What an eye-opener

Keith Adams

Anglesey circuit (http://doug.woaf.net/)
Anglesey circuit (http://doug.woaf.net/)

I’ve just returned from a two days of high performance driver training at the Anglesey race circuit and I have to say that it was a real eye-opener. Firstly, it wasn’t the disaster I was expecting it to be but, what really struck me about the whole experience, was just how much more there is to driving quickly than jumping in and going fast…

For a start, there’s the small matter of tyre management. Getting the most from a car’s tyres – a science in itself – is something that I’ve never really considered too much when driving. Yes, I have to admit that tyres have, until now, just been ’round black things’ to me.

Secondly, Anglesey’s still new circuit complex is absolutely magnificent and, for anyone who indulges in the odd trackday but who has never been there, it’s a great place to go and visit. For one, driving there is an absolute delight – the A5 through Betws-y-Coed is fun – and, if you make it during the day (I didn’t this time), the scenery is fantastic.

Once there, it’s a bit of a desolate place, but the circuit layout more than makes up for that. There’s also the small matter of the stunning setting – the entry to one corner at the top of the circuit gives you such a panoramic view of the sea, the jagged coastline and the Snowdonian mountain range beyond that you struggle to maintain concentration… Well, I did at times.

More than that, though, I learned a lot about myself on the two-day course – not all of it bad – and I’ve had my appetite for going on track days reignited after a few years’ inactivity. That, of course, costs money and I don’t really have any, but that’s only a minor detail…

Keith Adams

3 Comments

  1. Not at all… I was expecting it to be a disaster because I’ve never had my driving benchmarked, and a glass-half-empty person like me always thinks the worst…

  2. Hey

    I have done a training course just like this at both Castle Donnington and Silverstone, as well as a few on the road type of tests by ROSPA and ADI.

    No matter how many you do, and how confident you go in feeling, you are always nervous about what the guy next to you is either thinking or jotting down on his pad.

    I have taken many courses for many different job roles, and it just dont get easier as i always go in thinking i will fail, even though or get a bad feedback depending on if its a test or just on observation.

    Might venture to this place some day!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.