The wait to get the license and drive is probably one of the longest (and difficult to overcome) for young petrolheads. After all, no matter how many videos you see or read websites and magazines, nothing beats the feeling of driving a car.
Aware of this, Track Days UK has “hands on” and created a set of driving courses for young people between 10 and 17 years old. The objective behind these trainings is to explain the “driving fundamentals” before they can even get a driving licence. In this way, these classes teach aspiring young drivers to accelerate, brake, turn, change gears and even make the dreaded “clutch point”.
Taken on circuits (as you would expect), these courses are “tailor made”. In other words, if the young petrolhead has already secretly driven his father's car (or has experience in karts, for example) and has already mastered the basics of driving, the course will take that experience into account to provide him with new knowledge.
Experiences for kids to match adults
With the courses explained, the “instruction” car is also far from being the usual utility vehicle with a diesel engine. In the more “basic” formations (with 30 minutes or an hour) one of the machines used by young drivers is, none other than a Ford Fiesta ST (from the previous generation) equipped with 17” wheels, Recaro seats and a 1.6 l Ecoboost with 187 hp!
But there is more. For the most daring (and with greater financial availability), Track Days UK proposes packages where young people from 11 years old can experience driving supercars like the Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8, Aston Martin V8 Vantage or Nissan GTR.
In addition, would-be drivers can also try driving a lorry (a Volvo FH16 600), a North American dual-wheel pick-up truck, tackle off-roading at the wheel of a Land Rover Defender or a Mercedes-Benz Class X or being driven by a professional driver aboard supercars or muscle cars.
About these courses, Dan Jones, Operations Manager at Track Days UK said: “Confidence and experience are essential in learning to drive. In addition to being educational, these driving experiences are also great fun and provide an alternative activity for young people to have fun”.