Castle Combe map
Bobs account of his laps....
Session1 - passenger Ravi
Pulls onto the Track into a traffic jam! A few cars come past in the initial mayhem, but soon a rhythm comes together. Have a little battle with a 205 GTI (fitted with roll cage n stuff so quite serious), manage to get by him after the esses. ** THIS IS COOL **
Managed to carry more momentum through the last corner and overtake another car through up the start finish straight. A couple of laps go by and the car is beginning to understeer more and more. (or perhaps I was wanting more and more grip from the tyres!).
I start to catch a Cavalier SRI 130, I set him up to take him on the start finish straight but he carries more momentum through the corner than I expect. I'm still catching him though, I'll have to brake later to get past, I start to brake later than I really should have done for Quarry. The car twitches a little understeering.........understeering.......come on, grip, feathering the throttle a bit, TURN IN PLEASE understeering over the kerb left wheels onto the grass, kicking up some dust at the cavalier. I nail the throttle down the straight to the esses, brake late again so the Cavalier won't be able to catch me. The back goes out well wide, I catch it, it tries to jump back the other way, throttle welded to the floor and she straightens up and flies off down hammer down straight
We need to do something about that understeer.....
The laps are over now, can't wait for the next session
Spen's take on his laps....
Session2 - passenger Tony
Ok. I'd never even sat in the driving seat and I'd never driven the track (or any track for that matter) and here we were sitting on the start grid! Just behind us was a D-type replica with a sweet sounding V8. How long would it be before they flew past? Bricking it doesn't quite cover the situation but it will do. We were soon on the track. Nothing came by. Nothing too close behind either!! Roaring around we were. Having fun we were. Spin off we did! I got a bit too eager with the gas - power was down before I started turning into the chicane. Major slide but I did manage to keep it facing the right way catch a gear, first I think, and start again.
No-one had passed us but now we had a Integra type R closing fast. I moved over still replaying the semi spin in my head. I followed for a lap then decided to go for it again. Roaring around we were. Having fun we were. Spin we did
Same place
different screw up. Pleased as punch about the line I got through quarry I suddenly arrived at the chicane. Unprepared.
The braking point had been and gone. The run off area didn't occur to me. Heavy on the breaks.**CRUNCH**
into second. Then the rears locked. I didn't even try to correct the slide, I dumped the clutch and started laughing. **SMACK**
We hit the popup bollards. Cool. We finished up on the grass having done a 180. Three cars passed. I was pissed off
with myself by now - it really only does take a split second lapse and bang.
With the engine still running determined I set off again in pursuit of the fourth place golf GTI 16v. Close him down we did. Stick to him like glue we did. Move over he did!! I think he was worried I might take him out in the approaching chicane.
I blame the tyres. They were screwed by the time I plonked my bottom in the car. It wasn't my crap attention span that made me spin at all....
Overall the day was excellent. Anyone reading this, I say to you 'Go and buy a car' - I saw a Nissan Silvia turbo for £250 'and get on the track'.
Ravi at the wheel....
Session3 - passenger Taff
My first experience of the car was being Bob's passenger. Now, of all the people to be a passenger to, I think it's a bit of a harsh start being Bob's passenger. He's a bit .... uncomplicated. Pedal to the floor, stick the car on it's limit. Too bloody right! After recovering from that rip-roaring session, being mightily impressed with the grunt from the 2.9 and Bob's balance in corners, I felt it was my turn.
After a very long wait in the pit lane because of a spun-out Audi, it was go. First off, I love the acceleration. Secondly, that first left-hander before Quarry is a bit of a devilish corner really. I remembered to turn in later than you would expect when you first see Quarry and .... balanced the car through Quarry very nicely! The four wheel drive is lovely (not so much crappy understeer like my normal car) and the steering is precise (which is saying something for a heavy Sierra).
Three laps later, and with a bit too much confidence I go into a chicane in a gear too many. Snapping down, lifting off the clutch, and this happens :
Ravi thinks : "Ooohhh. Power to the back wheels"
Ravi thinks : "Mmmmm going too fast"
Ravi thinks : "Mmmmm back seems to be getting away"
Ravi thinks : "I'm going round"
Ravi thinks : "I'm going round"
Ravi thinks : "I'm going round"
Ravi fails to think : Turn into the spin you twonk
Ravi thinks, but too late : Turn into the spin you twonk
Ravi then proceeds to do a 270 in the chicane. Passenger Taff gets a mouthful of dust as it pours in through the open window.
Two laps later and I'm done. But I'm grinning, and thinking how much it would cost to put a supercharger in. Ravi thinks : "I'm hooked".
Tony gives it some large on the track. Takes up writing novels too..
Session5 - passenger Spen
My first time on a proper track day - I'd done those racing school days before at Donington and Rallying at Silverstone, but the instructors generally freak out if you rev the car beyond 4000. This was different. This was up to me. That was one side of it. The other side was that I was sat in a car that had cost less than a grand (even after track mods) and here I was sat on the grid with Caterhams, Cosworths and probably a few pieces of serious Japanese exotica too...
Red lights still on, seat belt's gripping me like a vice. God, I wish I'd had a pee. Engines starting all around me, selected first but left leg trembling on the clutch. Here we go, no turning back. I'm in the middle of the pack and heading out on to the track proper. Up through the gears, engine sounds fantastic, and somehow I've passed a car even before getting into Quarry corner.
Quarry corner... where I've stood and watched and sneered at all those that turn in too early and are so off line. Now it's my turn. I'm tucked up behind an XR2 of some sort, waiting for the cone. Waiting and waiting. The XR2 has turned in - seems natural but I'm waiting for that cone, NOW, off the brakes, whip that wheel around and hammer the go pedal. The engine's hanging on the rev limiter, but I don't take the hint. sh*t, finally I'm into third and alongside the XR2 which is braking for some reason... ** HARD **on the brakes, second gear ** CRUNCH ** for the Esses chicane. RIGHTLEFT back on the juice and after sweeping around the long right hander using every inch of tarmac we're coming onto the aptly named Hammerdown straight. Engine's screaming in third, popped into fourth and I'm already willing the car to go faster faster faster.
The braking point's in sight...here it comes...NOW. Hanging by my seat belt as the car tries to throw me through the windscreen, somehow change down to third and start turning in through the 90 degree right, all four wheels scrabbling for grip. Straighten up, squeeze a bit more out of the throttle, before braking right down for the Bobbies chicane, RIGHTLEFT again. This car is so stiff we over take another car on the exit. Third gear, braking point's in sight, hitting that 'king limiter again, fourth for a moment, braking and third through Camp. Another big crowd on the bank - this is not the place to loose it! Onto the straight, past the pits and through the subtle right hander that is Folly. Up the hill hitting 110mph before braking for Quarry once more. MAN WHAT A RUSH!!! The best 1.85 miles you may ever do - and there were another 5 laps to go.
At least that's how I remember it. My passenger may tell it differently No, the car felt like it was driven by the devil himself (the devil on a mission at that), but what I know is that I got into the car having respect for cars around me simply because of the car - when I got out of the car, I had realised that it doesn't matter a damn what the cars are - it's about finding the lines and not being scared to scratch your pride and joy.
My second session was hugely enjoyable because of this...half way through we spotted an Escort Cossie way ahead. And over the next two laps I reeled him in. As you might imagine, he wasn't too happy at being passed by our ickle car and so just put his foot down hard on the straights though I was alllllll over him through the corners. The added bonus was Spen (my passenger) shouting a load of untypable abuse at this guy, "you've lost so much XXXXXXX respect, yeah yeah, go fast on the XXXXXX straights, well XXXXXX done you XXXX!!! etc" I think it was 'you've lost so much * respect, yeah, yeah, go fast on the straight, well done. y' tosser, what did you learn to drive in? a shopping trolley?'. Mighty big words for someone who'd spun off not 30 mins earlier.
Rob hits the track for his second session...
Session5 - passenger Simon
The grid is lined up:
A Fast Car!
Me
Ferrari 328
Lotus Elise
Lotus 7
+ others
Turns to Simon "Well, we're gonna get passed a lot!"
We scream out of the pits, as predicted the car in front starts to pull away. After a whole lap the Ferrari is quite close but still not that close. After Quarry I decide to let him past as he is probably not that willing to risk too much to overtake me! I carry on round still fighting understeer, waiting for the Elise to catch me.
A couple of laps go by, I can still see the Ferrari not too far ahead, the Elise has gained a little but not much. I dive into Quarry a little too deep, take a little kerb, still the Elise doesn't catch up. As for the Lotus 7, he is no where to be seen. I am now catching and lapping people, how cool? A few more "incidents" and still the Elise cannot catch me!!
The 5 laps come to an end, I cannot wipe the smile off my face!!!
