Q. So how much does a Masterclass session cost?
A. Right, overall, we need to emphasize that each client is an individual and will have differing requirements. On a clean sheet of paper, this all looks quite complex but it isn't really.
First off, we have to know whether you require road, circuit or race driving tuition. Take a look at the scale of charges on our previous page and you can see the daily rates for the instruction available. We can chop and change days of course, to hours etc.
Then we need to establish how much circuit work is involved. If you want a day on a circuit with a circuit club, this can cost between £200 - £2000 per day, depending on the facility, the activities of the organizers. You can follow that a Club day at Llandow is going to be cheaper than an 'exclusive' day on Silverstone Grand Prix (£15K actually). We have arrangements with this country's leading track day Clubs who are willing to allow Masterclass along on a multi-booking arrangement and extend this privilege to our clients. So we can usually come up with a charge of £200 - £300 a day for premier circuits, which will cover both your own car and the tuition car, so long as both aren't on the circuit together. If you are already a member of a Circuit Driving Club, then most of the alternatives can be covered by your own membership.
Then we need to talk about the car. For road and early circuit work, we would normally recommend using you own car. Of course, we can use a simple good quality road hire car to do any of this in. For race tuition, we propose a mixture of client race car, road hire car but again this depends on what the various alternatives we are trying to cover. And then there's our GT3 of course. That's priced on GT3 racer running costs and really is for the 'professional' driver coaching levels with an hour rate that's halfway to race car running costs.
Tell us what you have in mind and we'll break down into digestible chunks.
Q. How exactly do I book a session; what do we do next? What about insurance?
A. We give us a ring and we'll take some basic info. One we've sorted out what your experience level and requirement is, we can offer you a proposal. Then we'll confirm in writing agreed costs, time and venue etc. We normally like to see 50% payment up front because we need to hold a space open for you.
With regard to insurance, you will be required to sign indemnities against Masterclass and the organizing club, and then of course you need to take up cover if your present insurers won't extend your own. There are a few specialist who can supply on track insurance with cover from £5,000 - £30,000, various excesses and premiums from £80 to £255 per event.
Q. I really only want to try my Cossie on a circuit, just to say I've done it. I don't want to go racing or anything. Can you do this for me? And is this going to hammer my tyres?
A. Yes we can. We can fix a simple taster no problem. However, be warned. This speed stuff is a drug! Handle it with care. If it takes hold
'From Little acorns
'. In general terms, we can make your introduction safer and cheaper than others.
Now as far as tyres and brakes are concerned, track use does seriously raise the temperature beyond anything experienced on road work. So you must be prepared for this and the system and tyres need to be in tip top shape. Ring us and we'll talk you through it.
Q. I've enjoyed a couple of circuit days with my Club and have the car going quite well, but have no wish to go actual racing. However, I'd like to get a better idea of how much more there is in a car's like mine. How can you help?
A. We can do just the job. We can watch what you're doing, see how you handle the car, watch how you approach a circuit, that kind of thing. Then we'll come up with a range of suggestions, making sure you understand and then we can either oversee you practice or meet up a second time and review progress then. It's really up to you how much you want to put in, and how much you'll get out. Let us know what you'd like to do.
Q. I've always had this boyhood dream of driving a Le Mans car; or at least, if I can't drive it, to be at least along side someone who can. It looks as though you can arrange this for me; is it extortionately expensive?
A. Yes we can arrange it and yes, it is expensive. BUT, it's not as expensive as buying and running such a car yourself of course. Here at G-Force/Masterclass we have the Guv'nor's 1997 British GT winning Porsche GT1 which ran at Le Mans in '96. It's not detuned or anything, and it is so fast, it hurts! What we need to do is put together a small group of you and set a date. It'll be around £1,250 plus circuit share and VAT for a worthwhile ride. Or if you can put together a group, it's £5,000 for the day plus circuit plus VAT which will give you approximately 4 hours track time, which believe us, is more than enough!
Q. I've seen the G-Force/Masterclass ads and must ask whether you are serious about finding anyone 'two seconds a lap'. I've been doing well in a Championship series, had a win or two, and wonder what the catch is? Two second a lap would put me at the front, permanently.
A. Well, it's in the qualifications isn't it? But in general, yes indeed, we reckon we could find most people a second a lap by better understanding of what the car is doing via data acquisition and interpreting correctly, then find another second in on race driver coaching. So even if you're winning single seater championships, we reckon we can find you improvements. Of course, it's down to you to provide the budget
But let's not be negative about this. We have a technical resource at G-Force that is designed to find this sort of advantage for it's clients. Over to you. We fancy the challenge. Even if Formula One is the goal. We are doing it now for Seikel in GTs. No problem.
Q. I've just won the Lottery and the second thing I'm going to do with all this money, is buy a real 'F***-off' Supercar! Can you teach me how to drive and handle it please? PS I'm a fifty year old mother-of-three and I presently drive a Nissan Micra. But it is a red one.
A. Yes, we would be delighted to do that for you. Bernard's been doing it for some time in fact. We'll take you somewhere quiet & private off the public highway, where you can learn to drive it as slowly as you wish. We'll show you how to start it, to park it, to climb in and out of it, check the oil, tell you where the bonnet catch is, where the petrol filler is and even do doughnuts in it if you wish. And we won't tell a soul. Ring us now and let us know when!
Q. For the last few season's, I've been enjoying a good national club series, but could do with something fresh. I fancy international events with a classic historic racer but only have limited time to run the project. Can you manage something like this for me? I'm not so sure my existing preparers can.
A. No, but that's right up our street. We've helped run some beautiful classic cars all over Europe and America. All you need do is turn up and drive, and we can even help you in this. And Classics are getting to be very good racing now; nice events, nice places and people and cars that don't need updating every two minutes. Ring and tell us what you have in mind.
Q. I read that you have a Porsche GT3 for hire. Firstly, it seems a huge amount to hire per hour, which is a shame. I would like just one day at a circuit like Spa or the Nurburgring, to have a car like that all to myself.
A. Well, the real 'raison d'etre' behind the GT3 is to provide the best driver training facility we can. The car's fully kitted out with intercom and data acquisition, so we can tell any would be potential Le Mans winner exactly what we needs to be doing behind the wheel, at least. Unfortunately we can't let the car out unaccompanied, but certainly once acclimatized, you can stay behind the wheel for hours. The hourly rate we agree is high, but only because the pace and excellence of the Porsche does not come cheaply. They are serious cars and this is a serious investment. But if you think about it, no one drives for eight hours on end at a circuit day. 15 laps of a UK circuit, say 10 - 15 minutes is more than enough at a time and more than three sessions a day is really working hard. It's realistic to stop regularly, give yourself time to think about what's going on. We suggest that if you booked yourself a few hours of actual tracktime, £1,500 - 2,500 will pretty much will cover one of the most enjoyable days circuit bashing you could dream of. Drive of a life time. A very large tee-shirt, leaving us with the tyre, brakes and rebuild bill!
Q. Some mates and I would like to get together and share the costs of a day with some serious trackday cars. How much is this likely to be from Masterclass?
A. We need to know how many are you and what's on the dream-drive list, what you'd like to do. Of course, we can assemble dates, venues, cars and drivers, almost anything but we bet we can do it more cost-efficiently than anyone else. At Masterclass, the majority of our work is designed around the individual. We do not have fixed schedules and prices, but would be pleased to organize a quotation based on a brief from our potential client.
There are terms, conditions and indemnities to all of this. Ask to see details. Contact us directly on 0870 0132065 or at G-Force Motorsport on 01296 434084