Stupid Luke
2011-02-10 21:30:00 UTC
Track Sense are charging 750 quid for 3 days on track, plus bike transport, plus hotel. Usual package. They are offering a free upgrade to 5* accom if you book before end of Feb. This is about 100 quid more than Focused charge for 3 days on same circuit but that isnt a deal breaker.....
Track Sense price their transport from Bristol. If I want to load the bike in Lightwater, which is presumably en route to the ferry at Portsmouth it is another 64 quid. Why?
Included accomodation is two sharing. I snore and DP is a sado masochist so better get single rooms, another 84 quid please.
Plus a 1.5% surcharge for credit card payment. No charge for debit card but I want to put it on credit card incase TDO goes skint.
Flights via Ryanair are 159 quid rtn.
Shared hire car, bit of food and fuel for the bike = 1500 quid weekend.
Factor in a new set of Supercorsas on the bike plus another set travelling with it and you are up to 2 grand for 3 days on track.
Now I do about 10 UK trackdays per year but I am no Scott Redding. I would love to do Jerez but I would be equally happy with Motorland Aragon which FE are doing for 599 quid 3 weeks later, no charge for drop off at Horsham and 45 quid ish for single room.
Using FE as a comparrison although I have never been a fan of their days in the UK. But whichever way you look at it the Track Sense trip has gone from 749 to 1500 quid ish!!!! For 3 trackdays in Spain.
I am not saying Track Sense are adding in hidden costs, everything is explained on their website. What I do think is they are getting hammered by their suppliers (track hire, current exchange rate, hotel, haulier etc etc) and passing these costs on. No business can afford to do that these days, my business cvertainly cant and we have to be ruthless with out suppliers as our customers will not pay any more.
It is a bonus that I have a mate going to Jerez as I wont know anyone on the FE trip but that is pure coincidence and nothing that Track Sense arranged.
I just want to ride my bike on track in decent weather, 2 grand for a long weekend seems a bit too much though.
Anyone been away with Track Sense/ Are they 2-300 quid better than FE? Are there any value addeds; decent instruction, fluffers in the garage? Or do you agree they are pricing themselves out of a leisure pursuit?
Finally I am pretty sure this is the first sensible arguement I have ever had with myself when a hedonistic pursuit was on offer. Am I getting old/ I dont want you lot calling me Sensiboring Luke
motoronin
2011-02-10 22:04:00 UTC
Stupid Luke
2011-02-10 22:09:00 UTC
Post missing.
motoronin
2011-02-10 22:29:00 UTC
Jody
2011-02-11 12:57:00 UTC
Post missing.
BASH69
2011-02-11 14:07:00 UTC
As you stated, we have to be ruthless with our suppliers also, our customers dont let us pass on additional costs and im not in business to go broke! (the government could acheive that for me quite easily
motoronin
2011-02-11 18:14:00 UTC
Ducati Pete
2011-02-11 18:41:00 UTC
Fair play, the additional fee for a SE drop off and collection is a pain and extra cost - I've always said how handy FE's depot was.
£84 for single room, FE will charge £45 PER NIGHT.
FE have the same credit card surcharge.
No matter who you go with you will still spend on flights, hire car, tyres and food.
Unless you fancy going 2000 miles to ride the Spanish Mallory park, they are not cheap events. (Almeria being the possible exception) The shite pound vs euro rate put the mockers on the bargain events a few years ago.
I wanted to ride at Jerez or Parc Algar in the dry this spring, and this date suited me - as much as I'd like to save £150 quid or so I don't think it will make much difference to the final bill and I'm willing to stump up as it suits me time wise.
I understand why you question the costs and can see why you fancy something different though.
Ducati Pete
2011-02-11 18:43:00 UTC
Stupid Luke
2011-02-11 20:34:00 UTC
I think a realistic budget for me this year will be 3 grand on domestic trackdays and about 2 grand on euro jaunts I dont want to blow the lot on a pilgrimage to Jerez where it may rain anyway.
Ducati Pete
2011-02-11 22:18:00 UTC
Post missing.
motoronin
2011-02-11 23:12:00 UTC
Post missing.
Colonel_Klinck
2011-02-12 00:29:00 UTC
Post missing.
ShadeTheChangingMan
2011-02-13 10:41:00 UTC
If it were me and i really wanted to do it, id get my own sorry arse down there by either riding or driving there myself and having an adventure along the way Youve got a van havent you? Just ferry it down to Santander or even drive throu France. Book a week off (might be tough for a self employed boss like yerself though) and enjoy the journey too. Take a mate and bam all your costs are almost halved for the trip.
And yeah, i have to agree that 3 weekends with Torotrail in Spain would deffo outrank one on a track for me in terms of VFM!!!
Colonel_Klinck
2011-02-13 10:49:00 UTC
ShadeTheChangingMan
2011-02-13 10:55:00 UTC
Luke, mate i know what you mean about deep mud, im not a massive fan but then ive only had it once and it was fuggin bad. If i knew it was gonna be like that id maybe not bother as it wasnt as much fun as it could have been....but i learned a shit load that day that i didnt even realise at the time. I am really looking forward to some laning with you guys asap and a coupla dry days off road though.
Ducati Pete
2011-06-19 04:22:00 UTC
Stupid Luke
2011-06-19 19:09:00 UTC
This year though, I am just not so bothered about trackdays this year. I like the sound of the easy track mob but the preaching briefings (2 per day) noise testing and constant red flags plus any excuse to nick track time from you have put me off the other TDO's.
I may do a the next Lydden but for me, Saturdays are as busy as a weekday now the kids are doing stuff and a weekday now means a lost days earnings on top of the trackday cost.
Since you did the expensive Jerez trip and only got half a day tracktime I am even less inclined to do a foreign 3 dayer. Before your latest incident I was only concerned about about the weather, mechanical breakdown and my own risk of crashing to worry about. Now I have to worry about being rear ended by a rich jock Which frankly wasnt in my holiday plans.
Ducati Pete
2011-06-19 20:18:00 UTC