S2000 at Lydden and Gurston Down
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Joined: Jan 2008
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S2000 at Lydden and Gurston Down
Just a couple of vids this time...
The first is a recent sprint at Lydden organised by the London Irish MC. A nice day with good weather which helped as the day went quite slowly. Saw a RX-7 LS-1 V8 conversion for the first time in the flesh which was one of the National runners car....very nice, looks like it's designed to fit! As for the event, a good result but I was 0.5secs of my best from Oct last year. Not sure where I'm losing the time. Any comments from those who race there about lines? Problem with hills and sprints is you never get to see someone else take a line so you have to think it through rather than see it. Anyway, here's the vid with data
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7NOsiJzOow [/media]
Weekend just gone was my only event for the year at Gurston Down near Salisbury. Sat was nice weather, Sunday.......hmmm
This was a round of the HSA championship and they'd put all competitors into 2 classes, saloon/sportscar based or single seaters. This mean't I was up against a couple of caterhams, slick shod ex-racecars, and a reasonably fast Audi Quattro on track tyres so I wasn't looking for a class result I was mainly there to improve my time over last year. I had a bit of a slow start on Sat and it wasn't until the last run that I got back the the same speed as last year, just beating it by 4/100ths with a 38.36. I was hoping to get into the 37's as I knew I could go faster through hollow (the first corner). Forecast for Sunday wasn't good with drizzle all day after a fine start so first practice run was good with a 38.4 something which was on the mark even with a bit of a slide at Ashes (left hander before the not-so-straight straight). Here's the vid of that run which was ok through hollow but not enough throttle, it should definitly be flat all the way to braking for Karousel.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m9nIYubsKc [/media]
After that run it starting drizzeling very lightly, like heavy mist (or mizzle as the guy next to me said). We were the last batch so by the time we came up for our first timed run the track was a little damp. It was hard to tell how much so the start would be a useful guide. Well that's the theory anyway. The start was really slippery and no traction at all so it was a bit of caution into Hollow but it looked dry so I pressed on for the rest of the run. Ended up with a 40.81 which was ok but I reckon it could have been easily 1sec faster. Tip for the future is don't use the start at Gurston as a guide to grip elsewhere.
Second run was properly wet with cars leaving good rooster tails on the course. My start was really slippy even after starting in 2nd!! Tenative into hollow (even dabbed the brakes!) but it felt ok as did braking into Karousel. The rest of the course was really slippy. Slides over deer leap and 4 wheel drift out of ashes. The worst bit was a decent slide after the 2->3 shift up the straight. After that I didn't go full throttle all the way to the end...time for some caution as nothing to gain over T1. Here's the video
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTotcgQyH0U [/media]
All in all not a bad weekend. I must have guessed the grip better than most as my first timed run gave me 3rd in class just 1/100th behind the Quattro and ~.3sec behind a Seven type. However, I wanted to get into the 37's during the weekend as I know it can be done....but that will have to wait till next year!
Next up...Anglesey this weekend (which will be a bit of a trip...). Track day on Fri and two 1 day sprints on Sat and Sun.
Matt
The first is a recent sprint at Lydden organised by the London Irish MC. A nice day with good weather which helped as the day went quite slowly. Saw a RX-7 LS-1 V8 conversion for the first time in the flesh which was one of the National runners car....very nice, looks like it's designed to fit! As for the event, a good result but I was 0.5secs of my best from Oct last year. Not sure where I'm losing the time. Any comments from those who race there about lines? Problem with hills and sprints is you never get to see someone else take a line so you have to think it through rather than see it. Anyway, here's the vid with data
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7NOsiJzOow [/media]
Weekend just gone was my only event for the year at Gurston Down near Salisbury. Sat was nice weather, Sunday.......hmmm
This was a round of the HSA championship and they'd put all competitors into 2 classes, saloon/sportscar based or single seaters. This mean't I was up against a couple of caterhams, slick shod ex-racecars, and a reasonably fast Audi Quattro on track tyres so I wasn't looking for a class result I was mainly there to improve my time over last year. I had a bit of a slow start on Sat and it wasn't until the last run that I got back the the same speed as last year, just beating it by 4/100ths with a 38.36. I was hoping to get into the 37's as I knew I could go faster through hollow (the first corner). Forecast for Sunday wasn't good with drizzle all day after a fine start so first practice run was good with a 38.4 something which was on the mark even with a bit of a slide at Ashes (left hander before the not-so-straight straight). Here's the vid of that run which was ok through hollow but not enough throttle, it should definitly be flat all the way to braking for Karousel.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m9nIYubsKc [/media]
After that run it starting drizzeling very lightly, like heavy mist (or mizzle as the guy next to me said). We were the last batch so by the time we came up for our first timed run the track was a little damp. It was hard to tell how much so the start would be a useful guide. Well that's the theory anyway. The start was really slippery and no traction at all so it was a bit of caution into Hollow but it looked dry so I pressed on for the rest of the run. Ended up with a 40.81 which was ok but I reckon it could have been easily 1sec faster. Tip for the future is don't use the start at Gurston as a guide to grip elsewhere.
Second run was properly wet with cars leaving good rooster tails on the course. My start was really slippy even after starting in 2nd!! Tenative into hollow (even dabbed the brakes!) but it felt ok as did braking into Karousel. The rest of the course was really slippy. Slides over deer leap and 4 wheel drift out of ashes. The worst bit was a decent slide after the 2->3 shift up the straight. After that I didn't go full throttle all the way to the end...time for some caution as nothing to gain over T1. Here's the video
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTotcgQyH0U [/media]
All in all not a bad weekend. I must have guessed the grip better than most as my first timed run gave me 3rd in class just 1/100th behind the Quattro and ~.3sec behind a Seven type. However, I wanted to get into the 37's during the weekend as I know it can be done....but that will have to wait till next year!
Next up...Anglesey this weekend (which will be a bit of a trip...). Track day on Fri and two 1 day sprints on Sat and Sun.
Matt
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Joined: Feb 2009
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Nice to meet you on Sunday Matt 
You looked to be going very well on your first run in the morning....shame the weather turned soon after 
Only saw your first proper timed run as by lunch time the weather had gotton the better of my wife and I...but I must say it looked like you spent quite some time sitting on the line with wheel spin waiting for something to happen. If you can run the R888s next year 37s will be well in range,,,perhaps even the odd 36
You looked to be going very well on your first run in the morning....shame the weather turned soon after Only saw your first proper timed run as by lunch time the weather had gotton the better of my wife and I...but I must say it looked like you spent quite some time sitting on the line with wheel spin waiting for something to happen. If you can run the R888s next year 37s will be well in range,,,perhaps even the odd 36
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Nice one Matt, or three. I dont know what you put in that car but it dont half go! I cant do better than 41.09 and thats in the dry. I think my years must weigh very heavy or sumat. Will try harder in a couple of weeks, my last outing for the year. Double header at Wiscombe this w/end.
Your daughter looks really cute, start em young and she'll be beating you in no time.
All best
Adrian
Your daughter looks really cute, start em young and she'll be beating you in no time.
All best
Adrian
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Joined: Apr 2009
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some cool videos there mate.
i just done my 1st track day tonight wit the s2k at knockhill & loved.
just out a curiosity what equipment did you use for filming your runs as im wanting to get some sort of camera set up?
cheers
Yum
i just done my 1st track day tonight wit the s2k at knockhill & loved.
just out a curiosity what equipment did you use for filming your runs as im wanting to get some sort of camera set up?
cheers
Yum
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,099
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From: Leigh-On-Sea
As ever.I've only had a quick watch but can't see a lot wrong with your lines at Lydden.
There's been quite a lot of murmuring in the paddocks about the surface being more slippery of late, one of the theories is that its because of the crap rubber laid down by the drifters.
I've not been able to get within 0.4 secs of my best from the first meeting of the year and I get a lot more goes at it than you
It could just be typical racing driver's excuses but it has come from a number of people and there was one meeting where the whole field was slower, especially the big power cars.