Junior Driving Experiences

[a4gom]

Anyone got any experience of these?

I'm looking at booking my lad onto one for his 13th birthday.

He's driven quads and karts but has no real driving experience, it doesn't say he needs any though?

I'd probably give him a "crash" course on some local private land before hand

Here's one as an example

Any experiences / advice on good places to go or contacts gratefully received

[cast iron]

under 17 and over 5'.00

[Dibby]

Don't know about anything official but I learnt off my parents at the local air field for a good year before lessons on the road, good to get to grips with gear changes, reversing, clutch biting point.

[a4gom]

Thanks mark, worth bearing in mind but I think it's more the super car / rally car experience (bragging rights) rather than the amount of learning that he's interested in.

Dibby, he'll get plenty of that before he's 17.

[Welly Jen]

Don't know about anything official but I learnt off my parents at the local air field for a good year before lessons on the road, good to get to grips with gear changes, reversing, clutch biting point.

Many years ago I was learning to fly gliders at a local air field. One of the pilots was teaching his son, around 12 years old, how to drive. The lad lost control of the car and smashed up the wing of a parked 2 seater glider, writing it off   . It was the one I was just about to get in to and fly! Never found out how the insurance, or liability for that one worked out in the end, but it couldn't have been pretty. Worth thinking about, especially these days.

Jen

[SootySport]

I learnt to drive at the age of 9 at Silverstone on the track, my 1st. trackday you might say.  It was in 1960 well before all the developement. Also been round the original track on my tricycle, bicycle, skates and Dads tractor as he was the farmer on the Silverstone cct.

[ibbo]

my son aged 14 is doing well at production car trials in an old hillman imp the local club falcon have been fantastic in the way they help the youngsters they only charge them a fiver and thats for a whole days motorsport the car doesnt even need to be road legal as events take place on private land

[a4gom]

He's too busy playing rugby at the moment to get into any organised motorsport and just fancied a one off taster for his birthday. The risk is all theirs! (with the exception of the usual indemnity for injury)

Just wondered if anyone had any experience of this type of thing, learning to drive properly can wait for now.

[dannyboy]

Cam our son went to prestwold hall loughborough heres a photo he enjoyed it.

[a4gom]

Cheers Dannyboy, did he have any driving experience?

Do they use Auto's?

Just wondered how they went on with someone who hadn't driven before.

[dannyboy]

No driving experience he was 12 at the time he drove a manual r32 then the lambo which was paddle shift he did a 100 at one time he got a video aswell.  The woman who taught him was really helpful and patient.

[a4gom]

Sounds just the job, did you book direct? There seems to be loads of websites selling the experiences but you get a voucher then need to book your day in.

He's 13 this month so I'd like to get something organised within a couple of months, don't want to buy the voucher then have to wait till next year.

[dannyboy]

We used everymanracing.co.uk seems to be cheaper now but bet they're all the same where ever you go. We bought it then booked him on we were not in so much of a rush so would not know how soon you would get to go. Think it's £69 for a weekday (school holidays) £79 weekends.

[SteveH]

The names that you want to be looking for are Driveme.net, Everyman and 6th Gear, they are the main players in the junior supercar experiences.  All much the same to be honest for this kind of thing and they would all expect zero experience from their young drivers, worth looking at venues to see what is closest to you.

Some use manual cars, some auto/flappy paddle but kids pick it all up pretty quickly and either way they are sat at the wheel of a Ferrari at the time so will be well happy!

[a4gom]

Thanks Guys, he's after an experience which lets him drive a supercar and rally car so it looks like locations are limited, he was only getting one as his pressie but I talked him out of a party with his mates as a swap for the addition (cheaper for me).

We might have to wait till next year now I suppose, not too many weekends left and we are in scotland the next school holiday. I thought I might have it cracked as we will just be own the road from Knockhill but they don't do it.