New Services: Track Driving Instruction & Car Setup

[AdamR]

Apologies in advance - this is a very long post! However, I always like to 'sell' something by offering the customer all the information they could ever need, in order for them to make a fully informed decision about what they could potentially purchase.
 
I'll split the post up into a few sections, and list headings below:
 
1. What am I offering?
2. Who am I?
3. What experience do I have?
4. Driving Instruction
5. Car Setup
6. Feedback from previous customers
 
 
1. What am I offering?
 
A full 'package' tailored towards getting the most out of your car. This can take the form of a full chassis appraisal calculating spring rates, anti roll bar rates, camber and bump steer curves, setting up your car to match (wheel alignment and corner weighting) and then offering driving tuition to help you get the best out of it. I'm happy to do all of this or just bits of it - whatever you wish!
 
 
2. Who am I?
 
I am someone who has the incurable "petrolhead disease" as of around 5 years ago, and since then haven't been able to stop devoting far too much of my time to working on and learning about all aspects of car preparation and driving. The mountain bike business I currently run started in the same way - a fascination with a hobby that got out of hand It started from a bedroom and has now been running nearly 11 years, finally getting to the point where I have a great team of staff who can run it while I am away. So, I have - over the past year or so - been making steps towards branching out into a new venture in the world of cars.
 
Based near Preston in Lancashire, I have recently devoted around 1000sqft of my current business premises to car setup, and using my own track day / race / sprint vehicles and local Westfield & MX-5 owners as 'guinea pigs' I've managed to come up with some kit I am very happy with for reasonable money (under £2000). It is slightly on the 'oldskool' side - setups usually take longer than other operations which have the latest and greatest kit - but it is accurate, repeatable and gives good results. I believe that having a passionate operator and less advanced kit often gives results better than or equal to the best equipment being used in a less careful way.
 

 
 
3. What experience do I have?
 
My first track experience was a 'Race Master' at Oulton Park around 5 years ago, and today I was down there sitting in the other seat instructing! Within that time I've attended countless track days, obtained a race license, completed almost 3 seasons of MX-5 Racing, a WSCC sprint event, then passed the assessment to become an Association of Racing Driver Schools (ARDS) qualified instructor and now work regularly at Oulton Park for MotorSport Vision (MSV).
 
 
Racing:

The MX-5 series I competed in initially (BARC's MaX5) was very much a 'club' series with all privateer entries, so I was able to compete fairly well and ended up with 20 class podiums from 33 starts. Mid-way through the 2014 season while leading the series I had a bit of a bump - this put me out of contention for the championship, but the car I built from scratch in 5 weeks (while working full time!) went on to win its next 4 consecutive races:
 

 

 
In 2015 I switched to a more 'competitive' series which has multiple professional teams and larger grids (about 30 cars on average), but still managed to hover around the top 10, with a best qualifying performance of 7th out of 29. Ultimately it became clear that this wasn't really 'club' racing and to be competitive you needed a big budget, so I will be looking at a different form of racing next season. Still, lots of lessons learned!
 

 
 
Sprinting:
 
I have taken part in one WSCC Sprint Event, at Blyton Park in April. It was my first sprint event and I rocked up in a car that got used regularly on the road, but somehow managed to beat some 'unlimited' cars (slicks, paddle shift, etc) and was only pipped to FTD (Fastest Time of the Day) by John Hoyle's beast which has ~30bhp more and weights around 80kg less than my Westy.
 


(Thanks to MarcusB for the photo!)
 
This was a very satisfying day for me, as it was the culmination of a few years worth of driver and car development and confirmed I had been working in the right direction! I had calculated camber curves and developed the geometry from these, calculated spring rates, anti roll bar rates and manufactured these also - it had been a long journey. It becomes even more satisfying looking at the latest Speed Series results, where it looks like John will win the overall championship this year. Couldn't have lost out to a better bloke too
 

 
 
I also have been working with Dave Cleaver - last season's Class F champion & 2nd Overall in the Speed Series - for the last couple of years, developing his car setup to the point where he now competes with and regularly beats cars which have up to 100bhp more! Of course, Dave's driving certainly goes a long way to providing said results, but we both feel that having a car he can drive confidently and consistently on the limit of adhesion has been very beneficial.
 
 
For fun:
 
To tax my engineering brain further, earlier this year I also decided to undertake a project to show you don't need to spend a lot of money to have fun and go quickly on track. The brief was simple: Build an MX-5 for under £1000 that was faster than my race car. It succeeded by around 3 seconds a lap around Cadwell Park, despite being almost 25bhp down. In the video it has around 105-110bhp, so you really have to keep your momentum up!
 

 
 
Instruction:
 
I provided the instruction at WSCC's Blyton Track Day in July, where feedback was - so I'm told - extremely positive. Working regularly for MSV at Oulton Park also has allowed me to meet and help out a wide range of customers with varying driving styles. Everyone has their own preferences and subtleties in the way they like to do things - this has reinforced my belief that there is no set method, but with some guidance and coaching based around common theories / techniques there can be a massive improvement made.
 
 

4. Driving Instruction
 
I guess 'instruction' is a bit of a loose term, as what I am offering is intended to be more than that. In addition to 'regular' tuition, I will also be there to muck in on the day (changing wheels, adjusting stuff / advising with car handling, checking tyre pressures / temperatures, etc) and will be in contact with you beforehand to have a chat.
 
This contact could take the form of anything from answering 'newbie' questions about how a track day runs to discussing driving techniques / previous videos in detail and working out which areas we will work on while at the circuit.
 
Once we're at the track, basically I'm your mate for the day who will try and help you become a faster and safer driver, too! I am happy to instruct at any level you need - from complete beginner to seasoned track day attendee. I do appreciate my skills are surpassed by others who have been in the business many years though, in which case I'd probably politely decline your request and get you to speak to someone more experienced!
 
 
I am happy to instruct in any car in any weather conditions - in fact I think you can learn the most in the wet, but I understand it can be a little daunting - however, as you will see from the above my preference is lightweight, rear wheel drive sports cars. Even in the pouring rain
 

 

 
 
So - costs (these are not plus VAT). My weekday rate is £100 for one driver, or you can share me with a mate for £140 (lots of mental juggling required for two people!), payable on the morning before the day starts. There are a few additions for travel etc. as follows:
 
- Weekends / Bank Holidays: Extra £20 per day (sorry, but my weekends are precious!).
 
- Travel from Chorley, PR6 (approx 20p per mile). In total, this works out at:

• Oulton Park: £20
• Anglesey: £50
• Croft: £45
• Donington Park: £40
• Cadwell Park: £55
• Blyton Park: £45
• Other circuits: Please ask for details. All of the above are do-able in a day but the rest are a bit far for that!

So, a full day during the week for two people at Donington would be £90 each, for example (£140 day rate for two people, no weekend charge, plus £40 for travel = £180 total).
 
- I ask that you book me on as a passenger (or extra driver if you would like - I am happy to drive your car on a 'bend it, mend it' basis if you trust me!). Costs vary depending on the organiser, but many are chucking these in as freebies now
 
- I can also add video analysis or datalogging (carried out afterwards by phone / email) - however these are additional costs as they are quite time-hungry. I certainly don't recommend them for the average track-dayer as they are pretty in-depth, but please contact me if you would like details of this.
 
 
5. Car Setup
 
I wasn't too sure about offering this as there are other specialists in the reasonably local area, such as BLiNK Motorsport, who do a cracking job already and I don't want to tread on any toes, but previous customers have urged me to do so as they believe the whole 'package' (setup and instruction) is what makes everything gel together and they become much more than the 'sum of the parts' when combined.
 
Throughout the past couple of years I have been developing my kit for personal use and now, more recently, to allow me to set up other people's cars accurately, with good repeatability and relatively quickly. The equipment I have devised / collated consists of some custom designed and manufactured setup platforms which are calibrated to within 1mm flatness over the footprint of the car (very important), laser tracking gauge, laser thrust gauge, digital camber gauge and a set of Intercomp Corner Weight Scales. This allows full four wheel alignment to be carried out and my experience with Westfields (and other vehicles) allows me to advise on settings to make the car behave in a way that suits how you use it. I fully understand that these cars are as diverse as their owners, so there is certainly not a 'one size fits all' setting!
 

 
A full alignment (tyre pressures, front and rear cambers, front and rear toe, tracking, thrust angle, ride height, damper adjustment & anti roll bar adjustment if applicable) takes around three to four hours and I do enjoy having the car's owner present while I carry it out. There are two reasons for this: I can explain exactly what I am doing and why I am doing it, the pros and cons of each adjustment and what they will do the behaviour of the car, so hopefully you leave with a much better understanding of your vehicle afterwards. Secondly, having your pride and joy worked on 'behind closed doors' is something I dread, and I am sure most owners feel the same! I will always treat your car with the respect it deserves and never do anything to it that I wouldn't do to my own. Copper grease, three grades of threadlock and all four of my torque wrenches are always on hand
 
If you are unable to or prefer not to hang around at my place (in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, PR5) while the work is completed that is absolutely fine too - my premises are pretty sparse in terms of hospitality (a brew and a chair is about all you can expect, sorry!), but hopefully the explanations will make up for it!
 
Corner weighting can be carried out and will also be explained as I do it - it's not the black art that many make out, and some of the outrageous claims I see online certainly aren't made. It simply allows the car to have the same handling characteristics (understeer or oversteer) in left and right turns*, so unless you are regularly pushing the limits of grip on a competition or track day car, I don't think it is worth doing. If you're already having the geo done, I am happy to connect up the scales to give you a weight figure for your car if you like - it's interesting to find out and there's no charge for this
 
*Or not, if you prefer! It can be a handy tuning tool at times, happy to explain if your car is on my scales...
 
 
Prices for the above (also not plus VAT):
 
Setup work: £20 starting cost plus £20 per hour. So a full alignment will usually be around £80-100 (three to four hours). If your car is already in fine fettle and you just want a tweak it will be more like £40-60 (an hour, or two at the absolute maximum).
 
Corner Weighting: Charged by time if you are already having geometry work carried out - it takes approximately half an hour. If you would only like corner weighting, it's £40 - this is to help cover the cost of the equipment and also the time in setting up / packing away.
 
Here is a display of what sort of readings you get from corner weighting - of course, this is all explained fully at the time if you wish.
 

 
 
 
6. Feedback from previous customers
 
Having done a few bits of work for local area members, a few guys were kind enough to send some feedback:
 
 
Steve, Orange Zetec:
 
"Again I would like to thank you not just for setting my car up but for the evening, everybody who turned up found it informative and interesting and you did a cracking job of explaining during the set up, I have had a lot of feedback already on how much they enjoyed the evening.
The drive home my car felt so much different even the ride felt better.
Thanks again
Steve"
 
 
 
Austin, Baby Blue Zetec FW:
 
"My BabyBlue FW got the treatment as well and I have to say it's a completely different car. It takes corners faster and more precise than before and yet it is still a comfortable ride. The car now has the correct Ride Height (front and back), Camber (front and back), Tracking (front and back), Steering alignment, Tyre Pressure, Damper settings and Corner weighting has also been set.
 
It's amazing how such minor adjustments can affect the handling of the car. Adam explained every little detail as the car was being setup. He knows his stuff and has good results on the track to prove it.
 
We also tackled a few other issues on the car that I wasn't aware of that came to light. I would highly recommend any of you to take your car to his workshop even if it's only for the once-over. My Westy now feels right and I have now got more confidence in the car but still learning how it handles compared to before."
 

 
Martin, 'Van Zee XE':
 
"Wow - that's put the colour back in my cheeks!

I went on a 25 mile circuit of some wonderful country roads. First thing is a massive improvement of the ride. There are some quite bumpy sections and the car does not feel anything like as skittish as it did and I felt much safer at higher speeds. The reduction of the roll bar leverage does not seem to have made a great deal of difference. There is a long hairpin that I can do really hard in second and any additional roll was not really noticeable. In general the level of adhesion is higher and more progressive - in other words I wasn't tempted to lift off even though the car was beginning to oversteer under power. It made me feel more confident. All in all a great result - thank you! Thanks too for all the odds and bits you did too - I'm a very happy bunny as geo was the last big thing to fix."
 
 
 
David, 'Lardy Car' Zetec:
 
"I have owned my Westfield for four years now and last year started competing in some Sprints. Beginning of 2015 I fitted Anti Roll Bars and after this it was straight to Adam's premises where I employed his extensive knowledge to set up the handling. He took my Westie for a drive and after discussing what I wanted with the car got stuck into making changes to Geo, corner weighting and setting up Anti Roll Bars. He not only clearly has an excellent understanding of what's going on with Westfields but is very good at explaining the adjustments he makes in terms that can be understood.
 
The next step was a track day at Blyton the day before the MDA Sprint (my first of the season). The morning of the track day was spent with me enjoying the new set up. The car felt good, better balanced and definitely faster. Adam (who is a qualified Association of Racing Driver Schools 'ARDS'  Instructor) arrived at lunch time to spend the afternoon working on my driving and fine tuning the handling. He drove me around the track and showed me a lot more of the potential speed in my car, giving me lots of tips and guidance on driving and lines. He stiffened up the dampers all round to help combat rebound. Then I drove and he gave me further instruction. He explained a set of gestures which he used whilst on track to indicate lines and speed, and then after a few laps we came off track so that he could explain where I could improve and where I was getting it right. After a few sessions it was time to head out on my own. From the set up there was an increase of stability through bends and better turn in. From the instruction there was better lines, later braking and increased confidence, All of this resulted in a noticeable increase in sprightliness to my progress. 
 
So to the Sundays MDA Sprint. I had a great day and the set up, instruction and seat time the day before with Adam had clearly paid off with 1st practice gaining a few scalps generally higher up the pecking order. I was very pleased with the timed runs ending with a very respectable fastest time considering mine was the lardiest sprint Westfield. I beat a couple of full on track/sprint Westfields, lighter and higher powered, and was alround 1.5 seconds quicker on a lap compared with my relative times in 2014, so in my book was a winner. 
 
Following this I recommended Adam as an Instructor for the Westfield Sports Car Club Track Day in July 2015. There was a lot of positive feedback from those drivers he went out on track with.
 
Finally I would like to stress that in my opinion, paying for car setup and driver instruction are by far the best value upgrade drivers can undertake, whether for road or track. Also, I strongly believe that having the option to combine all of these elements into one 'package' (including Adam driving and giving feedback on the car) makes it more valuable than the sum of the individual parts. The extra input from Adam's experience really helps to pull it all together, with the pros, cons, causes and effects explained all the way through the process. This has left me with not only a faster car / driver package, but an understanding of the physics behind it and the ability to think my way around a lap rather than just drive it.
 
I would like to thank Adam all for the help and support and wish him all the best for himself and the new venture."
 
 
As I always say at the end of one of my huge posts, well done if you got that far, haha
 
I will shortly be creating a publicly viewable calendar with my available dates on, so if anyone would like to book anything in you can have a quick check for availability first. Or, of course, feel free to get in touch by phone (078 345 346 12) or PM any time - same goes if you have any questions about anything mentioned above.
 
Cheers
Adam

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

Adam.....your right, that's a long post!

Interesting read and good to know

Did I miss your address in Chorley?

Andy

[AdamR]

Sorry for wasting your Sunday evening Andy

 

My home is in Chorley, but work where all the car setup stuff is Bamber Bridge. Club Street, PR5, to be exact

[John Williams (Panda) - Joint Manchester AO]

thumbs up from me. I received brilliant feedback from your time instructing at the Blyton weekend.

good luck panda

[Shaggydoo]

This is top banana Adam! I was only saying at Anglesey the other weekend, you should be a paddock guru :-)

Well done for making this available to us all, i will be calling you soon!

Best of luck, well luck isn't the right word really, the results will speak for themselves im sure.

Best wishes

[TableLeg]

Good luck with the new venture Adam.

[BudSlater]

hi Adam, thanks your your time today, I will 100% be using this service as soon as I'm back on the road!

Best of luck with your new venture, although you won't need luck!

[AdamR]

Thanks guys - your kind words are appreciated

[Kyle]

You're fairly local to me so I'll be grabbing you for some instruction at Oulton no doubt once my car is built.

[Steve (stevel)]

All the very best in your new venture Adam ..this guy knows his stuff and explains everything he is doing in a way you can understand.

As said before my car is a totally different beast since Adam worked his magic

Steve

[W Shep]

Having had a few settings changed for the better on my car, may I wish you all the best Adam.

Not only informative and patient, Adam is also very enthusiastic, and interested in what he does, very important in my mind.

Good luck Adam.

[B.RAD]

Very happy to have booked Ads for instruction at that Anglesey track day next Friday - he's already clearly given his plan for the day a lot of thought and has asked for videos to review my driving style ahead of the day - now that's service!

Really looking forward to it!

[AdamR]

Thanks Steve and Wayne - be good to hear what differences you've felt from the tiny tweaks Wayne, I think it was just a rear ride height and a corner weight adjustment (?), but just goes to show how sensitive our cars are to minor adjustments!

 

 

 

Barny - cheers again for a great day on Friday - I think I enjoyed it nearly as much as you did     Hope you got on well this weekend in the Speed Series!
 

Being able to use your intercom system was absolutely invaluable, I didn't imagine it could make such a difference, so thanks again for bringing it - I'm going to purchase a set right now for use with future customers

[B.RAD]

Well what a day! It was absolutely brilliant - I have to say that Ads delivered exactly what he promised. He asked me what I wanted to get out of the day, then made a plan and delivered it. He taught me heaps, but my highlights were - steering wheel control & input, brake pedal adjustment to improve heel & toe, improving throttle control through and out of corners, car control - including induced oversteer through throttle and brake, trail braking and general confidence - and spending so much time explaining how everything works, what it does and why that I feel so much more knowledgeable (in a 'tip of the iceberg' kinda way!) about how my car is handling and how to control it.

The sprint event was mad! I've never had so much fun, controlling the cars handling in a way I've never been able to before! I can't say if I was faster because I've never been to that event before, but i don't think I would have driven as I did without the tuition on the track day first.

So should you book Adam? Short and easy answer - absolutely! Even if you think you know your car and what it can do, I'd strongly recommend it, there was stuff I didn't even realise that he was able to point out straight away - you'll never know what you're missing until you do it, so do it!

Thanks again for a great day Ads, really appreciate it (and your ongoing support through the weekend!).

[AdamR]

Thank you very much for your kind words Barny, especially late on a Sunday evening after the long day you'd had! I'm so glad you enjoyed Friday and came away feeling more 'equipped', that's exactly what I wanted to achieve rather than just teach the line for a particular circuit.

 

I'm gutted you didn't quite get the result you wanted on Sunday, but please let me know when you've sorted the video and I'll take a look for you.