3-series coupe smacking the Armco. Owner thought he could just kick out the hefty quarter dent...
CRX going off at Debtors Dip, digging into the turf on 2 wheels. Scarey moment....
New owner of a Ralliart Evo forgetting to turn for the first corner...
Me, having a brain-lapse on Debtors and lifting off mid corner, resulting in a 90+ 360 spin, and trashing a set of tyres in the process