On Saturday 27th June, a group of us went to Castle Combe for our second skid pan day with Drivetech Limited. The last time we went was back in 2005 and we felt it was time for some sideways fun again!

After some tuition and general theory about skids and what causes them, we were let loose on the track. The track- for those who have not been before- is a greasy material that is very slippery when contact is made with water. So to make it more slippery, the guys continually wet the track to ensure minimum adhesion and maximum skidding. Well, after all, that's what we were here for! Not a cradle car in sight!

The first session was about 45 minutes where we were left to our own devices to understand the characteristics of a skid and what causes it. We then went back to the classroom for theory on braking and how braking under a skid hampers steering and how to control steering in a skid. this was then put into practice by simulating ABS by cadence braking. The cone under the BMW in the 4th picture was a pedestrian, who unfortunately didn't make it due to the unnamed driver hurtling head on into it...

We finished off the day with a time trial- the top 4 drivers all came within 2 seconds of each other, with nobody accruing any penalties for hitting cones or other objects.

It was an enjoyable day, and we all took a lot from it.

For more information, visit the DriveTech website.

My thanks to all those who took part and made it the day it was!

If you'd like to come along to any of our events then please email our events co-ordinator