Open pit lane track days explained
What the formats mean, which one suits you, and how each organiser runs its days.
Every track day runs to one of two basic formats, and it makes a bigger difference to your day than most people expect. Pick the wrong one and you'll either spend half the day waiting in the paddock or feel rushed on a busy track.
Open pit lane
On an open pit lane day the track is open all day apart from lunch and any red flags. You go out when you like, for as long as you like, and come in when you or your tyres have had enough. It's the normal format for car days in the UK. The upside is flexibility and lots of track time; the catch is that you share the circuit with everyone, from first-timers in hot hatches to quick drivers in track cars, so mirrors and good manners matter.
Sessioned days and groups
On a sessioned day drivers or riders are split into groups, usually by experience or pace, and each group gets the track for a set time, often 20 minutes in every hour. Almost all motorbike days work this way, typically with novice, intermediate and fast groups. You get less time on track, but everyone around you is going at a similar speed, which is a big help when you're starting out. Some car organisers run sessioned or novice-only days for the same reason.
Which should you book?
If it's your first time in a car, an open pit lane day with a sighting-lap briefing and an instructor booked for one session is a good start: you can take breaks whenever you need them. On a bike, start in the novice group; the organisers will move you up if you're clearly faster. Evening events are usually open pit lane and shorter, which makes them a cheap way to try a circuit.
How each organiser runs its days
This is taken from each organiser's own website. Click through for the details, including passengers, photos and helmet hire.
| Organiser | Runs | Format | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Days | Cars | Open pit lane | Paid, must be pre-booked: £50 for 20 minutes, £100 per hour, £250 half day, £500 full day. |
| Curbstone Track Events | Cars | Open pit lane | Paid coaching: e.g. 40 minutes €250 or 2 hours €375 on an AZUR 2H evening session at Paul |
| DN Events | Cars | Open pit lane | Paid one-to-one Nürburgring Driving Academy instruction: full day from £750, half day from |
| Focused Events | Bikes | Sessioned | Free advice from instructors all day; one-to-one personal instruction £130 a day; rider cl |
| GEDLICH Racing | Cars | Open pit lane | Paid 1:1 Coaching: full day €1,390-€1,790, half day €710-€940 (Bronze/Silver/Gold), Compac |
| Goldtrack | Cars | Open pit lane | Free initial tuition for novices; extra 30-minute one-to-one sessions bookable (price not |
| Javelin Trackdays | Cars | Both | Paid: 20-minute instructor sessions at £25, bookable at sign-on. |
| MSV Trackdays | Cars and bikes | Both | Instructors on hand for advice and one-to-one in-car training (price not shown); bike novi |
| No Limits Trackdays | Bikes | Both | Free instruction sessions with their instructors, booked on the day first come first serve |
| OpenTrack | Cars | Open pit lane | Instruction available to book at sign-on; price not shown. |
| Pistenclub | Cars | Open pit lane | Guided laps and 'Active Coaching' with instructors listed; price not shown. |
| RMA Track Days | Cars | Open pit lane | Driver coaches available (book by phone or online); price not shown. |
| Race Shift | Bikes | Sessioned | Free on- and off-circuit tuition by experienced coaches; some events also have paid coachi |
| Skylimit Events | Cars | Open pit lane | Not stated |
| Slick Moto Events | Bikes | Sessioned | Not stated |
| Track Obsession | Cars | Open pit lane | Free tuition from professional racing drivers at all track days (opt in at checkout); full |
| Track Sense | Bikes | Sessioned | Track Sense does not provide tuition itself; independent professional instructors attend e |
| Trackdays.co.uk | Cars and bikes | Both | Optional 1-2-1 instruction (short basic session, half day or full day), added at booking w |
| evo Trackdays | Cars | Both | Expert tuition can be booked; price not shown. |
Find an open pit lane day
We keep a list of every upcoming open pit lane track day, updated daily. You can also filter the full track day list by format.