I'm looking at doing a couple this year if I can find something that suits me. I used to do quite a few but got bored of been held up once they got popular and went back to the roads.
This depends on the trackday and the trackday operator. The two or three times I remember being held up are as follows.
-Castle Combe Taster Day: Clio 172
It was the first time for a while that I hit a racetrack. It's also the first time I took something quite a few would consider genuinely quick on a track. a RenaultSport Clio 172.
Besides people not following the track etiquette and either almost totalling cars, or totalling cars, I thought I'd let a 300BHP Sierra Sapphire Cossie past me and a Merc E55 AMG. Both look to be making progress on the straights. Both were on budget tyres from what I remember, and with the Cossie, tired suspension too albeit lowered. You can see what's coming.
I then ended up cruising with one hand through most of the corners. Those two cars just couldn't go through the corners quick at all! You'd think they'd leave me for dead on the straights, but my corner speed really didn't give them the chance! After that, I probably have become a little more selfish with letting people past. I figured if they're held up for two corners, they are probably making quicker progress than me.
Seeing as it was a session taster, it was a bit of a waste of 30 mins for most of it. Yup, I didn't get let past, and there was quite a queue behind me, with me letter some folks past seeing if they could get past the two cars. They couldn't.
-Javelin Cadwell Park Clio 172
Being a narrow track, overtakng areas are slim, especially on a wet day like I went.
The day went well bar one chap in an S2000, who would not move over for a few folks. I ended up being a little quicker in the corners, not by much, but similar on the straights. He did this to a few people for quite a few laps, to where a bit of a train formed. Being an open pitlane, I went off the track for a bit, and rejoined later so as to not be held up. Most other people were quite fair and some I had a good time time, and learned a bit line wise etc.
Donnington Park - M3This wasn't too bad. Sure, there were a few hero wannabes about with it being an evening session, but it was ok.
Except the damned C1 racers! Did they let people overtake by invitation? Did they curse word! It's been cited a few times on a few trackday pages about them causing trains of traffic, especially on the twistier tracks. After all, folks get impatient and you end up with a train of cars.
The C1 racers do tend to do this however, as they are chasing lap times on the days, as well as familiarisation of the track. Dedicated days for them are almost twice the price (£300 vs £170 for Donnington for example), hence why a few do that. Of course, it's not really a problem on somewhere like Silverstone, where there are enough straight spots for most things to decimate them on the straights.
I know people have paid, so feel it's a right for them to do as they please, but it's everyone's trackday to me, and about everyone collectively having a good time. If I wanted to be in a train, it would after a few whisky chasers, along with a few beers on the way to Birmingham New Street with a few mates during better times. It would be cheaper than a trackday too!
Since some may think I am anti C1/Aygo/107, so here's a photo of me taking one around the 'ring a few months ago.