Focused seem to have it all there own way. No limits are my organiser of choice but seems like they’re slowly getting squeezed out the market,
There used to be loads of TDO’s, Track Time Promotions, Speedfreaks, Tracksense, Hottrax, now they’ve either disappeared or only do foreign dates.
How long til all the tracks and Focused have a monopoly and whack the prices up?
CONSPIRACY?!
FE buy up as much of the circuit calendar as they can, and sell on to other organisers what they don’t use. Shrewd business.
good for them, but good for us?
Is that true Jay?
I know Phil folded TTP because of a second legal action against the company. That was a shame, although he could be a annoying tw@ at times, he did run a decent event most of the time.
No Limits are my preferred company, I did my first TD with them way back in the day. I’m usually booking days when I’m back in the UK though, so usually have to book who-ever is running days I can get to.
I think at the moment, the people who make the most from us are the circuit owners.
FE briefings are even more annoying and patronising than Phils’s used to be
Remember to breathe!
unless your visors steaming up!
Yes, it’s true. Nadster.
I did a trackday at Brands with the owners themselves, MSV, and it was VERY well organised. The briefing was something you actually took notice of. Though I hate having to sit through 30mins of the same stuff every trackday you do. Is it really necessary?
I too go for whatever is available, I’m generally not fussed. Though having just one company is obviously not good for the customers.
The dreaded briefing!
I don’t really enjoy sitting through something I’ve heard over a 100 times either.
However - what with todays litigation culture etc it is always going to be required. The activity we love is dangerous - every year people are killed (or worse) on track.
There is a small proportion who seem to be oblivious to that fact and if another briefing helps get it through to them then fire away.
I’m in favour of a briefing followed by another for the novice / first timers. No limits and Folly do it that way.
I’ve noticed that the FE brief is far better than it used to be time-wise.
Sorry to have put my sensible cap on Jay. I promise to restore the balance by posting like a complete TW@ for the next 2 weeks. 
I remember sitting through a Focused Events briefing at Brands and noticed one of the MSV staff taking notes.
The guy had a huge list of topics to be covered and was ticking them off one by one to confirm the advice had been given in the briefing. I guess the trackday companies need to do all they can to cover themselves legally and have to work within certain guidelines.
Litigation seems to be the biggest enemy for the trackday companies and has pushed a few out of business.
It does make me laugh sometimes after the lengthy briefing and a reminder board for no overtaking, we go out to do the sighting laps and you’re cruising round then one of the riders comes past absolutely flat out overtaking everyone
I’m still not sure why some TDO briefings make you feel like a schoolboy getting told off for something you haven’t even done yet while others (e.g no Limits) are just as informative but also funny/non patronising/make you feel part of a family rather than part of a problem.
FE seems to have the upper hand in TDs right now, certainly in the UK. Maybe I’m naive in thinking this should be about more than just business/making money and corporate ass-covering. Or maybe nostalgic for those days when it days were run a bit more loosely, I dunno.
However this is not meant to be an FE slagging thread (we can always start another one if you like (!), I have some issues to air that I have tried to with FE already after a dusk til dawn at Silverstone earlier this year)
My main point for the thread tho was, is one dominant TDO a good thing, whoever they are? I’m saddened to hear that the tracks sell all their time to FE 1st. And if it isn’t a good thing, what can we as the paying punters do? anything? Or, do we only care for those few times a year that we go to the track?
Dunno mate, as purely an outsider who has only ever done trackdays with FE (5 in total… ) they seem pretty good to me. The speach before hand is kinda rubbish but then again you know there are people there who haven’t done a trackday before. Also I think the mention of death does tend to calm most people down a bit, well at least for the morning sessions. 
FE seem to have their act together and even have a good camera-man. Guess I have only ever done Brands but FE really do seem okay to me. The must of all suffered this year with the rubbish weather though! Maybe trackday riding is possibly dieing off a bit hence the fact that the smaller guys had to close ? Actually biking in general seems less popular nowadays… who knows.
Pete I see you say “people are killed (or worse)”. Whats worse?? :blink:
100% bikes are still running I believe.
Only done 2 trackdays this year, No Limits at Rockingham, and now FE at Brands. Both lots of spiel before you go out were pretty much the same, yes, I have heard it all over 30 times before, but they are legally required to give it to you.
The European Superbike School days when running were great, you all got timed and moved around accordingly. The downside to all of this, maybe also because of having Frankie Chilli as an instructor as well, was that it was prohibitively expensive for most, probably one of the reasons why they went under. Going back a few years, lots of people used to turn up on their roadbikes, now, you get lots of trackbikes, even in the novices. Many of the racers use track days to practice their craft, take Monday for example, the fast group was littered with some of the support class riders who will be at the BSB meeting there in a couple of weekends time. Perhaps trackday companies should have road bike only days?
When I was at CSS last time they were talking about starting track days for non track/race bikes and not allowing things like tyre warmers. Would put everyone on a more even playing field and make things a little less hectic in the advance group (I imagine). Sounded like a wicked idea.
In my opinion, loosing a leg or being wheelchairbound would be worse than being killed outright.My point though is, I know of several deaths on trackdays this year alone.Trackdays have change a lot in the last 5 years - for the worse.It’s good to see that both No limits and FE have started to send people home this year.
