few questions for any of you lot that race and or have race licences.
My issue is that I am a trackday addict, however there seem to be hardly any of the 'have a go' day type ones on for motorcycles. the ones that ARE on, seem to be poorly, if ever advertised.
Im wondering if Ill get more time if I had a race licence and went to the 'test days' to have track time. How o the test days work? anyone can go? or you need a race licence? have to book it?
I dont have the money to fund going out there and being competitive, I just want to be able to go and get some time and have fun at the track.
ts become tedious paying $80 a day, plus all the travel and relatd expenses, doing a 450km round trip to get there and back, then ending up with only 4 (or 5, if you are REALLY lucky) sessions that each only last 10-12 minutes.
socram,
Nov 7, 6:26am
Test days are not normally run under a permit but run either by the track or independent hirers. This means the safety requirements (all marshals points covered for example) are much less than at a permitted race meeting and as they are effectively private events, no race licence is required. That is also why you are not allowed to 'race' as such.
In that respect, track days and test days are effectively the same, other than if the organising club for the weekend is running cars, then bikes may not have a session on the Friday.
Generally, the days are not advertised but if you are hooked into any group who run them, you should get on their email lists.
tigertim20,
Nov 7, 6:53am
good info, thanks. Im looking at teretonga and levels, as theyre the closest 2 tracks.
Problem I am having is that a lot of clubs are absolutely useless at replying to contacts / emails etc. Bloody frustrating!.
If im not needing a licence, that makes things a tad easier. I will contact the tracks directly and see how that goes
kazbanz,
Nov 7, 7:30pm
tim- I basically agree with what Socram has posted EXCEPT you will need a race licence to do any official practice days. Emphasis though on official. If you check out when the nationals are on this year you will see that there is a free practice day on the wendsday/Thursday before then official practice is the Friday. But nowadays even free practice is fairly well structured so its not unlimited track time. And the Mixed open days arem just that-a mixture of road cars,race car,bikes and sometimes drifters. 15-20 minute sessions for each vehicle "type" So what are your options. ? The first is to move to someplace like Hamilton-then you have Hampton downs track days,taupo track days and Manfeild track days. The second is to cross enter every track day.--So enter two speed groups. yep its an extra $80 but takeing all else into account its a small part of the costs. As an alternative why not run your own track day? I felt exactly the same as you about 12 years ago so started running track days at Taupo track. The guys from motoTT in Taupo copied what I did. That WOULDNT give you track time. But then I tried a couple of lower key events. I rented taupo and in essence split the cost between me and 20 other guys. worked out at about $200 for a full day.
tigertim20,
Nov 7, 9:41pm
thanks KAZ.
I looked into hiring the track myself a year or two ago, but was told that to do that, you needed to have a race licence. Im certainly open to doing that, but how to go about getting a race licence I dont know?
If im doing a private track hire, what are the minimum legal requirements? especially regarding any marshalls, trackside medical people etc?
kazbanz,
Nov 7, 10:29pm
Tim The rules vary from track to track. and the "must have a race licence" is new to me. In fairness I stopped running track days about 6 years ago. 1)getting a race licence.-pretty easy actually. Join a local MNZ affiliated motorcycle club. It doesn't need to be a road race club. They will then give you the form to get a race licence. send the form off with your $120 and you get a race licence. You are required to be familiar with the main rules for road racing but in fairness most of them are common sense. Don't pass unless it can be done safely.Bike must be safe etc. 2)private track hire-It has been a few years but THEN all you needed was to pay your money and accept personal responsibility for your life and everyone else on the track (indemnity form) Nowadays though you may be required to have ambo on site which was around $500 for the day. Marshals were never an issue.
cheapy11,
Nov 7, 10:39pm
TigerTim I am guessing that you are talking about wanting to use a motorbike?
tigertim20,
Nov 8, 1:37am
cheapy - yes motorcycle!
kaz regarding the mashalls not being an issue - you didnt need them? i imagine you were hiring north island tracks, but what sort of cost were you looking at to hire for the day? i imagine i would need to pay at time of booking, then recoup from those you invite along
kazbanz,
Nov 8, 5:29am
Tim-I was paying about $4000 for Taupo full track weekend. but I think the price has gone up. Ambo was $500 ish because I needed an advanced paramedic rather than in essence an ambulance driver. Pukie I understand was cheaper but Its a "blind" track for organisers. For the FULL track days. 4 groups 120 odd bikes I was VERY lucky. I had volly marshalls who worked all day for a feed and a few laps at lunchtime. Fantastic bunch of folks who could see what I was trying to do. For the 20 riders thing No I didn't have marshalls.-You could come and go all day if you wanted too. If two guys wanted a ding dong battle then the rest kinda pulled off track. The disadvantage was that the "addicts" trackdays had zero insurance cover if you binned. The Full kahuna trackdays I was proud to say had insurance cover. To be honest the day the insurance guys came up to me and told me my customers were covered "from now on" (at a trackday) was probably one of my proudest moments. But the Moto TT guys in all honesty came along and were able to do what I did but could/did throw a whole team at it.
tigertim20,
Nov 8, 5:49am
thanks for he info so far Kaz!
I have sent a few emails and whatnot, so Ill wait till I hear back regarding hire requirements, cost and all that. I have another good friend who is keen as well, so we could look at sharing organising and cost outlay.
Neither if us are the fastest guys out there but its a hell of a good time, and we are both keen to find a better way for oursleves and like mined folks
cheapy11,
Nov 8, 6:09am
I'm pretty sure you can come to a test day at Levels without a race licence etc, but as you say you cant run all day alone. The track time you get is determined by the amount of other cars & classes on that day. They normally run saloon cars, single seater, drift, 2K cup and m/bikes all separately, so its a bit hit and miss, plus some days are reserved for cars competing at the meeting that weekend etc The other option is to call the SC Motorcycle club & see what they can suggest
morrisman1,
Nov 8, 6:43am
I suggest you join up with the Southland sports car club, then you can hire the track for very little cost as a non-exclusive hire (most of the time you'd have it to yourself anyway). I don't know what levels do. The southland motorcycle club also run their days at Teretonga
kazbanz,
Nov 8, 9:19am
Cheapy--yep OPEN test days are normally a case of having race licence OR road licence. its only official practice days they restrict
they run buckets out there I think from time to time, as long as they have been adequately nyloned to protect the surface.
far too small of a track for me sadly which is a shame since im only ten minutes from it!
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