Contents
If you have races planned at Oulton Park or any other track this year, you will want to do some testing to fine-tune you vehicle setup to help improve its performance. This article lists all of the 2023 Oulton Park testing dates, prices, what vehicles are eligible and all of the information you need to know.
what is testing?
Testing is an opportunity for race drivers and teams to put their car through its paces before they get to a race day. It’s an opportunity to tweak, adjust and tune their vehicle’s setup, increasing their understanding and knowledge of how various changes make a difference to their car or bike’s performance.
Testing takes place at most UK circuits, with Oulton being one of those. The test days are held on either the International or Island track layouts at Oulton Park.
When you arrive at the circuit for a test day you need to enter via the Oulton Park main entrance.
Oulton Park testing or a track day?
If you’re a motorsport competitor then your performance is usually measured against the stopwatch. Doing well relies on you being able to set competitive lap times, and to be able to do that you need to understand how vehicle setup changes affect your lap speed.
On test days timing is allowed. This means you can directly relate any vehicle tweaks to differences in your lap times at Oulton Park, or anywhere else you may be testing at.
On normal track days timing is not allowed for two reasons. One is to try and dissuade race teams from using them as test days, the other is to stop track dayers overdriving their cars in an effort to shave off a few tenths of a second.
Testing events feel much more like a pre-race practice session. You are allowed to overtake either side and without consent, so the sessions flow much more smoothly with less time spent sat behind slower cars.
If you are just looking to have fun in your road car then testing events are not for you. You need to do a trackday at Oulton Park instead.
what cars are eligible for Oulton park testing?
For a vehicle to be eligible for a test day at Oulton Park it must comply with the Motorsport UK (MSUK) blue book safety and preparation regulations, specific to your type of vehicle. There is no scrutineering on a test day, but your car should meet the required standard regardless.
Road cars are not allowed on test days, however if your car meets the MSUK regulations and also happens to have an MOT and be road legal then that is ok.
Every testing event at Oulton Park is open to different types of vehicles. There may be open wheeled days, closed wheel days, junior days, or days where a combination of vehicle types are allowed. The list below of all Oulton Park testing events specifies which vehicle they’re applicable to.
Electric vehicles need special permission to take part in a test day at Oulton. If that’s you, get in touch with the circuit before booking.
drivers and passengers
Normally multiple drivers can drive the same car over the course of a test day, as long as they all have the correct MSUK license. More on license requirements below.
Passengers are not normally allowed during test days, unless otherwise specified by the circuit for a given event. If they are allowed then they normally need to be ARDS qualified instructors. Check with the circuit before booking if you are unsure.
Oulton Park testing for motorbikes
MSVT do not have any motorbike testing dates planned for 2023. Speak to your race club as they may be organising some private testing days,
what license is required?
Drivers over the age of 16 must hold a current FIA/ MSUK race (not non-race) license, or equivalent, to take part in a test day. This will need to be presented to the circuit officials when signing on at the start of the testing event.
Young drivers under the age of 16 need to hold a junior license relevant to the type of vehicle they will be driving.
noise limits on test days
Most test days at Oulton Park will specify a static noise limit that must be adhered to. The limit is listed for each of the testing dates in the list lower down this page. Occasionally there are unsilenced days which may be more expensive.
If your race vehicle runs in a championship whose regulations permit a higher noise limit than that specified by the circuit for the test day, get in touch with Oulton Park before booking to discuss how best to proceed. You may have to put additional silencers on your vehicle to meet the circuit’s limit.
Donington Park testing dates for 2023
Below is a list of all of the 2023 Oulton Park testing dates, accurate at the time of publishing this article.
Each listing will include the date, the circuit layout used, the type of vehicle allowed, the static (unless otherwise specified) noise limit, and the price range (depending on whether full day or morning / afternoon slots are available).
Special days with specific features, such as being open to uncommon vehicle types, or being unsilenced, will be highlighted in bold.
The full list of MSV testing dates can be found here.
march
- Tues 21 – circuit TBC – closed wheel – semi exclusive (16 cars max) – 108dbA static – £755
- Fri 31 – International – Caterhams only – sessions – 108dbA static – £390
april
- Tues 4 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thur 6 – International – Closed wheel & Junior – 2 x 30 min sessions – 108dbA static – £345
- Fri 7 – International – Closed wheel & Junior – 2 x 30 min sessions – 108dbA static – £275
- Fri 21 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
may
- Fri 12 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 26 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
june
- Fri 2 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 9 – Island – Open & closed wheel & Junior – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 16 – Island – Radicals on the BTCC package only – 2 x 45min sessions – 108dbA static – £636
- Fri 30 – International – Closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
july
- Fri 7 – International – Closed wheel & Junior – sessions – 108dbA static – £390
- Fri 14 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
august
- Fri 4 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 11 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 18 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
september
- Fri 22 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 29 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
october
- Fri 6 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 13 – International – Open & closed wheel & karting – sessions – 108dbA static – £185 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 27 – International – Open & closed wheel – sessions – 108dbA static – £230 to £390 (morning, afternoon or full day)
