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#1 User is offline   Dogsbody 

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 06:13 AM

On Tuesday a friend and I attended Gurston Down Hill climb school.
A unusual track as you actually start going down hill !
The fastest Hill climb track in the country, the record speeds are 144 mph at the hollow and 162 mph at the finish !

After spectating for a number of years, my mate had this urge to drive "the Hill" so we signed up for the school.
8 runs in anger they promised us.
Posted Image
So we arrived bright and early on a thankfully dry morning.
Me car 1 :blink:/>

A lot of the "Class" were people who race at Gurston and were using it to brush up, many having done the school more than once before.
I think only 4 of us were "virgins".

They didn't like my Simpson Bandit crash helmet as it had the wrong numbers in it :(/> so I had to borrow one.
But after the class room bit we walked the hill. I couldn't believe how steep it was. spectating you don't appreciate it.

Anyway, we then had two convoy runs. our group had a Porsche leading us and he didn't hang about.

Then it was our go, cones marked apex and braking points etc. we were told as close to the cones as you could go as that was the perfect line.
https://youtu.be/e8gF_KYc2QY

There were three instructors at the three most technical points on the hill watching. After two runs we were to return to the pits for feedback from each.

Feed back for me was very good, embarrassingly so, as my mate was listening in.

Two more runs with the cones.
One of the instructors from the Karosel had a big grin as he approached. Evidently one of the cones had rocked as I shot past. That is the LIMIT of the track he told me. "You sure you've not done this before" ?

After lunch things were spiced up a bit as the cones were removed. We were told we would be marked on our runs as there was a year long competition.
So tone it down for accuracy. Not really me that so it was maximum attack as usual. I find I make more mistakes if I concentrate too much!
First run no cones, I had a the back going loose under braking for the Karosel where I braked fractionally late, you can just see me correct it with opposite lock before I turn right in to Karosel.
https://youtu.be/UMuZLMJe0TY

None of the runs were timed as it was a school, but I recorded all but one run on a GoPro so know i was doing 45 seconds from run 1 to run 9 give or take a few 10ths.
I could have gone faster at the start, but it wasn't against the clock..

The highest score of the year so far was from a hill racer, 93%. my score 89% which I was very happy with.

When I ordered the pictures, the photographer said he had heard comments about me and that I would be back racing.
I enjoyed it, but at £120 entry, new helmet, and nomex suit for 4 miles of the Hill.
I think not :P/>


Well worth the £165 the day cost and highly recommended if you want to brush up on your driving accuracy.
http://www.gurstondown.org/
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#2 User is offline   happy-kat 

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 07:50 AM

Thank you for sharing that sounds like a great experience and quite a lot of action/doing for the day.
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#3 User is offline   V4FRP 

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Posted 13 June 2016 - 07:27 AM

You could try the Prescott school next Graham, similar format and just as good fun. They also do a refresher course for competitors and others where you just do runs up the hill. I'm looking to do that one next year and quite fancy the Gurston one you've just done.

#4 User is offline   warrenpenalver 

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Posted 23 June 2016 - 09:06 PM

Looks like a lot of fun.

View PostDogsbody, on 10 June 2016 - 06:13 AM, said:


I enjoyed it, but at £120 entry, new helmet, and nomex suit for 4 miles of the Hill.
I think not Posted Image/>


realistically the way the msa are going you will need an indate helmet and a suit for trackdays too within a few years. to be fair i think its a good idea.
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#5 User is offline   Dogsbody 

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Posted 27 June 2016 - 06:29 AM

View PostV4FRP, on 13 June 2016 - 07:27 AM, said:

You could try the Prescott school next Graham, similar format and just as good fun. They also do a refresher course for competitors and others where you just do runs up the hill. I'm looking to do that one next year and quite fancy the Gurston one you've just done.

I think I saw a photo of a cousin doing Prescott on facebook the other day.
Look out for Terry Sexton, driving a classic single seater.
MK4 XR3i
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R Reg 1.7 Puma
T Reg 1.7 Lux Puma
Now its Racing Puma 072

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