Now that summer has finally arrived it’s time to think about a cooler trackday in December :Giggle . Yes, the date has been announced for the legendary December Mazdaontrack Open Pitlane trackday at Brands Hatch on Monday, 9th December. If you’ve not been to Brands in your rotary then this is a must. I’ve been for quite a few years now and, on average, the weather has been bright and cool. OK, don’t remind me about the one event that had to be postponed due to 2 feet of snow :o
If you’ve never been to Brands, or to a trackday, you’ll be made most welcome by me, and hopefully by some of the die-hards who I hope will sign up to return to this awesome track. The first time you drive down the main straight at over 100mph, then are faced with braking into a blind bend that drops away onto an incredibly steep hill is truly breath taking. It’s a short circuit, so easy to learn, but difficult to master.
Now, the best bit, the current price is £119, but if you PM me for a secret discount code then you can get £15 off to make the price just £104! Be quick though, as this discount will only apply to bookings before the end of July.
Track and event details for anyone new;
CIRCUIT STATS:
Length - 1.2 miles (Indy)
Corners - 5
Noise - 105db (compulsory stationary test)
TIMINGS OF THE DAY:
- Sign On 07:30 - 08:30
- Briefing: 08:30am
- OPL from 09.00
- Lunch 12.30-13.30
- OPL 13.30
- Track Closes 16.00 (Day light permitting)
Book your place via THIS LINK (http://www.mazdaontrack.co.uk/brands-hatch-indy---9th-december-2013---early-booking-price-570-p.asp)
A video of a complete track session from Dec 2011, courtesy of Hypopthermia, who’s in the passenger seat with me.
And here is a “n/s foglight†perspective;
HINTS:
1. Turn your sound down low, the wind noise isn\'t good!
2. Click on the 360p and select 720p to get the HD version of the video.
Finally, here is a previous track briefing, which I will update and re-issue later in the year…
I\'m in!
1. Casey - PAID
2. Ian.Mothersole
UPDATING (sorry, been busy with work and trackday at Castle Combe:D)
Wow, this is great guys, nearly 20 people expressing an interest in this one so far :D
Garages - nearer the date I\'ll sort this out. I\'ll assume most people will be OK sharing 3 cars per garage to keep the costs down (and keeps us closer together!). That\'s enough room to stow gear, plus two cars will fit into one garage anyway. Once the trackday is underway we won\'t all need garage space all the time.
Food on the evening of the trackday - I will ask nearer the time and book somewhere local. I don\'t want to rush straight off and start queuing for the M25 bridge!
REMEMBER THE SPECIAL OFFER PRICE WITH THE SECRET CODE IS ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL THE END OF THIS MONTH!
I\'m Going
1. Casey - PAID
2. Ian.M - PAID
3. Harrisons5 PAID
4. Harrizone PAID
5. Clive - PAID
6. Dave-B
7. stewartm - PAID
8. mikey2337 (maybe)
9. Zarterone - PAID
10. webbo85 (Simon - Fiesta Diesel) - PAID
11. GSB & Grimreaper - PAID
12. Luigi33 - PAID
13. Conann - PAID
14. Dan507
15. SnarlingDonkey - PAID
16. Wildman10 (with Feathers as talking baggage) - PAID
17. Warnock360 - PAID
18. lennycarloff - PAID
19. hypothermia - PAID
20. Chris231 - PAID
Good to see you had a great time at castle Combe, I couldn\'t get the online shop to work but gave nick a call and all sorted.
See you all in a few weeks
Jim
:Thumbs-up:Thumbs-up Glad to hear Nick has sorted your place out Jim :D
LAST FEW HOURS TO BOOK THIS TRACKDAY AT THE FANTASTIC, DISCOUNTED PRICE OF £105 (saving £14 off the advertised price). DISCOUNT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT!
PM or EMAIL ME (Malcolm @ Mazdarotaryclub .com) for the discount code!
As you can see, we\'ve already got 12 (update, now 14!) people signed up for this, so why not come along and join in the fun?
So, 17 confirmed drivers at this event - should be a really good outing and social event :Thumbs-up
There\'s still places left for more people to book a place at this iconic track; you may have missed the bargain price of £105, but places are still available at £119 (still a good deal) BUT the price will rise to £150 "soon", so don\'t delay if you would like to join the party!
UPDATING
Garages - nearer the date I\'ll sort this out. I\'ll assume most people will be OK sharing 3 cars per garage to keep the costs down (and keeps us closer together!). That\'s enough room to stow gear, plus two cars will fit into one garage anyway. Once the trackday is underway we won\'t all need garage space all the time.
Food on the evening of the trackday - I will ask nearer the time and book somewhere local. I don\'t want to rush straight off and start queuing for the M25 bridge!
I\'m Going
1. Casey - PAID
2. Ian.M - PAID
3. Harrisons5 PAID
4. Harrizone PAID
5. Clive - PAID
6. Dave-B
7. stewartm - PAID
8. mikey2337 (maybe)
9. Zarterone - PAID
10. webbo85 (Simon - Fiesta Diesel) - PAID
11. GSB & GrimReaper - PAID
12. Luigi33 - PAID
13. Conann- PAID
14. Dan507
15. SnarlingDonkey - PAID
16. Wildman10 (with Feathers as talking baggage) PAID
17. Warnock360 - PAID
18. lennycarloff - PAID
19. hypothermia - PAID
20. Chris231- PAID
21. Duffbyname - PAID
22. Tractorboy- PAID
23. Arnie_O - PAID
I\'ve added a downloadable briefing pack as an attachment (see end of post). Mostly familiar stuff to the regulars, but I\'ve added a cautionary note re the legendary "Naz Corner" ;):Giggle
Less than 4 weeks to go :D
If anyone is still up for this, then there were TWO places left at £149 when I checked this evening, so this event will sell out soon.
FOOD IN THE EVENING AFTER THE EVENT: The event will finish around 4.00pm. If you plan to stay to the very end and then pack everything away it will probably not be a good time to catch the M25 and especially the Dartford Crossing :2eek . I therefore plan to stay and eat somewhere nearby and leave later in the evening. You are welcome to join me, but please reply to this post and annotate as I have below. As we are close to Christmas I will need to pre-book a table and need numbers!
CONFIRMED LIST (as far as I know it anyway!)
1. Casey EVENING MEAL
2. Ian.M EVENING MEAL
3. Harrisons5
4. Harrizone EVENING MEAL
5. Clive
6. stewartm & KJB EVENING MEAL
7. Stever EVENING MEAL
8. Zarterone Evening Meal
9. webbo85 EVENING MEAL
10. GSB & GrimReaper EVENING MEAL
11. Luigi33
12. SnarlingDonkey
13. Conann
14. Wildman10 (with Feathers as talking baggage)
15. Warnock360
16. lennycarloff
17. hypothermia
18. Chris231 EVENING MEAL
19. Duffbyname
20. Tractorboy
21. Arnie_O EVENING MEAL
22. Gabor
BUDDYS: I\'ve had several requests for Buddys and will be sorting these out very soon. It\'s still not too late to PM me to request one if you feel you could benefit. Here\'s how the Buddy system works;
Anyone who is new to trackdays, or new to a particular track, can be assured of whatever support they need at most of these events. There are now a number of "veteran" members who have done many trackdays in their RX-8\'s who are willing to offer to “Buddy-Up" with anyone on a one-to-one basis. This can include any or all of;
1. Helping with pre-track car checks, the sign-on process, noise testing and accompanying through the briefing session.
2. Giving a passenger ride to show the basics of driving the track.
3. Sitting in as a passenger on the new person\'s first track session to give some basic pointers (then we\'d advise booking a professional tuition session).
4. Any help/advice for the remainder of the day.
GARAGES: I plan to book EIGHT garages in a “group”, which will give us 1/3 of a garage each to stow our gear, plus one garage for “breathing space or drive through”. This will cost ~£10 each (Cash on the day please, so I can pay NickD). This has worked OK in the past at Brands. The garages will accommodate 2 cars, but there is plenty of room in front and behind each garage to easily take more. During the day, apart from “Red Flag” and the lunchbreak, I’d expect around half of us to be on track anyway. The etiquette is, use your own garage where you can, but if you find it blocked, use one of the others, but be prepared to move your car if someone needs to use their stowed tools on their car.
- If you want more than 1/3 garage then please PM me (it’ll cost you more though!)
- If you want to share a garage with particular friends, let PM me with details as I shall get names put on each garage early in the morning.
- I shall aim to ensure Buddys share a garage with Buddees to make things easier
HOTELS: this is a “daytrip” for me, but if you need accommodation these places have been used by others in the past;
Brands Hatch Thistle (http://www.thistle.com/hotels/united_kingdom/dartford/thistle_brands_hatch/index.html?tmcampid=11&tmad=c&tmplaceref=Thl_UK_d18&tmclickref=desktop&gclid=CLCVvcLl1LgCFbIPtAodel0A-Q)
^This one is right at the main entrance to the circuit, so you won\'t even get your engine warm on the drive to the paddock :D
Conann usually stays at a local Premier Inn; LINK (http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/premier-inn-sevenoaks-maidstone.en-gb.html?aid=314919;label=brands-hatch-A_FllmDSYjJgDgHJ%2AxmUSgS8789216834%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t3%3Aneg;sid=ce683aa78992c049d3e0b7697f7ec2b9;dcid=1)
Or, local pub/restaurant; "The Rising Sun" (how appropriate is that!) where we may well be eating after the trackday; LINK (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g982696-d1419483-r162040677-The_Rising_Sun_Inn_Inglenooks_Restaurant-Fawkham_Sevenoaks_District_Kent_England.html)
We may well be eating here, but the menu prices have risen somewhat, so will be seeking a possible alternative!
I\'ve added a downloadable briefing pack as an attachment (see end of post). Mostly familiar stuff to the regulars, but I\'ve added a cautionary note re the legendary "Naz Corner" ;):Giggle
Less than 4 weeks to go :D
If anyone is still up for this, then there were TWO places left at £149 when I checked this evening, so this event will sell out soon.
FOOD IN THE EVENING AFTER THE EVENT: The event will finish around 4.00pm. If you plan to stay to the very end and then pack everything away it will probably not be a good time to catch the M25 and especially the Dartford Crossing :2eek . I therefore plan to stay and eat somewhere nearby and leave later in the evening. You are welcome to join me, but please reply to this post and annotate as I have below. As we are close to Christmas I will need to pre-book a table and need numbers!
CONFIRMED LIST (as far as I know it anyway!)
1. Casey EVENING MEAL
2. Ian.M EVENING MEAL
3. Harrisons5
4. Harrizone EVENING MEAL
5. Clive
6. stewartm & KJB EVENING MEAL
7. Stever EVENING MEAL
8. Zarterone Evening Meal
9. webbo85 EVENING MEAL
10. GSB & GrimReaper EVENING MEAL
11. Luigi33
12. SnarlingDonkey
13. Conann
14. Wildman10 (with Feathers as talking baggage)
15. Warnock360
16. lennycarloff EVENING MEAL
17. hypothermia
18. Chris231 EVENING MEAL
19. Duffbyname
20. Tractorboy
21. Arnie_O EVENING MEAL
22. Gabor EVENING MEAL
BUDDYS: I\'ve had several requests for Buddys and will be sorting these out very soon. It\'s still not too late to PM me to request one if you feel you could benefit. Here\'s how the Buddy system works;
Anyone who is new to trackdays, or new to a particular track, can be assured of whatever support they need at most of these events. There are now a number of "veteran" members who have done many trackdays in their RX-8\'s who are willing to offer to “Buddy-Up" with anyone on a one-to-one basis. This can include any or all of;
1. Helping with pre-track car checks, the sign-on process, noise testing and accompanying through the briefing session.
2. Giving a passenger ride to show the basics of driving the track.
3. Sitting in as a passenger on the new person\'s first track session to give some basic pointers (then we\'d advise booking a professional tuition session).
4. Any help/advice for the remainder of the day.
GARAGES: I plan to book EIGHT garages in a “groupâ€, which will give us 1/3 of a garage each to stow our gear, plus one garage for “breathing space or drive throughâ€. This will cost ~£10 each (Cash on the day please, so I can pay NickD). This has worked OK in the past at Brands. The garages will accommodate 2 cars, but there is plenty of room in front and behind each garage to easily take more. During the day, apart from “Red Flag†and the lunchbreak, I’d expect around half of us to be on track anyway. The etiquette is, use your own garage where you can, but if you find it blocked, use one of the others, but be prepared to move your car if someone needs to use their stowed tools on their car.
- If you want more than 1/3 garage then please PM me (it’ll cost you more though!)
- If you want to share a garage with particular friends, let PM me with details as I shall get names put on each garage early in the morning.
- I shall aim to ensure Buddys share a garage with Buddees to make things easier
HOTELS: this is a “daytrip†for me, but if you need accommodation these places have been used by others in the past;
Brands Hatch Thistle (http://www.thistle.com/hotels/united_kingdom/dartford/thistle_brands_hatch/index.html?tmcampid=11&tmad=c&tmplaceref=Thl_UK_d18&tmclickref=desktop&gclid=CLCVvcLl1LgCFbIPtAodel0A-Q)
^This one is right at the main entrance to the circuit, so you won\'t even get your engine warm on the drive to the paddock :D
Conann usually stays at a local Premier Inn; LINK (http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/premier-inn-sevenoaks-maidstone.en-gb.html?aid=314919;label=brands-hatch-A_FllmDSYjJgDgHJ%2AxmUSgS8789216834%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t3%3Aneg;sid=ce683aa78992c049d3e0b7697f7ec2b9;dcid=1)
Or, local pub/restaurant; "The Rising Sun" (how appropriate is that!) where we may well be eating after the trackday; LINK (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g982696-d1419483-r162040677-The_Rising_Sun_Inn_Inglenooks_Restaurant-Fawkham_Sevenoaks_District_Kent_England.html)
We may well be eating here, but the menu prices have risen somewhat, so will be seeking a possible alternative!
LAST CALL FOR FOOD ORDERS, I\'ll be booking this first thing tomorrow morning!
Final number of cars booked is now TWENTY-TWO :D
FOOD IN THE EVENING AFTER THE EVENT: The event will finish around 4.00pm. If you plan to stay to the very end and then pack everything away it will probably not be a good time to catch the M25 and especially the Dartford Crossing :2eek . I therefore plan to stay and eat somewhere nearby and leave later in the evening. You are welcome to join me, but please reply to this post and annotate as I have below. As we are close to Christmas I will need to pre-book a table and need numbers!
CONFIRMED LIST (as far as I know it anyway!)
1. Casey EVENING MEAL
2. Ian.M EVENING MEAL
3. Harrisons5
4. Harrizone EVENING MEAL
5. Clive EVENING MEAL
6. stewartm & KJB 2x EVENING MEAL
7. Stever EVENING MEAL
8. Zarterone Evening Meal
9. webbo85 EVENING MEAL
10. GSB & GrimReaper 2x EVENING MEAL
11. Luigi33
12. SnarlingDonkey
13. Conann & Kelvin 2x EVENING MEAL
14. Wildman10 & Annie 2x EVENING MEAL
15. Warnock360 EVENING MEAL
16. lennycarloff EVENING MEAL
17. hypothermia EVENING MEAL
18. Chris231 EVENING MEAL
19. Duffbyname
20. Tractorboy
21. Arnie_O EVENING MEAL
22. Gabor EVENING MEAL
BUDDYS: I\'ve had several requests for Buddys and will be sorting these out very soon. It\'s still not too late to PM me to request one if you feel you could benefit. Here\'s how the Buddy system works;
Anyone who is new to trackdays, or new to a particular track, can be assured of whatever support they need at most of these events. There are now a number of "veteran" members who have done many trackdays in their RX-8\'s who are willing to offer to “Buddy-Up" with anyone on a one-to-one basis. This can include any or all of;
1. Helping with pre-track car checks, the sign-on process, noise testing and accompanying through the briefing session.
2. Giving a passenger ride to show the basics of driving the track.
3. Sitting in as a passenger on the new person\'s first track session to give some basic pointers (then we\'d advise booking a professional tuition session).
4. Any help/advice for the remainder of the day.
GARAGES: I plan to book EIGHT garages in a “group”, which will give us 1/3 of a garage each to stow our gear, plus one garage for “breathing space or drive through”. This will cost ~£10 each (Cash on the day please, so I can pay NickD). This has worked OK in the past at Brands. The garages will accommodate 2 cars, but there is plenty of room in front and behind each garage to easily take more. During the day, apart from “Red Flag” and the lunchbreak, I’d expect around half of us to be on track anyway. The etiquette is, use your own garage where you can, but if you find it blocked, use one of the others, but be prepared to move your car if someone needs to use their stowed tools on their car.
- If you want more than 1/3 garage then please PM me (it’ll cost you more though!)
- If you want to share a garage with particular friends, let PM me with details as I shall get names put on each garage early in the morning.
- I shall aim to ensure Buddys share a garage with Buddees to make things easier
HOTELS: this is a “daytrip” for me, but if you need accommodation these places have been used by others in the past;
Brands Hatch Thistle (http://www.thistle.com/hotels/united_kingdom/dartford/thistle_brands_hatch/index.html?tmcampid=11&tmad=c&tmplaceref=Thl_UK_d18&tmclickref=desktop&gclid=CLCVvcLl1LgCFbIPtAodel0A-Q)
^This one is right at the main entrance to the circuit, so you won\'t even get your engine warm on the drive to the paddock :D
Conann usually stays at a local Premier Inn; LINK (http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/premier-inn-sevenoaks-maidstone.en-gb.html?aid=314919;label=brands-hatch-A_FllmDSYjJgDgHJ%2AxmUSgS8789216834%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t3%3Aneg;sid=ce683aa78992c049d3e0b7697f7ec2b9;dcid=1)
Or, local pub/restaurant; "The Rising Sun" (how appropriate is that!) where we may well be eating after the trackday; LINK (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g982696-d1419483-r162040677-The_Rising_Sun_Inn_Inglenooks_Restaurant-Fawkham_Sevenoaks_District_Kent_England.html)
We may well be eating here, but the menu prices have risen somewhat, so will be seeking a possible alternative![/QUOTE]
Less than two weeks now :)
FOOD :mmmm:mmmm
I need EVERYONE\'S choice of food by PM (or via this thread), by midnight Saturday absolute latest.
TWO menus are available
Festive Menu (http://www.beefeatergrill.co.uk/beefeater/christmas1.html) - choose from the "Festive celeb.." menu
Main Menu (http://www.beefeatergrill.co.uk/beefeater/food-drink/menus.html) - Main menu
It\'s going to be far easier for me if everyone makes their choices from the Festive Menu (£19.99, 3 courses), but if you really don\'t like the choices then choose from the main menu.
I have to deliver the food selections to the restaurant by Monday morning. As there are 21 of us staying to eat, pre-ordering will hopefully mean we get some better and faster service than on out last visit!
If you\'ve PM\'d me over on the RX8OC you don\'t need to respond on here - unless you are extremely hungry :Giggle
booked the thistle sunday at brands just coming for a look see on monday and get some photos, of the race car see you the :Viking
See you there tiny
:guinness
Enjoy yourselves guys.
Look forward to seeing you there Tony :WaveBye
Great you can come along Tony, I\'ll look forward to seeing you there :)
In case anyone has yet to check, the weather forecast is looking good for Brands on Monday.
Mon
9. Dec
Partly Cloudy 10° High
6° Overnight Low
Partly Cloudy
CHANCE OF RAIN 0%
WIND W at 8 mph
:cool:cool:cool:cool:cool
Sorry to do this but I am not going to make it because of work
Hope you have a great day
Jim
:wave
^^^^^^ Great shame Jim you will be missed. Couple of days ago we had someone looking for a space but got fixed up. Have you tried putting up a thread to at least recover some of your money.
Quote from: lennycarloff;868881Sorry to do this but I am not going to make it because of work
Hope you have a great day
Jim
:wave
Arrrrrgggggggg, sorry to hear this plus I already had your pads packed and ready :o
Quote from: Lisa;868878In case anyone has yet to check, the weather forecast is looking good for Brands on Monday.
Mon
9. Dec
Partly Cloudy 10° High
6° Overnight Low
Partly Cloudy
CHANCE OF RAIN 0%
WIND W at 8 mph
:cool:cool:cool:cool:cool
Cool :cool
Thats the tyre choice made; now I just need to hope the other \'gremlins\' with the car stay away...
Quote from: lennycarloff;868881Sorry to do this but I am not going to make it because of work
Hope you have a great day
Jim
:wave
bugger who can i have a drink with now :guinness. sorry you cannot make it, how about you throw a sickey then mate :Giggle:Giggle
THE:Viking
Hi tony , sorry pal I do wish I could, this is supposed to be my quite time of the year,
Not to worry I will see you all soon for beer and rotary fun
Jiim
Jim, devastated to hear you can\'t make it :(
You\'ll be sadly missed; I was really looking forward to being on track with you again. Hope to see you sometime real soon.
Dam Jim can\'t make it... It\'s always a god laugh when your around mate.
Sorry work has thrown a spanner in the plans but if its any cancelation I know how it feels
Because Jim cannot make it I have had to go for a swim/sauna in the hotel but got board so off to the bar for a pint:guinness and some grub see some of you tomorrow but I will not be there till 09.30 ish due to filling up for breakfast .sorry you cannot make it Jim
Please please please, lots of pics and videos and in-car videos!!! :) For some reason I love Brands Hatch even though I havent been there. ;)
Btw, any idea is there rotary day next July, in Brands? Planning holiday, it would be nice to visit there...
Anyways, have a great day :)
It should be an interesting track this morning with it not raining but still being slippery from last night, I am not going out think about it.
Have a fun and safe day
:wave
just for CHRIS :Thumbsup!
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2582_zps8cb4b694.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2537_zps3867d862.jpg)
Now some of yours click on the slide show below
http://s931.photobucket.com/user/1519tank/slideshow/
Hot day on the track
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/clives%20track%20car/IMG_2817_zpse32b1844.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2553_zps5397956b.jpg)
clive,s HOT ROD click on slide show below :flamed:flamed:flamed
http://s931.photobucket.com/user/1519tank/slideshow/clives%20track%20car
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2542_zps8aca6e32.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2568_zpsc46769a4.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2549_zps843c7a0c.jpg)
last but not least
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2619_zps2942a74b.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/IMG_2617_zps3742b989.jpg)
Hard day at the office
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad156/1519tank/clives%20track%20car/IMG_2545_zps5e3eb104.jpg)
Fantastic photo\'s Tony. Well done.
Like the flame spitting RX8, although it now has a appropriate engine in it :Giggle :Giggle :Giggle :Giggle FD\'s rule (well when they work)
Looks like everyone had a great day.
Chris
Great day again in even greater company. Sorry to only of had a very brief natter to both yourself Tony and also to Jim on turning up. I was having so much fun on track that I clocked about 150 miles on the day my most ever, and so eventually the brakes paid for it, sparks and smoke it would appear from what I have been told, although the braking efficiency wasn\'t impaired otherwise I would have been off at Paddock/Druids/Clearways take your choice. :D
Good to see Clive out there in what has all the makings of an epic car, when the niggles are ironed out, and a good from effort from Karim and Jay on the day.
What a brilliant day; people, weather, track conditions and the meal afterwards combined to make an excellent day out. Thank you to all those who supported the event and had fun on the track, plus those who just came along to watch and have a chat. One of the best trackdays yet from my perspective. Thank you also to the volunteer Buddys for helping out at the start of the day.
Like Rote8, I was having so much fun on track that I, too only had brief chats with most people. I seemed to have missed talking to Tony completely (sorry Tony; I did try and find you to get your car on the grid at lunchtime but couldn\'t find you :o) and only spoke to Jim very briefly. It was really good of Jim to turn up unexpectedly with the great beaming smile of his, even though he was clearly gutted not to be out on track with us. Look forward to being out with you next year Jim :)
I managed several laps of sub 61 seconds, but still failed to clock that elusive sub 60 second lap :Hammer . No “live†timing was done, simply analysis after each session. Conann managed to show (or was that scare?) me how to gain an extra second or two, mostly through Paddock Hill bend, but I don’t have his skill (aka balls) to pull it off (yet!).
Having mainly RX-8’s, MX-5’s (and GT-86 of course ;) ) made for a very “balanced†set of cars on track, nothing was insanely fast (until Clive gets the race car tuned that is :Laugh ) so not too much of a problem with having to constantly look in the mirror.
Talking of Clive’s race car; what a beast :mmmm ! It looks and sounds gorgeous:mmmm:mmmm. A lot of effort has gone into that car by a lot of people â€" congratulations to them all :Thumbsup! . Mating a turboed RX-7 engine mechanically and electronically to an RX-8 chassis and ECU is no mean feat. It was great to see it out on track (and lap it a few times :Giggle ), but I’m sure it will be monstrous once all the tuning and gremlins have been sorted.
I’m relieved to report that no-one in our group had any “offs†or contact incidents (at least that I am aware of). Tempting fate, I’ve done 34 trackdays now and all I’ve done is abuse countless brake pads, a few sets of disks, burned loads of rubber, consumed masses of oil……… and one slightly buckled wheel, courtesy of some rather aggressive red and white kerbing on a corner exit at Oulton Park (and that was all NickD’s fault as he was urging me on ;):Giggle ).
I\'m still as thrilled now (maybe addicted is the correct word :) ) by how well the RX-8 behaves in the corners on track. Even with the greasy conditions at "Clearways" in the morning, the car would just give a warning "twitch" to communicate you were on the limit and it was easily corrected (mostly by the DSC :o)
That’s it for me for a few months; I’ll be looking into possible trackdays for next year, but doubt I’ll be out again until March, but you never know…….
Huge thanks to Malcolm for organising everything yesterday, excellent day out with so many excellent people in attendance.
Sorry if I did not get to talk to all of you but obviously I was a little preoccupied with the first outing for the new race car
Could I ask that if anyone has pictures or video of the car that they post up everything they have as this will help me see what was going on from outside the car.