Racing in single seater open-wheelers
By far the most popular race car experiences in this section are the F1-style single seater racing days. This is where you will find yourself following in the slipstream of your Grand Prix heroes as you pilot a powerful race car around the smooth tarmac course.
What we love most about these cars is that not only do they look the part, they are the part as they are proper racers used in real championship series. The best known of those championships is probably the Formula Ford. It's been going since 1976 and has a reputation for being a stepping stone to F1. With the likes of Jenson Button, Ayrton Senna and Eddie Irvine all having been successful Formula Ford drivers, could this be your chance?
The Formula Ford race cars we have lined up on the starting grid include both 2000 and 1800 versions, with Zetec and Duratec engines. These open-wheel motors boast slick tyres, the sculpted nose and rear spoiler for downforce and the teeny tiny steering wheel that means you can put full lock on in no time.
If you fancy a French twist to your racing, try a Formula Renault experience. These cars are the result of a collaboration between Taatus (the chassis) and Renault (the engine). The result is a feather light car weighing in at just 490kg. And yes, there's a serious amount of va va vooom capable of 0-100mph in just 4.83 seconds. What's more, the Formula Renaults we offer are unrestricted, so that'll blow the cobwebs away won't it?
No on-board gadgets, these racing cars need to be driven
One thing to note is these single seaters are stripped down to the bare minimum, so there's no ABS, no EPS, no power steering and no on-board gadgetry. These cars have to be driven it's as simple as that. But with today's ever-more insipid hatchbacks clogging up the already saturated roads, we've forgotten how to handle a car without GPS, parking aids and all the rest. So, it's going to be interesting out there to say the least.
Perhaps just as well then that, as you will be riding solo in your racer, you'll have some practice laps behind the 'safety car' to get you used to the rather exhilarating feeling of being alone in a very very fast car. Some venues will continue to have you following the leader, whilst at others the pace vehicle peels off into the pits, leaving you with the open track in front of you.
Don't forget, as well as our traditional racing cars, we've also got driving experiences in stock cars, saloon cars and even banger racers if you prefer something a little bit different for your motoring day out.
And for those who want all the thrills of the track without actually touching the tarmac, we can highly recommend the state-of-the-art race car simulators. If you don’t believe us when we say they are totally realistic, take a look at this race car sim pod video. As you can see it’s total immersion and you can even choose your circuit from around the world and the type of car to race!
Whether you go with virtual racing cars or real ones, you'll found yourself whizzing around the track with the ultimate goal of getting to the top of the lap time leader board. You may even get on the podium once the chequered flag has been waved. Good luck!
