Why we love Open Pitlane Track Days!
An Open Pitlane Track Day stands for the absolute highest level of flexibility. Apart from a mandatory lunch break (usually 1h), you are free to drive on track for as long as you want.
At GP Days, we put maximum effort in improving your driving experience. As a result, Open Pitlane is the only format we can offer you - everything else would simply be wrong.
You will not be restricted by a predefined schedule, your stint cannot be spoiled by an incident or other interruptions and you experience zero pressure throughout the entire day.
That is exactly why we only organise Open Pitlane Track Days and love them so much!
- Between 6:30h to 8:00h of driving (track time), is more than anybody can realistically use . Except of course, you are a professional endurance racer but even then, you will probably not drive as much as during an Open Pitlane Track Day
- No time pressure means relaxed driving. We have found, that drivers are way calmer on track during Open Pitlane Track Days. Not having to maximise each minute of your stint means, that you don't have to pull risky manoeuvres or daring overtakes which makes the overall experience on track much more enjoyable
- Cars are put through much less strain during an Open Pitlane Track Day. Driving in session means that most of the time, there is not much time to warm up your car and tyres appropriately. As you also cannot use the pitlane for a short break once the session is running, you are not able to adjust your tyre pressures during your stint which may lead to two things: You either have to start with tyre pressures significantly lower than you would like, or your tyres will overheat after a couple of laps increasing wear
- Driver and passenger changes are made simple. During sessioned Track Days, you will most likely not be able to stop during your stint or you'll risk loosing valuable driving time. During Open Pitlane Track Day, you can get back to the Paddock anytime to change drivers or passengers
I think it became quite obvious that we love Open Pitlane Track Days. However, as with everything in life it cannot be all positive, right?
Overall, we don't see any major issues arising when exclusively using an Open Pitlane format.
As GP Days limits the maximum number of cars, traffic is rarely an issue. As there is lots of space on track, even a diverse mix of cars (slow & fast) doesn't spoil the fun on track as everyone has more than enough space!
We only have one thorough recommendation for Track Day novices: If you choose an Open Pitlane Track Day as your first ever race track experience (which is by all means a great idea!), you should treat yourself to a qualified coach to get up to speed quickly, as we do not run "novice only" groups.
Have fun on track!
