Paul(UK)

Track day coming up...

The LAST BLAST (of 2001) ..........

Bedford Autodrome
Saturday 29th September
FULL day

8am Arrival Danish Pastries Coffee Tea & Vehical Noise Testing
8.55 depart for pit lane
9.00 am pit lane opens

12 noon lunch
1pm afternoon session
4.30 pit lane closes
5pm guests depart (no BBQ)

Drive the full Gran Turismo Circuit (3.7 miles! includes a 1km straight)
And now the bad news...

Mad Max

Paul

Are you going to be there?

I booked last wednesday and can't wait.

Paul(UK)

I wish I was.
I love the Bedford Autodrome circuit and have not ever driven the Gran Turismo configuration.
Unfortunately I'm off to a wedding.

I'm sure you'll have a great day out.
Let me know what it was like.
Paul

awinskill

What's the tyre wear like at Bedford?

Maybe the total cost works out cheaper than an airfield day?

Paul(UK)

Tyre wear is minimal if you drive quickly and smoothly. My first (and last) airfield day shredded my tyres. To date about 80% of the wear was from Abingdon airfield. I've done 2 days at Bedford and the only thing to watch out for is the brakes. You actually don't need to brake too much in the S2000 but it takes ages to build confidence not to brake that much.
First trip to Bedford - I cooked the brakes - had a long pedal for a while.
Second time they felt fine and I was much faster. Tyres only slightly scuffed from power sliding (80mph slightly sideways on approach to pit straight a few times).

Frenchie

Driven at speed on several circuits but never in my own car! So, never experienced a 'Track Day'. What's the insurance situation?

Pete

UKjasonm

Insurance is up to you. On my last track day I took out

Mad Max

What a day

I turned up thinking there would be some serious machinery there and I wasn't wrong. Three Skylines, 2 R33's both V-Spec and a tricked up, black R-34 V-Spec. A beautiful black 360 Modena, more 911's than you could shake a stick at including a new GT2 that the owner clamed was putting out 500bhp and a few trick 964 RS's. 3 Lancer 6 Evoulutions, about 7 Elises most of which where modified, 2 340R's, 2 Ariel Atoms, a smattering of Caterhams ,TVR's, Impreza's and BMW's, 1 other silver S2K plus a few oddballs like an XJS convertible and a formula ford.

Unfortunately, like my previous three visits it rained most of the day and at no point did a 'dry line' appear. This was especially annoying as I had bought some Michelin Pilot Cups for track days and now in the wet I thought they would be more hinderance than help. I was wrong.

Basically anything rear-wheel drive was mine, apart from the 360, the GT2 and one very well driven Elise. Even then they did not overtake me apart from the 360 but he then spun. Plus I took all the Imprezas and one R33 Skyline.

I also had a go at the HowFast timed lap but only produced a 3:08 mainly due to the standing water which the tyres really didn't like and I wasn't aggressive enough through the slow stuff, incase I spun. The Data logging equipment wasn't working so they timed us with stop watches and of the 20 cars, only 3 made it under the 3 minute mark. Not worth the

UK Paul

Aye a good set of brakes is very important on the GT circuit, a mod I would consider if I did it again!! Not a bad time, same as mine in the dry! However with the extra BHp afforded by cool wet air rather than dry hot air we'll call it a tie!!!