My first Track experience
I`ve had one ten minute experience on track before the saturday just gone. I was invited to a Palmer sport race day through the work i`ve been doing on the Longbridge re development.
Day started with breakfast and then off to the “off road courseâ€. As a ‘filler’ we had to do a head to head timed caterham wet course, bit of a double figure of 8 with doughnut to end and then park the car. In a best of 3 I kicked the landscape/planning guy from downstairs a*se, 3-0 (I enjoyed this a lot as he's very competitive at everything he does). I managed 3 good doughnuts as well- loved that to bits and I was already on a high.
Next was the off road course- I don’t like heights so it was interesting. I have a lot of respect for that land rover defender- awesome machine in its own right. Finished 10th
JP1 Jag
Next up was twin seater jag. I spent a lot of time learning the track layout with the instructor and not driving like a maniac. Everyone else in my group span it- in hindsight I didn’t push it enough. Finished 7th
A bit of go karting in between as a filler- I used my weight advantage to put in a lap time 1.5 seconds quicker than anyone in our whole group.
Ah the best car of the lot was next, same track as the JP1 so I knew it welll now, and went for it.
Formula Jag- its actually me in this shot!
This is 5th gear flat our and not lifting round a right hander- notice the 3 wheels?!!!- Scariest thing i`ve ever done. I got some kind feedback from the instructors on this one- The old guy who was running this event came running up to me in the pits as I was getting out and said, “That’s how you are supposed to do it, Brilliant, that was seriously quick – you were kicking that b**tch’s a**â€
I won the award for this event as I was lapping considerably quicker than anyone else out there- but no points awarded on this event.
XKR
Sounded like thunder pulling off, and the SC screamed as you went down the straights. I was really looking forward to driving this but all its electronics kept killing the power- most disappointing thing I drove all day. Finished 7th. Didnt get time to learn the track layout.
Caterham
Loved this, on slicks they have so much grip and they are so responsive and balanced. The instructor thanked me for being very brave and making him laugh a lot (this was after a near 80m power slide coming a little too fast out of a fast right hander where he was saying “its gone- let it go†but I refused and someone how managed to save it). I had three moments like that- all where he said its gone leave it- and twice I saved it- with a hell of a lot of smoke and crossed arms!
He had warned me prior to getting in the car that i`d got the short straw and had the car which likes to step out more than the others if you corner without any power- said my car control skills were a lot better than I thought they were, and I should be very pleased. Finished 2nd
Porsche 911 JP3
Found this hard to drive on a new track, learnt a lot about MR drive cars and how to take corners. Nice smooth bit of kit. Finished 5th
Clio Cup
On same track as the Porsche, so I could push it quite hard. Felt much more at home with FWD. Instructor loved my aggressive style and pushed me harder and harder until I set the fastest time they’d seen for a while. A good second quicker than the others in my group.. and shockingly just over a second off the pace of my Porsche 911 time! Instructor was dead chuffed as he’s had a day full of poor times.
Finished second in driver of the day- got an award for my ballsy performance in the formula jag (that event carried no points- otherwise I would have been 15 points clear winner for the day). That award went to my boss, who had done this last year so he had a slight advantage!
Quality day, i`d like to do it again but at near 1k per place I don’t think it will happen again!
Now i need somone to take me out in a GTM to insprire me to get my behind shifting- and also to see how it behaves- i`m not sure MR cars suit my style too well.
Alex
