what a day!
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 05-Apr-2005, 09:06pm
quotes "the supersix corners like a frog!" unquotes
hmmm need stiffer springs on the front and heavier dampers
but you know, at legal speeds on the road back home it was taut and balanced again, is there a compromise to be achieved?
bin
hmmm need stiffer springs on the front and heavier dampers
but you know, at legal speeds on the road back home it was taut and balanced again, is there a compromise to be achieved?
bin
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what a day!
Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 05-Apr-2005, 10:19pm
Sooo.... "SuperFrog" will be improved?
We'll it is GREEN and it does have the 'FROG EYE' bonnet
....
*careful - these names can stick*
Not my fault guv..
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what a day!
Posted By : Steve Smith, 05-Apr-2005, 10:57pm
Hey,
I thought your track day was this coming weekend? You guys went today? Tuesday? That was Silverstone correct?
How about a turn by turn for the bleedin Yanks that will never get to run with you guys?
Glad the weather was good for ya!
Steve in Las Vegas-
what a day!
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 06-Apr-2005, 04:34am
url engine troubles here! try the trird post (or the last post...!)-
what a day!
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 06-Apr-2005, 04:36am
misfire, please excuse-
what a day!
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 06-Apr-2005, 04:38am
"How about a turn by turn for the bleedin Yanks that will never get to run with you guys?"
Steve, tr this for size, can you visualise this?
Mallory Park, in the outback of Leicestershire, a short circuit with two lakes in the infield
Over the start/finish line change up from 3rd to top and perhaps a touch of overdrive top before dropping out of o/d on the short straight before tipping the car into Gerrards, the longest right hand bend in the world&8230; more than 180 degrees.
Gerrards: keep as tight a line as possible, for the first half of the corner run with the inside wheel inside the painted line which marks the inside edge of the track but beware this instrip runs out halfway around the corner and ends in a muddy puddle.
From the halfway point (no apex as such) feed in full throttle and as the corned finally finishes allow the car to unwind the corner and drift the width of the track to the left hand edge, taking care to be aware of faster cars who might want to pass on either the left or the right down the back straight.
Before the marshals hut half way down the back straight tip in o/d at about 100 mph (5000 rpm 327 diff and 2500 engine) and line the car up for the right hand entry into the Lake Esses, maxing out at about 110 mph I guess.
Under braking for the Lake Esses, drop out of o/d and turn in from the left hand side of the track to the right, taking some rumble strip with the unloaded right hand wheels. Straight-line the Esses taking rumble strip with the left wheels if there&8217;s no-one in the way and run wide on the exit, all in top gear for the run up the hill to the right hand hairpin.
If Gerrards is the loooongest corner in the world then the Hairpin is the tightest!
Taking a wide left line and being aware for the &8220;glory diver&194;&8221; coming up the inside, it&194;&8217;s hardhardhard on the brakes, into third and into second just before the turn in, making the turn as close to the wall as possible, with the back end unloaded with all the braking, turning and gear changing, it&8217;s hard on the throttle to flick the tail of the car around the Hairpin, steering as much with the back wheels as the front.
Keep a tight exit line, into third on the run back down the hill before choosing a line through the left hand Devil&8217;s Elbow. Take it tight and there&8217;s a big dip in the road to upset the suspension (ask me how I know) take it wide and the road is flatter, but it&8217;s further.
As the Elbow straightens onto the Pits Straight, it&8217;s over the start/finish line, back into top gear and line up for Gerrards, all over again.
Well, that&8217;s how I was doing it as a novice, any alternatives from the experts?
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what a day!
Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 06-Apr-2005, 08:27am
Hmm , okay... Bin's lap was a guessitmated 1:09 secs in his 2.5 litre 'SuperFrog'
- now about the 'fast way'
On a flying lap you should cross the start finish line in about the centre of the track and aim for the outside in plenty of time for Gerrards Corner in 4th (no O/d here). Lift off, short dab of brakes and glide over the entry 'bump' nice and wide into the corner, stay wide until about half way around where the track starts to tighten a little and then bring the car gently into the apex which is at the very end of the small curb that appears and this point. Keep that lock on until you exit the corner and it will set you up to 'tag' the exit curb which is blind until you reach it.
Plaster it down the main straight an hit the brakes just after the entry to the new chicane (which we don't use), into third (heel and toe) and turn late (at the change of tarmac where the chicane rejoins the circuit) and try to clip the apex at the very end of the curb on the inside. Don't over cook the corner as you want to straight-line the Esses to the next curb which you can just drive over as your changing back to 4th. Stay left over the rise and hit the brakes hard while working your way back down the gears all the way to 1st for the hairpin. 2nd gear will have the wheels spinning but first is much more stable.
Turn into the hairpin at the change of tarmac just before being parallel with the apex (which is a wall so don't try to clip it) and almost throw the car into it. On exit you should aim for the end of the exit curb as you accellerate for maximum traction, but don't use this curb as it is very bumpy and then quickly come back to the right before the Devils elbow.
You should be up the third gear by the time you are cresting the 'rise' just before the corner and this is your turning point - but do not apex on the first curb! Stay at least a cars width wide of it and drift back out slightly before bringing the car back in for the second curb which you can apex. You then drift the car to the outside as your speed will dicate this and you can start to bring it back across the the left as you blast it down the Start/Finish straight.
My best... 1:01 secs in a 1500 spit (was lap record for a year),current lap record 58.5 Secs in a 1300 Spit by Martin Stackpool (Class A) or 55.003 Seconds in 1300 Spit by Andy Vowell (Class C)
http://www.tssc.org.uk/triumphracing_circuits.asp?...-
what a day! Vote of thanks!
Posted By : John Davies, 06-Apr-2005, 10:46am
Thanks to Nigel, and to Mike Hughes of the TR Register, for organising the Track Day. Even more road cars this year, got to be good.
What did people think of the rolling road? I didn't use it, but would be interested in opinions.
John
PS some pics already posted - TR emphasis - at http://malcolm-paris.fotopic.net/c490996.html J.-
what a day! Vote of thanks!
Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 06-Apr-2005, 11:59am
Thanks should really go to Chris Cunnington (TR Register) afterall, he (and his team) did the real work during the day. He recognised me even with my crash-helmet on as Fred was about to show me 'what she's got'... He confirmed there and then that this will definately be happening next year
BTW - Fred is a very spirited driver and you class A guys should watch out next year She didn't need hardly any 'pointers'
1:11 secs in a totally bog standard spitfire (A008s on the rear but two up) with a suspect blowing head gasket
*Lawkes*-
what a day! Vote of thanks!
Posted By : Mark Hadfield, 06-Apr-2005, 01:20pm
Yeah great day, good to meet up with everyone again plenty of track time for the money good to see all the racers cars looking good and seeing all the cars going back in one piece and i have to say all that winter testing at the nurburg has really paid off for you JY looking good
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what a day! Vote of thanks!
Posted By : Steve Smith, 06-Apr-2005, 01:26pm
Thanx Bin and Nig,
It's funny, I've only visited two tracks in the UK. Thruxton and Mallory. I thought Bin's initial description sounded like Mallory from my one day trip in September 2001.
I couldn't see the esses but all the rest of the description is vivid. I like the line about heroic passes in the hairpin. I saw that effect with two of the GT6's. Who was in the heroic Spitfire shaming the TR's until one of them cut down his tire on the entry to Gerrards? Does that Jog any memories?
My in-laws think I'm nuts driving up from Southampton but that day was the highlight of my trip!!
Steve-
what a day! Vote of thanks!
Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 06-Apr-2005, 02:39pm
That was Paul Lucas on Outright pole.... ('cos the V8s were put into a different race).
I was a spectator in that one as My engine had expired during practice
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what a day! Vote of thanks!
Posted By : Ben Ferguson, 08-Apr-2005, 11:56pm
I used the rolling road, as did steve cooper in the fastback white spit. It was &163;15 for a power run, which was reasonable I thought. After seeing these cars on the rollers and also a TR7 V8 run up to full power (255bhp) while standing behind the exhaust, I now want to do this as a job! Getting paid to thrash nice cars, yes please!
72.8bhp out of the TH5 herald....work to be done!
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what a day!
Posted By : Vin Poonwassie, 06-Apr-2005, 03:12pm
And to illustrate the hairpin and Bin's ("SF") car......
what a day!
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what a day!
Posted By : James Carruthers, 07-Apr-2005, 10:54am
Bit too tight to the wall there!
Great day was had by me... here's me on the hairpin...
Thanks to Nigel for showing me the line...
what a day!
what a day!
Posted By : Carl Swanson, 07-Apr-2005, 11:41pm
A great day indeed!
I was the strange man in the Acclaim!
I would imagine most people had a bit of a chuckle when they saw they Acclaim, but after it went past quite a few TR's, Vitesse's, Spitfires, the laughing stopped.
Anything special about the Acclaim? No. Standard car. Only two things that helped-
1. Good quality Goodyear GT2 tyres all the way round.
2. Driver being an motorbike racer who completed six different races at Mallory, and its much easier on four wheels (it generally doesn't hurt if you crash a car!)
Best of luck to all you racers, and hope to see you on Saturday at Silverstone! No, just watching!
Cheers,
Carl Swanson.
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what a day!
Posted By : Keith Dandridge, 08-Apr-2005, 08:52am
And I presume, as a biker, you were the only person taking the Bus Stop and Edwina's?? -
what a day!
Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 08-Apr-2005, 11:37am
I didn't see the Acclaim until I went to the pitwall to take some shots... My immediate thought was "brilliant, that's exactly what I want to see"
And you were 'shifting' too - I was impressed
I hope I got some good pictures....
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what a day!
Posted By : Carl Swanson, 08-Apr-2005, 12:19pm
Thanks Nig,
I have some pictures from my mate that came with me on the day, and some others from the 'official' photographers.
If you have some, please let me know.
Several other Acclaim owners want to take part in the next track day too!
Perhaps see you at S'stone.
Cheers,
Carl.-
what a day!
Posted By : Julian Belcher, 08-Apr-2005, 05:10pm
I was just a tad nervous about putting the Vitesse on the track, as apart from checking that it went in to gear it had not turned a wheel...So target number one was to complete a lap.
As it turned out the car went better than I dared to imagine as by the end of my third session I was leaning on it a bit through the corners, and a few adjustments to soften up the back end meant that it really handled quite well. (For the technical types I disconnected the rear anti-roll bar and softened the damping) The brakes are awful but I think that much of the problem comes from having a standard master cylinder and 4-pots on the front and discs on the back. But three pumps before each corner at least gave me a pedal.
Thanks for all of the compliments about the car, it was also nice to put faces to the people I have been talking toand who have helped me over the last year. I was impressed by the innovative thinking on the Silverback Racing Vitesse, and generally the standard of cars was pretty good. in fact the finish was almost universally better than the awful spray job on my car.
Everyone was really friendly, and the club spirit also showed through on the track. I did about 40 laps and was not baulked or chopped by anyone, and that is a first for me. (I hope that I didn't get in anyones way myself.) Excellent driving from everyone!
I have been told that I can come out and play racing in the invitation class a couple of times this season by the very amenable chap who runs the race series (forgotten his name) but once again after being just a number to BARC it was pleasant to be asked...
Thanks again to everyone who took part...-
what a day!
Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 08-Apr-2005, 07:24pm
Hi Julian,
Regulations have changed a little with regard to inviation races for this year.... you now can officially be invited to as many as you want not just the original two
All you have to do is let me know....
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what a day!
Posted By : James Carruthers, 08-Apr-2005, 09:09pm
Those GT2's certainly took a pounding!
Check out the rear!
what a day!-
what a day!
Posted By : Carl Swanson, 11-Apr-2005, 12:09pm
What a great picture..!
Thanks very much.
The n/s front tyres did take a good thrashing, as there are little bits missing off the outside tread!
Cheers,
Carl.-
what a day! Ouch!!
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 12-Apr-2005, 10:00am
This photo has come my way, not all survivived the tyrackday unscathers, wonder how he explained it to the missus when he got home
reminiscent of the TR that crashed at lemans on the Mulsanne staright on the parade laps
J
what a day! Ouch!!-
what a day! Ouch!!
Posted By : Vin Poonwassie, 12-Apr-2005, 01:13pm
Judging from that pic Bin, not such a lucky Leprchaun!, by the looks of the headrest the driver ended up wispering sweet nothings into the Bears ear
..... (or was that just
before the accident?)
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