David Ryan - Tuesday, 14th February 2006 - On Sunday I spent the day with Tim Arnold at Donington Park... 

Got up at six am and looked outside. It was pouring with rain! The first rainy day we have had for ages! Arrived at the track about 8:00am for a meet with Tim, cup of coffee and driver briefing.

Tim had brought Xero Competition's BMW 320i training car, with race seats, harnesses and some of those cut slick road legal tyres on it. We were both a little concerned given the tyres and the bad weather.

My main aim for the day was to learn how to handle the car on the limit but not make a fool of myself. We started with me in the driving seat. The rain kept coming and the track was very slippery. People were sliding off all over the place. A few of the other cars got quite badly damaged and some who had turned up for the day did not bother going on track for fear of wrecking their cars.

I drove quite conservatively for the first couple of sessions to get the feel of the track and the car and indeed Tim! He is very relaxed but kept gently encouraging me to go faster. We were in the "Experienced" group. The other groups were "Novice" and "Intermediate". Initially we were being overtaken quite a lot. Most if not all of the other cars were considerably more powerful and I was being very sensible due to the unfamiliar car and the slippery conditions.

I suggested that Tim have a drive so he could feel the state of the track and show me how it was done. This was useful in as much as it quiclky demonstrated where the limits of adhesion were for the BMW.

My turn again and I took a slightly more agressive approach to the track. The weather worsened and we spun a couple of times but everyone was doing that.

With Tim's guidance and encouragement I began drifting the car at fair speeds round every corner and became more and more confident with each session. We were suddenly keeping up with the more powerful cars and probably a bit quicker through the corners.

The rain was so bad in the end that there was a small river running across the track on the approach to McLeans corner! Each lap we would hit this at about 90 mph and just stay on the throttle as the car floated sideways across half the track before regaining grip. We were laughing our heads off and it was very exciting.

By the end of the day my confidence was boosted and Tim was very complimentary towards me and the improvement in my driving. In the end the bad weather had turned out to be a big bonus and I doubt if I would have learned as much if it had been dry.

Tim's relaxed and encoraging style suited me very well and we both enjoyed the day. I do not think that many instructors would have encouraged me to push the limits as much as Tim did, especially in the conditions and considering that he did not know me or my driving. I will certainly be going out with him again and would be happy to recommend him as an instructor.

David Ryan, Minsterly Ranges

Claire Taylor - Goodwood, 19th November 2003...

"I came along to the track day as a complete racing novice, really wanting to learn but very nervous and lacking a lot of confidence. Tim made me feel really relaxed though, getting me to push myself but not putting me under pressure. The one to one instruction is great and worth every penny, I really didn't have a clue to start off with, but by the end of the day I learnt so much I really got my speed up and had great fun. I left with such a buzz and can' t wait to get back out there, so much so, that I am now thinking of getting my own track car!"

Claire Taylor

Adrian Duggleby - Goodwood, 2003...

"I'm happy to recommend Tim Arnold. Having enjoyed several track days a year I decided to venture into the world of sprints and hill climbs and wanted to progress my fairly conservative style towards one more focused on optimising speed, within the obvious safety constraints and the need to keep my only car on the road! I'd occasionally made use of tuition at track days, but this was typically limited to a single session and provided insufficient time for the instructor to establish abilities and aspirations, never mind successfully coach the driver.

In contrast, Tim was happy to offer a whole day's one to one instruction. Before venturing onto track, we had ample time to chat through the principles and I could explain my experience to date and what I hoped to achieve. The additional time also provided the opportunity to go out on track for instruction, return to the pits to digest and discuss and then try it all over again. This reiterative approach, coupled with Tim's positive and encouraging manner meant that during the course of the day my confidence in lines and the car's behaviour on the limit rose as, with a marked absence of stress and pressure, the lap times dropped!"

Adrian Duggleby - Car: TVR S