Decided on Friday on the way back from a course that I was going to Knockhill on Sunday for a Speed Sunday Track Day Session. £50 on the day or £40 on the website and since the weather looked a bit iffy opted for paying on the day.

Sunday morning dawned and with the car ready and a crash helmet borrowed from my day I was ready to go. Then as I drove onto the motor way disaster struck. In my rear view mirror and saw a flash of yellow as the engine cover parted company with the car. A panicked drive to the next junction and driving back down the the Dunfermline turning and back onto the motorway I spotted my engine cover and was able to recover it. The friendly Fife Constabulary stopped and checked to see what was happening and after checking to see if I had a tax disc and I had refitted the smashed up remains of engine cover carried on my merry way.

Not a particularly good start to the day and I was always worried about damaging the car on the track not off of it!! A quick top up of fuel at the petrol station just off the motorway and down the Knockhill road towards the circuit which has to be one of the best roads around! Then pull into the race circuit. I suppose the people assume you know what to do so a lot of vague hand waving was all I got to find the various buildings. Once I had found race control and had my briefing I was given a wrist band and made my way to the holding area before going onto the pit lane.

I managed to get behind the last car so I was at the back of the pack so I could enjoy the ride. First was 2 laps behind the Pace Car or as I called it "bloody fast car" and suddenly realised the whole point was to go really fast and drive like a racing driver. The first session passed and I was probably over braking on the corners. One of the problems with Knockhill is all of the corners are blind so it takes a leap of faith to hit them fast. The second session was a lot quicker and was really starting to get into it and I even overtook a few cars. For the first time I was really able to appreciate the performance and handling of the Riot but I was probably nowhere near the limits of the cars handling I was just too scared!

Due to the spur of the moment decision of going I neglected to take my camera and also more importantly my sunglasses as the sun was quite low and made concentrating a bit difficult. On one of the sessions towards the end the chin strap on the helmet came undone and on the straights where I was reaching about 100mph I had to keep my chin tucked in to prevent the air from getting in under the visor and lifting the helmet off of my head!! At the end of one of the sessions I took a picture of the tell tales on the Digi Dash with my phone as when you are on the track you don't really get to see the displays as you are too busy watching the track and the shift lights!

The tyres also took a bit of a pasting, being so soft they get hot and pick up the molten rubber off of the race circuit. Looking at the wear patterns it seems that I could afford to let a bit more air out of the front tyres and a tiny amount out of the rears to give me more grip.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the car on the circuit. The next trackday is in November but I'm a bit unsure what the weather will do so I might leave it until next year when I get back from work.

UPDATE: 3 November 2007.

Through Pistonheads a guy who goes by the name Ol got some pictures of the trackday at Knockhill including some of my car, thanks to Ol for these pictures. He was driving a dark blue Golf GTi and his brother was driving the red Golf Rallye. Included is a picture of a Murcielago which I was on the circuit with and as I was nailing the Riot up the main straight he just past me with a gentle purr of it's engine, that's what you pay your money for I guess.