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The weather held out and apart from a tiny brief spitting the day was warm and the track dry
Noise test was 98 Db at approx 4.5k revs.
Getting ready putting my boots on.
Marshal check, wrist band and helmet strap etc.
The day started pretty crap really.
I went out and it was the worst experience I have had so far (have done 15 seperate track/motosport events). The day had the higest volume of super fast cars that I had previously experienced. For example there was a jaganaught that arrived with two Ultimas in it, and there was a further jaganaught with two Radicals in it. Both had booked a double garage each and looked to be hospitaility days giving out fast rides all day to their people. Plenty cars all rolled cage kitted out, not your average track day really, most of the cars looked like they would normally have been doing a test day, Brands were also doing ARDS tests that day.
So I went out and spent the time feeling hunted to the inner edge of the track all the way round. Came in very dejected which Gary saw clearly. So talked about it and that we had all paid the same price and that my car could corner very well. So with fire in my belly off out I went again. Gary rode as passenger which gave the extra pair of eyes to see what was coming up behind.
The end result was by the third (proper) time out other cars realised that in fact I could go quick and that if they had not passed me either just before Druids or immediately afterwards, they had to stick behind all the way to Braburn straight. It was incredible, got the pace so fast that I was no longer being lapped by the super fast cars, it was taking them two laps+ to pass again. Gary was saying more 'following' to let me know keep my line and do as I wanted as the car behind was not looking to pass.
Poor car took a beating though, used over 1/4 litre of oil and a first, Gary left the circuit to get more fuel, I had used a whole tank and was not through yet and what was left would not see us out! Spent the day in the 6-7000 rev range, used a full tank in 105 track miles, worked out at 13.5 MPG
I finally have the grounding I am happy with to now carry on working on for Clearways and Paddock. Both corners I have not been happy with and was looking forward to working on some more. Paddock is 4th with changing to 3rd for Druids. I carry 3rd all the way to pit straight. My next aim is to drop the dab for Clearways and Paddock, as this I feel is habit more than necessary as several times I did both corners with neither (just either a left off and/or throttle balance) and used all the track on corner exit with wheel feeding out.
Tyres, well impressed so decided I rather like my Dunlops (SP Sport Maxx extra load). The tyre wear was even across the whole tread face with little bias to it being a right handed circuit. Previously a day like that would have seen my old P7000 left slanted and causing wheel vibrations. Don't get me wrong, the tyres did wear down and get hot and soft, just the pattern of contact with the track I think held pretty true. I did roughtly 15 laps each time I went out, so the rubber did well, as it did not over heat and loose traction and go like mush.
This pic is after doing 50 motorway miles to get home, so does not truely show the wear that had occured.
It took driving all the way to Rally Day for all the tyre wubs to flick off, kept thinking there was stuff hanging out the boot flapping around, lol.
Whilst the tyres did not out right squeel, they did just hold the edge of traction, pretty much flat out through Surtees saw the rear jumping, which made sort of a banging type noise (jolly good job got a spare wheel tied down in the boot, need the weight). I love having LSD
This guy passed me on the straight, but followed me on the preceeding corners.
I had my turn being frustrated on the other foot as there were a couple cars that held me up through Surtees for example, one was an Evo 10!! Though I realise a car is only as good as the driver is confident, irrospective of the car.
This was super fast! Fully stripped out with a cage and changed seats that were about 1 inch off the floor pan
